Gretchen Smith
Bobby Cruz
Lynette Villagomez
THE Northern Marianas Humanities Council Board of Directors elected a new slate of officers during its quarterly meeting on April 27, 2024. Gretchen “Gin” A. Smith will serve as chairperson, Dr. Bobby James A. Cruz as vice chairperson, and Lynette L. Villagomez as Secretary/Treasurer.
The Council is affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities and was founded in 1991 as a CNMI non-profit to support a broad range of humanistic activities through awards of funds for projects, programs, exhibits, conferences, or other activities that support the understanding, growth, development and appreciation of the humanities. Its mission today is to navigate the human experiences of the indigenous and diverse people of the Commonwealth by enhancing their lives through research, publications, dialogue, and programs.
Smith became a member of the board in October 2021 and served as its program committee chairperson since April 2023. “Gin has been an important advocate for improving the quality and reach of our programs in the community,” said Leo Pangelinan, the Council’s executive director. “Her efforts in stewarding changes to the eligibility criteria, application guidelines, and review processes for our Community Grant Program, for example, has yielded an unusually high number of individuals and groups seeking funding support for humanities projects in the CNMI.” Having served on the board as its vice chair for two consecutive terms, Smith is equipped to navigate the Council toward its goals and evaluate options for shifting into new directions as its current five-year strategic plan expires in 2025. “I hope to ensure a place for the humanities across generations and cultures by directing a spotlight on the Council’s programs and harnessing the ideas of untapped communities,” she said.
Dr. Cruz was elected to the board in February 2021 and will assume his new role as board vice chairperson after serving two consecutive terms as the board’s chairperson. He expressed his complete trust in Gretchen, stating, “Gin has been my second in command for a number of years and has helped the council leadership and staff reach higher levels of success. I have complete faith in her push for greater voice and visibility for all in the humanities and will support her as she supported me.”
Villagomez was elected to the board in April 2022 and will continue as the strategic planning and evaluation committee chairperson while she assumes her new role as board secretary/treasurer.
