TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS Newsletter of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce

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1 Board of Directors President: Velma Palacios Vice President: Ron Smith Treasurer: Michael Johnson Secretary: Kevin McCale Directors: Alex Sablan Perry Inos, Jr. Donna Krum Tyrell Pauling Alex K. Youn Executive Director Jill Arenovski Administrator: Mercilynn K. Palec Coordinator: Christine Tadeo TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS Newsletter of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce JULY 2017 Hafa Adai and Tirow! Welcome to our July General Membership Meeting! Hafa Adai and Welcome to the July General Membership Meeting. The Chamber has reached out to DHS and USCIS on several issues this month concerning the CW-1 program. Copies of those letters were also provided to Congressman Kilili Sablan for his support. The USCIS website states: The FY 2016 cap of 12,999 was reached in May All filings after were denied. On October 14, 2016, the FY 2017 cap of 12,998 was reached. As of May 25, 2017, USCIS received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the maximum possible numerical limit of workers who may be issued CNMI-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) visas or otherwise provided with CW-1 status for fiscal year (FY) Although the FY 2018 cap has not been set, it is required by statute to be less than the 12,998 workers set for FY It is for this reason that the Saipan Chamber of Commerce has sent a letter of request to DHS and USCIS regarding the limit for FY2018 s cap and asking that it be reduced only by the minimal amount of 1. We have also sent letters asking for clarification on the 240-day rule for renewals which had been checked as new in order to increase the chance of being included in the limited time frame before the cap was reached. We do urge all those in this situation to contact USCIS directly for an answer specific to your particular situation. Today we have Marian Aldan-Pierce, Division President of DFS and Board member of NMBAC. She is speaking today regarding the urgent need for specific documentation to substantial the continued need for foreign workers to sustain our growing economy. We urge you to commit resources to provide this information so that we can put forth our best effort to show the U.S. Federal Government the steps we have taken to recruit and train U.S. eligible workers and the struggles we have encountered in doing so. We also have the State Rehabilitation Council, who will enlighten us on the benefits of hiring workers with disabilities. Si Yu us Ma ase! Thank you for your continued participation and support of the Chamber. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me or to any Board member if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. saipanchamber Velma Palacios

2 Saipan Chamber of Commerce General Membership Meeting Hibiscus Hall, Fiesta Resort July 05, 2017 (Wednesday) AGENDA: I. Call to Order II. Welcoming Remarks III. Guest Speakers- Marian Aldan-Pierce, District President of DFS and Board member of NMBAC CNMI State Rehabilitation Council IV. Committee Reports Jill Arenovski (Chamber Executive Director) V. Raffle Drawing Donated by Kanoa Resort VI. Member Announcements VII. Adjournment Thank you to June General Membership Meeting inspirational guest speakers (from left to right): Cathryn Javier (2016 High School Scholarship Recipient), Rosalyn Ajoste (SSHS Librarian and SYP Member), Kristal Johnson (CNMI PSS and SYP Member), and Glen Hunter (Owner, The Shack Saipan and SYP Mentor.)

3 REAR ADMIRAL CHATFIELD & ARMED FORCES COMMITTEE The Armed Forces Committee met with Rear Admiral Shoshana Chatfield, Commander of Joint Region Marianas and Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Marianas at a luncheon meeting on July 03, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Saipan. During this meeting, Admiral Chatfield introduced her role and duties and answered questions from the committee members. We also discussed the important issue of ship visits to our island. We appreciate this special opportunity! SCC COMMITTEE REPORTS Armed Forces Committee (Brian Clayton & John Hirsch): AFC is making efforts to engage our military service member s with local Chamber businesses. If your business offers a discount or service specific to military service members, please coordinator@saipanchamber.com with updated information to include in pamphlets, brochures, and our Facebook page. Next AFC meeting is on Wednesday, July 26, 2017 at Shenanigans. Education Committee (Vickie Izuka & Shamika Ratwatte): The next Education Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at 11:30am at Shenanigans. Environmental Committee (Ron Smith): The Environmental Committee is currently working on a Tourism Education Packet. The next Environmental Committee meeting is on Monday, July 17, 2017 at 12:00pm at Shenanigans. Events Committee (Nida Palconit & Janel Pangelinan): The Events Committee is already in the planning for the 2018 Installation Dinner. The next meeting is on Tuesday, July 10, 2017 at 12:00pm at the 360 Restaurant. Government Relations & Economic Development Committee (Alex Sablan & Ron Smith): The next GREL meetings are scheduled for Thursday, July 13, 2017 and July 27, 2017 at 9:00am in the SCC Conference room to review proposed legislation from the House & Senate as to how these bills may impact our business community. Small Business Committee (Donna Krum & Oscar Camacho): The Small Business committee of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce presents Supervisory Leadership Training: Part One which will be held on Thursday, August 17, 2017 from 9am-12:00pm in the SCC Conference room. Part Two of the training will be held on September 21, The registration fee is $50/Chamber member and $55/non-member. Register for both sessions to receive a discount: $90/Chamber member and $100/non-member. Seats are limited. To register, please call or coordinator@saipanchamber.com. The next Small Business Committee meeting is on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at 10:00am in the SCC Conference room. Saipan Young Professionals Meeting (Beau Tomokane & Zachariah Johnson): The Saipan Young Professionals will be having its next meeting in conjunction with a crash course training on Emotional Intelligence to be presented by Nicole Babauta of CNMI Small Business Development Center. It is scheduled for Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 5:30pm at The Shack. To join us or for more information, please call (670) or administrator@saipanchamber.com.

