GOVERNOR Ralph DLG Torres on Wednesday waived the statutory employment restriction in appointing Public School System counselor Ana Maria S. Mendiola to represent Rota on the Northern Marianas Technical Institute board of trustees.
Ana Mendiola
The wife of Department of Fire and Medical Emergency Services Commissioner Dennis Mendiola, Mrs. Mendiola was nominated by the governor following the resignation of NMTI trustee Deron Mendiola.
Mrs. Mendiola’s appointment requires the consent of the Senate. If confirmed, she will serve the remainder of Deron Mendiola’s term which will end on March 11, 2024.
In his letter to Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider, the governor said as the appointing authority of the NMTI board of trustees, “I hereby waive the statutory employment restriction imposed by 3 CMC § 12 I 13(b)(3) onto my appointment of Mrs. Mendiola.”
1 CMC § 290 I (a) allows the governor to “waive any statutory employment restriction with the exception of those convicted of a felony, imposed on the appointment when such restriction, in the judgment of the appointing authority, would place an undue burden by limiting the pool of otherwise qualified potential appointees.”
At present, Mrs. Mendiola is a high school counselor of PSS.
Accordingly, the governor noted, she is an employee of the CNMI government.
While Public Law 20-92 restricts the appointment of a current government employee to the board of trustees, the governor said “a majority of potential appointees from the First Senatorial District [Rota] are currently employed by the government [so] I find that this restriction greatly places an undue burden by limiting the pool of otherwise qualified potential appointees to fill this seat.”
“For this reason,” he added, “I respectfully exercise my authority to waive the statutory employment restriction imposed onto Mrs. Mendiola’s appointment to this board.”
The governor said he and Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios have confidence in Mrs. Mendiola’s ability to diligently serve on the board and contribute to NMTl’s growth as a provider of advanced career, trades, and technical training throughout the Commonwealth.
