Zoning Board nominee Eleonor Alinas answers a question during a public hearing conducted by the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation’s Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee in the Senate chamber on Tuesday.
THE Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation’s Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee on Tuesday unanimously endorsed the nomination of Eleanor Alinas to the Commonwealth Zoning Board.
Present in the public hearing at 10:30 a.m. in the Senate chamber were the committee chair, Senate President Edith Deleon Guerrero, and members: Senate Floor Leader Corina Magofna, Reps. Blas Jonathan Attao, Diego Vincent F. Camacho and Vicente C. Camacho.
The committee approved Attao’s motion to prepare a committee report expressing support for Alina’s nomination that will be presented to the Saipan delegation in its next session.
Alinas, the president of Kalayaan Inc., a catering company, fielded questions from the committee members on Tuesday.
Office of the Governor Protocol Officer Ignacia Evangelista, in her testimony, said the nominee has an impressive record of success in the private sector.
Evangelista said Alinas is an accomplished manager and a business leader. She is well-educated and the extent of her knowledge has enabled her to excel in her field, Evangelista added
She said Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang have expressed confidence in Alinas’ nomination.
Customs and Biosecurity Director Jose C. Mafnas also expressed his heartfelt support for Alinas. He said he has known her and her husband for many years, and consider them good friends.
He said they are a hardworking couple who have contributed a lot to the island community. He noted that Alinas and her husband have established and successfully managed several businesses in the CNMI, Guam and the Philippines. Their work ethic is truly commendable and yet they remain humble business people, Mafnas said.
He said Alinas’ business experience will be valuable to the Zoning Board. Her deep understanding of the business community’s challenges will significantly help the board deal with zoning issues and concerns, and her knowledge in business operations and development can help the board make sound decisions that could support economic growth, he added.
He is confident that Alinas will be a significant asset to the Zoning Board.
Former Rep. Claudio Norita said he has known the nominee for over 20 years, and he considers her and her husband as true friends.
“I’ve known her to be a teacher and a businesswoman. She is a long-time resident of the CNMI. They also run businesses on Rota and Tinian. And with all those expansions of business, she remains a resident of Saipan and considers the island as her home. Although she travels a lot, she keeps coming back home here,” Norita said.
He said the business community must be represented on the Zoning Board to bring a different perspective and provide advice on zoning issues facing Saipan.
When he retired from public service and entered the private sector, Norita said he found out that trying to do business with the government could be very challenging and sometimes disappointing.
Norita said Alinas, as an entrepreneur who started from “nothing” and has succeeded in growing her business, will be a good addition to the Zoning Board.
House Floor Leader Edwin Propst, speaking in his personal capacity as a long-time friend of Alinas, said he has known her since 1998.
“She was a fantastic and excellent teacher at Marianas Hight School…. She would talk about her ideas of starting a business here, from very humble beginnings. And it was exciting to see just how creative she is and the things that she wants to do. And that’s one of the things that I’m really impressed with her, that she is a go-getter. If she has a goal, she will do everything she can to attain that. And she has done rather well,” Propst said.
He said the nominee has chosen Saipan as her home. “This is her home, dear to her heart, her investments are here, she has children here,” he added.
“She has heart. She is always willing to give and help those who really need help. She will bring her business acumen to the Zoning Board if she were to be [confirmed]. I would highly support this not just because she has an MBA, but she has the ability to look at all sides. And she does champion businesses. We need businesses to thrive in the Commonwealth. She also thinks about how the impact is, on our environment, in our community,” Propst said.
