The board was dissolved in January and it relinquished its functions and fiduciary duties to a new board of trustees that was created after Gov. Ralph DLG Torres signed the law establishing the Northern Marianas Technical Institute as a government entity in February 2019.
“We reconvened in response to the AG’s opinion that the [Northern Marianas Technical Institute] board of trustees cannot and should not be organized until such time that the transition committee…submits its report to us, the [old] board of directors,” its chairman John Gonzales told Variety.
“For all intents and purposes, we are the legitimate governance board for NMTI until the transition committee submits their report to us. Then we will submit it to the board of trustees and…to the administration, pursuant to P.L. 20-92,” he added, referring to the law that created the Northern Marianas Technical Institute as a government entity.
The other members of the old board are Joseph Torres, Richard Kautz, Mario Valentino and Annie Hayes.
The members of the new board of trustees are Valentino, Kautz, Ray Pangelinan, Carmelita Faisao, Irene Holl, Catherine Attao and Deron Mendiola.
In an earlier interview, NMTI Chief Executive Officer Agnes McPhetres said the transition committee would facilitate the transfer of all assets to the trades institute.
Gonzales is a member of the transition committee, which he said has three subcommittees: assets, records and fiscal/budget.
He said the transition committee is still in the process of reviewing the reports of the three subcommittees.
McPhetres said once the transition committee completes its work, the old board of directors can adopt a resolution to dissolve itself.
“Then I have to take that resolution up to the Department of Commerce so that chapter will be closed,” she added.
