The Commonwealth Ports Authority’s new board chairman, Jose C. Ayuyu, center, speaks as vice chairman Ramon A. Tebuteb, left, and CPA staff attorney Joseph M. Hallahan listen during a special board meeting on Tuesday in the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting classroom at the Francisco C Ada/Saipan International Airport.
THE Commonwealth Ports Authority board of directors on Tuesday elected businessman Jose C. Ayuyu as its new chairman.
Ramon A. Tebuteb remains the board’s vice chairman. The other board members are Joseph Diaz, Antonio B. Cabrera and Thomas Villagomez of Saipan, Dolores P. Kiyoshi of Tinian and Steve Mesngon of Rota.
The new board will soon name the new chairpersons of the committees that oversee financial affairs, personnel, airports and seaports.
In his remarks after he was elected as the new board chairman, Ayuyu thanked his fellow members for their vote of confidence.
He said there are a number of things that were brought to his attention regarding CPA, but he added that he’s the kind of guy who, when people say there’s a problem, sees to it that he gathers all the information first before he draws a conclusion.
“So I intend to look at some of the issues that were brought to the governor…and let’s take a look at them and see what we can do to make the ports facilities better,” Ayuyu said.
He said, “We are working for the people and we are answerable to them.” He urged his fellow board members to do the best they can to serve the community, adding that he was sure the previous board had a similar goal.
“I’m going to solicit ideas from everybody. I’m not the smartest guy in this room. I know that a lot of you bring experience…and I’m going to be leaning on you to help me out,” Ayuyu said.
He added that the CPA board and the management will work together and move forward. “Try not to dwell in the past because we are here to really do a lot of work. If we dwell in the past too much, we are going to lose focus on what we do,” he said.
“So I need the cooperation of everybody not only on the board of directors but even the staff,” he added.
“You know you are doing a good job if you are in good shape. If you are not doing well, we just got to help you get better. And if we helped you to get better and you refused to get better then we are going to ask you to make room for another person so they can come in to do the work. I think that’s fair,” he said.
Tebuteb said he was very happy that Ayuyu has taken the helm, and that he wholeheartedly support the new chairman’s goals.
Villagomez said he, too, is willing to work with Ayuyu. “I’m always here for the betterment of CPA and the Commonwealth. And yes, there are some issues that the board members have to revisit to protect the interest of CPA.”
Acting CPA Executive Director Wendi L. Prater said she looks forward to working with Ayuyu “to get CPA to where we need to be.”
