By Emmanuel T. Erediano
emmanuel@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
MAISIE B. Tenorio was elected chair of the CNMI Board of Education on Thursday, succeeding Aschumar Kodep Ogumoro-Uludong.
Anthony Dela Cruz Barcinas and Antonio L. Borja were reelected vice chair and secretary/treasurer, respectively.
Tenorio, who was first elected as a BOE member in 2020, has served the board as secretary/treasurer, vice chair, and acting chair.
Other BOE members include Andrew Orsini; teacher representative Dr. Dora B. Miura; non-public school representative John S. Blanco; and student representative Jude Burgos.
Tenorio thanked her fellow board members for their confidence. She said that although she has served on the board for five years, she often feels that “there’s still so much to learn and so much more that we can do to support students, support educators, and fulfill our oath and constitutional duty.”
She said while recently reviewing BOE regulations and the Constitution, she reflected on why she decided to run for a board seat and what her role is as an elected education official. One point that stood out to her, she said, is that the board must speak with one voice and act as one unit.
She urged her fellow board members to work together, saying, “If we really want to put students first and keep educators in mind, then we have to work together. We have to speak as one voice for our students. That’s what I’m hoping for — so students look up to their policymakers and feel supported, heard, and seen.”
Tenorio said she welcomes feedback and insights on how she can best fulfill her role and support everyone in the education system.
Barcinas also thanked his fellow board members for their trust. He said he expects the board to move forward in addressing issues affecting teachers, PSS staff, and especially students. He expressed hope that funding conditions will improve this year and thanked the entire PSS team for their hard work.
Borja likewise thanked his colleagues for their vote of confidence and expressed hope that the board will continue addressing both new and existing policies it has put in place.
Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho congratulated the newly elected board officers and said he looks forward to working with them. He also thanked Ogumoro-Uludong for working collaboratively with him, noting that while the BOE and PSS encountered “rough waters,” they managed to navigate those challenges together.
“We started rough and ended the year with many accomplishments,” Camacho said. “We achieved these together with the board, and my team and I truly appreciate the work that was done and what we were able to accomplish.”
Ogumoro-Uludong thanked everyone for what he described as an “amazing 2025,” noting that the board chairmanship was “definitely a new role” for him. As a new board member, he said the board faced “some interestingly rough waters.”
“I agree that there is a lot of room for learning and improvement,” he said, “but I am very excited about what was accomplished last year, and I look forward to a good year under your leadership. We worked together and operated with one voice.”
Ogumoro-Uludong said that, as noted in the report he presented to the board the previous day, improvements can still be made in transparency and accountability at the BOE to ensure those practices filter throughout the system.
He said he stands by the actions he took as chair, noting that they were based on stakeholder input and concerns brought to him.
“I am excited to continue serving our community, and here’s to a great 2026,” he said.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
