Speakers

Chantale Yok-Min Wong is the United States Executive Director to the Asian  

Development Bank. Before her appointment, she was the Senior Vice 

President at Amida Technology Solutions. She was appointed by President 

Obama to serve as Vice President for Administration and Finance, and Chief 

Financial Officer at the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Prior to 

MCC, she was the budget director of the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA). She has also held leadership positions at the Office  

of Management and Budget, Departments of Treasury and Interior, and the  

Environmental Protection Agency. She joined ADB in 1999 as an  

Environment Specialist and was subsequently appointed by President Bill  

Clinton as U.S. Alternate Director. She holds a Master in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. She has another Master in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, with a focus on water and wastewater management. She earned her undergraduate degree in civil and structural engineering from the University of Hawaii.

The Honorable Joshua “Josh” Franquez Tenorio is the 10th elected Lieutenant Governor of Guam. He is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of managing large organizations in both the public and private sectors and has led numerous government boards and non-profit organizations. He lives in Talofofo and was raised in Sinajana.

Since taking office in January 2019, Lt. Governor Tenorio has spearheaded efforts that embrace sustainable development and has worked tirelessly to expand youth programs and opportunities, reduce homelessness and poverty, expand drug and alcohol treatment programs, and improve the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. He is focused on modernizing the business license and building permit systems and improving public infrastructure including village streets and roadways.

He is the Chairman of the Islandwide Beautification Task Force, the Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Guam Hazard Mitigation Committee, and the Guam Product Seal Task Force. He is the Co-Chairperson of the Guam Green Growth (G3) Steering Committee and has oversight over the Guam State Clearinghouse, charged with monitoring federal grant expenditures and programs.

As the first LGBTQ person to be elected Lt. Governor in the United States, he advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion, and is a founding member of the non-profit, Equality Guam. He is a current and founding member of the Talofofo Rangers Lions Club. Tenorio currently serves on the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) board of directors, an international organization whose mission is to build resilient and sustainable island communities; and was selected by his peers to serve on the Executive Committee of the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association.

Lt. Governor Tenorio began his career as a caseworker in Guam and later as legislative assistant in Washington, D.C. for Congressman Robert A. Underwood in the U.S. House of Representatives. He then served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Carl T.C. Gutierrez, concurrently serving as Director of the Bureau of Planning and later as Deputy Director of the Bureau of Budget and Management Research. He led disaster response and recovery efforts as the Governor’s Authorized Representative to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Typhoons Paka, Chata’an, Pongsona, and the 2001 earthquake. In the Guam Legislature, he served as Judiciary and Transportation Committee Director for Senator Randy Cunliffe and as Chief of Staff to Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz.

Tenorio took a pause in government service and took roles in the private sector, including Director of Business Development for CoreTech International, Associate Publisher of GU Magazine, and was elected to the Guam Contractors Association.

He returned to public service after being appointed to be Director of Policy, Planning, and Community Relations by Chief Justice F. Philip Carbullido and was later appointed Administrator of the Courts of the Judiciary of Guam by Chief Justice Robert J. Torres. He was unanimously confirmed to the position by the Judicial Council of Guam. Lt. Governor Tenorio is a Fellow of the Institute for Court Management at the National Center for State Courts in Williamsburg, Virginia and is a certified court manager and court executive.

Tenorio returned to the private sector in 2017 and became Vice President of Guam Autospot prior to his election as Lieutenant Governor of Guam. He previously served as Chairman of the Guam Preservation Trust, the Guam Historic Preservation Review Board, the Department of Chamorro Affairs Board of Trustees, Pa’a Taotao Tano and Films by Youth Inside. He has also served as a member of the Guam Election Commission and the Sinajana Municipal Planning Council.

Tenorio recently served on the Executive Committee of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association and the Democratic National Committee. He is a former Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Guam and was selected as the 2008 Obama for America Guam Caucus Campaign Manager by the Obama for America Campaign.

Tenorio was the Speaker of the 17th Guam Youth Congress, is a 1991 graduate of the Guam Community College Vocational High School and proud alumnus of Bishop Baumgartner Memorial School, Cathedral Grade School, C.L. Taitano Elementary School and Infant of Prague.

