Jun Coleman and Christopher Guerrero
500 Sails is in the midst of a remarkable and exciting transition. 500 Sails was started in 2014 by co-founders Pete and Emma Perez (familian Gollo) who came to the Northern Marianas with a dream of bringing back our Chamorro canoes. As they learned more about the community the dream grew to include both maritime traditions in the Marianas — Chamorro and Carolinian. Major funding was secured; partnerships were made — first with the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, then the Indigenous Affairs Office; canoes were built and voyaging started with the generosity of Carolinian master navigators and seafarers who shared their sailing knowledge; a five-year strategic plan was developed; and the Cultural Maritime Training Center was launched providing U.S. Coast Guard training tracks, American Red Cross lifeguard training tracks, and Sailing & Voyaging tracks.
500 Sails was honored to assist Carolinian master navigators so they would have access to students, facilities, canoes, and more so they could teach traditional navigation. This has resulted in a Memorandum of understanding with Northern Marianas College/Community Development Institute to add Traditional Navigation to its certificate programs.
The community programs have included over 20,000 hours of swimming, building, and sailing — all for free.
After nearly 10 years of growth, 500 Sails has become a well-established, maturing organization, but it was rapidly outgrowing its management structure. Wanting to avoid “founder’s syndrome,” where nonprofits outgrow their founders, Pete and Emma began to prepare 500 Sails for the voyage ahead. New members were recruited for the 500 Sails board of directors and their passion and skills energized the committees. With the new board in place, Pete and Emma began the process of stepping out of their leadership roles and into supportive roles for a new executive management team selected by the board.
500 Sails’ new executive director, Milton “Jun” J.F. Coleman Jr., took the helm on Nov. 13. He will be joined by the new managing director, Christopher Guerrero in January 2024. To ensure a smooth transition, Emma will mentor both as she continues to work with the board as board secretary. Pete will also support the new executive team and will become the full-time boatyard manager.
With the new executive management team in place, guided by a strong board of directors with the support of 500 Sails’ founders, 500 Sails has the leadership it needs to navigate the next decade. Master Navigator Cecilio Raiukiulipiy’s recent comment on the leadership change is encouraging. “You guys are leading the steps, not stepping away. Our community needs to see your steps and follow. Just like the navigator who’s leading the crews and teaching says, if the mast stands straight and withstands the strong wind, the crews will be strong and straight.”
Prior to assuming the executive director position, Jun Coleman was 500 Sails’ director of sailing and seamanship. His background as a canoe cultural practitioner is extensive. As a young volunteer in the 1990s working on the construction of the 54′ voyaging canoe Hawai’iloa, Jun became apprenticed to Master Hawaiian canoe builder Wright Bowman. With Bowman’s blessing he then spent six years building and sailing canoes under the tutelage of beloved Dr. Pius Mau Piailug. Jun has voyaged on the Hokulea, Makali’i, Hawai’iloa, and Simion Hokulea. He was initiated this year as a master navigator in the Pwo ceremony on Satawal under the Weriyaeng school of navigation. He is looking forward to the opportunity to guide 500 Sails, “I have a holistic approach and clear strategic vision for the organization as it journeys forward, expands its’ reach, and establishes itself as a lead organization furthering its tremendous positive impacts on our indigenous peoples, island communities, economy, environment, public/private sectors and a multitude of industries.”
Chris Guerrero will be joining 500 Sails as managing director in early January. He will be transitioning to Saipan from San Diego where he is active in the Chamorro community as a documentary video and drone photographer. Chris was raised in Guam and the diaspora and has a deeply felt desire to promote and protect Chamorro culture and traditions. He brings to 500 Sails a track record of successful entrepreneurship, including founding Proa Athletics, a sports performance training facility that he built from the ground up. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Louisiana State University and an Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration. Asked how he felt about leaving the business he nurtured to nurture 500 Sails, he said, “I’m putting down one sail and raising five hundred!”
About 500 Sails
500 Sails is a 501(c)(3) and CNMI tax-exempt nonprofit organization dedicated to reviving, promoting, and preserving the maritime cultural traditions of the Mariana Islands through community engagement in canoe cultural values and activities. 500 Sails’ vision is a healthy thriving native community that has successfully integrated traditional cultural values into modern life. Major supporting partners include the CNMI Office of Indigenous Affairs and IT&E.
