By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
THE Saipan Chamber of Commerce will announce its 2025 Business Person of the Year during its Board Installation Gala on Jan. 31 at Kensington Hall, Kensington Hotel Saipan.
The Chamber’s annual signature event brings together leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors to celebrate business excellence and recognize individuals and organizations whose work has strengthened the CNMI’s economic and community landscape.
This year’s gala will also feature the formal installation of the Chamber’s 2026–2027 Board of Directors:
• Brad Ruszala, Commonwealth Communications
• Dr. Nelson Krum, Paradise Dental Spa
• Dr. Joshua Wise, PHI Pharmacy
• Amier Castro Younis, Younis Art Studio, doing business as Marianas Variety
Business Person of the Year finalists
The Chamber named four finalists for its 2025 Business Person of the Year award:
• Tina Azarvand, Esq., LLM, founder, Azarvand Tax Law
• Glenna Palacios, founder, Marianas Integration LLC
• Brad Ruszala, founder, Commonwealth Communications
• Dr. Joshua Wise, PharmD, general manager, PHI Pharmacy
The award recognizes a business leader who demonstrates professional excellence, community involvement, and a commitment to advancing the CNMI’s economic vitality.
Other award categories
In addition to the Business Person of the Year, the Chamber will honor outstanding organizations across four categories.
2025 Chamber Member of the Year
• Century Insurance Company
• 500 Sails
• CNMI Small Business Development Center Network
2025 Nonprofit of the Year
• FitBeat Inc.
• Fåha’ Digital Media
• Project Buddy Check 670
• Center for Living Independently
2025 Small Business of the Year
• Julie’s Catering
• Paradise Lyric House LLC
• Kumoi Farms LLC
• Challenge Testing Inc.
• Marianas Integration LLC
2025 Public Agency of the Year
• Northern Marianas College
• PSS Career Technical Education Program
• Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation
• CNMI Department of Commerce
• Mayor of Saipan Office
Award recipients will be announced during the gala, which the Chamber describes as a celebration of leadership, innovation, and community partnership.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