His many awards and honors include the 2021 NLGA Energy and Environmental Stewardship Award, presented in partnership with the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) and Baker Hughes.
He was raised by his parents, the late Jesus Atoigue Tenorio, a retired telephone man; and Therese Taitano Franquez Tenorio, a retired schoolteacher. His late grandfather, Jose Cruz Franquez, is his role model.

Over the past 20 years, Ms. Ramos has been inspired by the countless individuals she has served.
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Ms. Ramos has worked in various roles building the resiliency of individuals who face barriers including trauma, abuse, chemical dependency, severe behavioral health disorders, developmental disabilities, homelessness, and domestic violence.
Ms. Ramos currently serves as the Vice President of Operations for WestCare Pacific Islands. As a member of the Executive Leadership team, Ms. Ramos is responsible for the development of and operations critical services in both Guam and the Republic of Palau. In this capacity she advises on and supports broader efforts of WestCare Foundation to expand its footprint in the region of Micronesia; using her unique indigenous perspective as a native CHamoru and her years of experience in Washington state, to develop, procure and implement programming in the Pacific.
As the Vice President of Operations Ms. Ramos has grown the organization’s presence and operations throughout Guam and the Republic of Palau, consistently increasing revenue, collaborative partnerships, and services to these remote communities. Under her leadership, WestCare Pacific Islands has doubled its operating budget, expanded critical substance use
treatment services, implemented its first adolescent mental health program, and strengthened its prevention services infrastructure. Ms. Ramos led the charge in establishing WestCare Pacific Islands as the first non-profit offering CARF accredited adult outpatient treatment services in
Guam. Ms. Ramos continues to forge key partnerships with both Governmental, non-profit, and private stakeholders to explore opportunities for other island nations in the region of Micronesia, bringing new resources to those in most need. 

Anita Borja Enriquez is the 12th President of the University of Guam (UOG),  and its second female president in UOG’s 72 year history.  Previously, she served as Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost, and Accreditation Liaison Officer and Dean of the School of Business and Public Administration. A former corporate planning and development manager, and management consultant, Dr. Enriquez is a staunch advocate for developing economies and building social mobility and local intellectual capacity among students and residents in small island communities.  

She founded the Student Success Initiative Team and the College Affordability Initiative at UOG.  For the community, she secured over $1.5 million in technical assistance grants from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration to establish the UOG Pacific Center for Economic Initiatives, the Defense Logistics Agency to establish the Guam Procurement Technical Assistance Center, the U.S. Small Business Administration to establish the new Guam Veterans Business Outreach Center, and the Department of the Interior Office of Insular Affairs to launch the “Buy Local Guam” marketing educational campaign. Dr. Enriquez was the founding Vice President of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, founding member of the Guam Museum Foundation Board of Directors, and founding Vice President of the Guam Marketing Association. She is currently Chair of Guampedia Foundation, Inc.’s Board of Directors, and a member of the Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Advisory Board and the Guam-Micronesia Mission Education Board. Dr. Enriquez was awarded the U.S. SBA 2013 Women in Business Champion of the Year, the 2006 and 2012 UOG Administrator of the Year Award, 2011 Guam Community College Alumna of the Year Award, and Academy of Economics and Economic Education Distinguished Research Award. She received her Doctor of Business Administration degree in International Business (Marketing) from Alliant International University, Master of Business Administration degree from University of Guam, and Bachelor of Science degree in Management from University of Maryland, University College.  She has served on WSCUC reaffirmation and special site visits.

Corrine Taijeron Buendicho is a Guamanian of CHamoru descent born in Guam and raised in the beautiful village of Malesso. Corrine earned her Bachelor of Arts in 1992 from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a double major in Criminology & Law Studies, and Sociology. Her professional career as a lifelong Social Worker began at Child Protective
Services and has led up to, and better prepared her, in her current role as the Youth Development Administrator for the Department of Youth Affairs. She has worked in various social service and human service positions for over 32 years, with a great majority of personal and professional experience working with children and youth, specifically the child welfare and juvenile justice systems on Guam. It is because of her experience and invaluable
insights that she was tapped to assist with the CPS State of Emergency in January 2021.
Corrine is a strong advocate of positive youth development opportunities and was instrumental in establishing the DYA Youth Resource Centers on Guam to provide a safe space for Guam’s children and youth. She is a driving force and a well-respected leader who supports, challenges and encourages future generations of social workers and other human service workers to be positive change agents on our island and in our world.

