“WE are still in the recruitment phase,” acting Commonwealth Utilities Corporation Executive Director Betty Terlaje said, when asked about the vacant executive director’s position.
She said 44 have applied for the post, and a majority of them are from off-island. None met the minimum requirements.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency vetted three applicants from the 44 who applied, and CUC interviewed one of them, she added. “One cancelled, another one withdrew his application when we were about to interview him.”
Terlaje said EPA approves an applicant’s qualification, but “they still expect us to do our own diligence to make sure we are hiring the right person for the position.”
As of Sept. 22, she added, “we don’t have a new applicant that meets the qualifications.”
She said CUC’s human resources department is also “trying to reach out to the power industry, and this is another opportunity, this conference happening here, where we can express our need to hire an executive director,” referring to the 30th Pacific Power Association’s Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition, which CUC is hosting on Saipan from Sept. 25 to 28 at the Crown Plaza Resort.
“Hopefully we can have recommendations [as] we will be meeting people from the industry that can channel out and recommend the needs that we have,” Terlaje said.
“Every day we’re hoping to open our email or post office box and see that a new applicant has submitted a résumé. Unfortunately, that is not the case. We are getting applicants, but they are not meeting the minimum requirements,” she said.
According to Variety files, the minimum requirements for the executive director include a master’s degree in management, engineering, finance or public administration or, in the alternative, a bachelor’s degree in engineering and registration as a professional engineer pursuant to the National Council of Engineering Examiners standards in the civil, mechanical or electrical branch. In addition, an applicant must have at least 10 years’ experience as senior management in wastewater, drinking water and/or power utility.
Besides the executive director, the vacant positions at CUC are for the wastewater and drinking water division supervisor, chief financial officer, and chief engineer.
