Betty Terlaje
THE Commonwealth Utilities Corporation board of directors on Thursday unanimously extended Betty Terlaje’s contract as acting executive director for another three months.
Terlaje’s current contract was set to expire on April 26.
It was CUC board member Simon Sanchez who moved for a contract extension.
Besides Sanchez, CUC board chairwoman Janice Tenorio, board members Donald Browne, Rufo Mafnas, Rebecca White and Francisco Rabauliman voted yes.
Before voting, the CUC board members went into an executive or closed-door session.
Afterward, the CUC board said it came to an agreement that they still needed Terlaje’s institutional knowledge for a smooth daily CUC operation.
Terlaje, CUC’s chief of administration, was named acting executive director in April 2023 after the then-acting executive director, Dallas M. Peavey Jr., PhD., was fired “for cause.” Chretien T. Voerg, PE, the then-deputy executive director, was named acting executive director, but he resigned.
As part of the federal stipulated orders, CUC must fill key management positions such as the executive director.
In February 2024, the CUC board approved the hiring of Christopher Theisen as executive director for two years with an annual salary of $200,000.
Theisen, a registered and licensed professional engineer in California, will also receive a one-year allowance for housing, vehicle, relocations costs, and standard benefits.
Variety learned that Thiesen is still doing his due diligence before signing a contract with CUC.
Asked about the 90-day extension, Terlaje said, “The board [wants me] to continue … until the new executive director comes in. … I respect their decision and it’s their discretionary authority to decide if they still want to retain me or not. … I’m an employee that comes to work, and I put in my all. I want to see the corporation grow so if they continue to believe in me and have faith in me …then they know they will be getting that.”