Elizabeth Napoli is the Executive Director of the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority (GHURA).  She is a an AOLG Class of 1972 alumnus, obtaining her B.S. from U.C. Santa Barbara, and M.S. from San Francisco State University in Communication Disorders. An experienced professional in varied industries to include (12) years of supervisory administrative positions in a San Francisco marketing office, and an insurance/financial planning office, plus (27) years providing speech/language services in the Guam Dept. of Education schools. Elizabeth’s (6) years with GHURA has allowed her to continue using her relationship-building skills to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with other agencies, organizations, and community partners, in efforts toward improving the quality of life for the low to moderate income families that GHURA serves. Elizabeth is a Council Member for the Guam Developmental Disabilities Council, as well as for the Interagency Council for Coordinating Homeless Programs. She is passionate about contributing to society and the opportunity her role at GHURA provides which enables her to do so, in the administration of HUD housing and community development programs. 

Dr. Mary Ann Young Okada graduated from the University of Guam with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, and received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. Dr. Okada became the first female and longest serving president and CEO of the Guam Community College (GCC) in June 2007. Under her leadership, GCC has advanced its support to increase the capacity of the island’s skilled workforce through innovative programs such as work-ready boot camps, added and developed new programs including GCC’s first Bachelor of Science in Career and Technical Education, and undergone campus modernization through new construction and the renovation of eight buildings. Prior to becoming president, Dr. Okada served as the College’s vice president of financial affairs, controller and accounting supervisor. Her fiscal guidance has resulted in more than two consecutive decades of clean audits for GCC, and the awarding of numerous grants and low-interest federal loans that have allowed for campus upgrades even in the face of severe fiscal challenges. Dr. Okada served on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders under President Barack Obama from 2014-2016. She also serves on numerous local, regional and national workforce and postsecondary education organizations. She is a commissioner for the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Chair of Pacific Postsecondary Education Council (PPEC), Chair of the Guam Education Board, Vice Chair for Pacific Resource for Education and Learning (PREL), member of the Guam Contractors Association Trades Academy Board, WestCare Foundation Board, Air University - Board of Visitors, Community College of the Air Force, Archdiocese of Agana Finance Council, St. Francis Catholic School Parent Alumni Organization, Asia Pacific Association for Fiduciary Studies (APAFS), and the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce. It is through her service in these organizations that she aggressively advocates for the development and growth of career and technical education for Guam and Micronesia. She has led her team through an institutionsupported transformational academy to seek ways to offer alternative solutions to support student success. The underlying foundation to all of these is found in the relationships that have been built over time and understanding how each component contributes to support our institutional mission with a primary focus on student success. As a result, the college adopted the slogan of “Students First, Mission Always.” Dr. Okada won the U.S. Small Business Administration 2020 Women in Business Champion of the Year award and the Professor John M. Phillips Excellence in Government Accountability Award in 2013.

Pearl W. Mesa graduated in 2000 from the Academy of Our Lady of Guam. I have a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from American Intercontinental University. She joined the Sanctuary team in May of
2021 as a Residential Assistant. In September of 2021 she became a Case Manager for our Transitional Living Program (TLP) & Guma Manhoben Program. She then continued case management for the next 3 years. As of September of 2024, she became the Program Coordinator for our newest program called Guahan Youth Initiative (GYI).

Leilani Giltinag is a Quality Assurance Officer at Sanctuary Incorporated of Guam and also serves as the Treasurer on the Guam Homeless Coalition. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for 10+ years and has a master's degree in public administration from the University of Guam. She is also a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. Leilani is a dedicated advocate for at-risk youth and families, focusing on social development related to health, housing, and human rights.