4 2017 SAIPAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD CEREMONY The Saipan Chamber of Commerce awarded six scholarships at the Chamber General Membership Meeting on Wednesday, June 07, The meeting was held at Royal Taga A, World Resort. The students, their parents, business leaders, and Chamber members gathered to recognize these students for their academic excellence. This year the Chamber received a thirty six applications. Scholarships in the amount of two-thousand dollars were awarded to four high school students: Robert Malate (Marianas High School), Jacqueline Doctor (Mount Carmel High School), Johore Diaz (Marianas High School), and Kaiyeesha Tambakau (Saipan International School. A scholarship in the amount of two thousand dollars was awarded to one Northern Marianas College student, Carl Pagcaliwagan and a scholarship in the amount of two thousand dollars was also awarded to vocational educational student, Earl Bordon who will be attending Le Cordon Bleu in London. The inspirational guest speakers were Cathryn Javier (2016 Scholarship Recipient), Rosalyn Ajoste (Saipan Southern High School Librarian/SYP), Glen Hunter (The Shack Saipan Owner/SYP Mentor), and Kristal Ann Johnson (2016 Koblerville Elementary Teacher of the Year/SYP). Each conveyed inspirational messages to our scholarship recipients. President Velma Palacios expressed her gratitude to the Chamber members for their continuous support and contributions throughout the year that make the Chamber Scholarship Program possible. Special thanks to Chamber Education Committee Chair, Ms. Vickie Izuka (First Hawaiian Bank) for her part in the selection process and to our amazing judges; Chamber President Velma Palacios (IT&E), Chamber Director Tyrell Pauling (Hyatt Regency Saipan), Andrew Ashburn (N-15 Architects), Nicole Babauta (SBDC Director/SYP), Carline Sablan (Tan Holdings), Samantha Sikayun (Pacifica Insurance), and Jill Arenovski (SCC Executive Director). (From left to right): Chamber Pres. Velma Palacios, Lydia Tan, Kaiyeesha Tambakau (HS recipient), and Jerry Tan. (From left to right): Cathy Bordon, Earl Bordon (Voc. Recipient), and his father Jing Bordon. (From left to right): Carlito Ogie Pagcaliwagan, Carl Pagcaliwagan (College Recipient) and his mother Julie P. (From left to right): Jaqueline Doctor (HS Recipient) and her mother Justina Doctor. (From left to right), Ma.Theresa, Robert Malate (HS Recipient), and his father Roberto Malate. (From left to right): Johore Diaz (HS Recipient) and her mother Maria Tamparong.

5 SUPERVISORY LEADERSHIP TRAINING: REGISTER NOW!

6 SCC & ITS TASK & TIME MANAGEMENT TRAINING SEMINAR It was a great time at the Task & Time Management seminar held last June 15, The training was quickly filled capping at 36 participants. Participants were able to learn how to establish goals, communicate effectively, and meet deadlines. Not to mention the useful tips for balancing professional and personal life. One attendee said The quality and organization of Mr. Arenovski's training strategies and the examples that he used were realistic and related to my experiences. The SCC would like to recognize the following Chamber member businesses for their support of our program: ASC Trust Corporation, CNMI Public School System, Commonwealth Development Authority, Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, D&Q Saipan, J.C. Tenorio Enterprises, Kan Pacific Saipan, Ltd., LSG Lufthansa Service Saipan, Inc., Marianas Business Plaza, Marianas Pacific Distributors Inc., and Saipan Shipping Company, Inc. If you are interested in our trainings, please contact the Chamber office at (670) or coordinator@saipanchamber.com. HAFA ADAI WELCOME TO SAIPAN!! The Saipan Chamber of Commerce revamped its Airport signage with the help of the members of the Saipan Young Professionals last June 10, Special thanks to the Corporate Social Responsibility department of Imperial Pacific with water blasting and planting of flowers.

7 SYP NIGHTLIFE IN MOTION HOSTED BY IT&E The Saipan Young Professionals enjoyed their second quarter mixer hosted by IT&E on June 17, 2017 at Tribes Bar. IT&E s Marketing Team put on a night of fun including free appetizers for all attendees, free drinks, fun games, and amazing prizes which included a brand new phone! Thank you to the following raffle sponsors: The Shack Saipan Swirls Guest speaker, Hans Mickelson of IT&E talked about the importance of building a career in an area which you are passionate about. He quoted Do what you love, the money will come. SYP members resonated with this message as many are up and coming entrepreneurs. The SYP would like to extend their thanks to IT&E for hosting an amazing mixer and for volunteering their time and resources to the SYP. Zachariah & Kristal Johnson If you are interested in hosting a future mixer for the SYP committee or for more information, please call (670) or administrator@saipanchamber.com. Marianas Business Plaza Marianas Pacific Distributors, Inc. Tahine s Creations Pacifica Insurance Underwriters, Inc. Jordan Sundell (Bridge Capital), Laarni Zapanta (IT&E), and Beau Tomokane (SYP Chair/Delta Air Lines. SYP Members and present mentors. Eden Guillo of Marianas Business Plaza, SYP Chair Zach Johnson, and guest. Jim Arenovski of ITS and SCC Executive Director, Jill Arenovski. Janel Pangelinan of Pacifica Insurance (right) and guest. Billy Grow and SYP Member Bonny Cruz (CNMI PSS).

8 PLACE YOUR AD HERE! $10/ month $100/ year Island Training Solutions Staff Development and Compliance Training Customer Service Excellence - Team Building Effective Time Management Problem Solving Motivation Sales and Customer Relations - Suggestive Selling Communications Customized to meet your needs, for the results you want! For more information contact Jim Arenovski deltamgt@pticom.com or call The Saipan Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1959 and incorporated in 1976, is the largest private business organization in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Chamber works to promote and protect the business, economic, and civic interest, and general health and welfare, of our islands. Visit the Chamber s website at