Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Through two separate memorandums last week, Gov. Lemanu Peleti Palepoi Sialega Mauga appointed new board members for the American TeleCommunications Authority and the American Samoa Shipyard Services Authority.

ASTCA BOARD

Because ASTCA has continued to operate under an executive order for more than 20 years, its board members are not subject to Fono confirmation and therefore the governor — in his Jan. 20th memo appointed the seven board members and also appointed the new chair, who is board member Alex Sene Jr., the former ASTCA chief executive officer.

Sene along with Omar Shalhout and Seumalo Sofa are the three private sector board members. The At-Large members are Sen. Utu Sila Poasa, Alofagia Nomura, Taiulagi Mauga and Tuni Tauiliili.

Terms of all board members expire in January 2023, according to the governor’s memo, which supersedes the one issued late last year and any other “guidance in conflict” with the Lemanu new memo.

Samoa News learned over the weekend that Lemanu had appointed a new ASTCA board and that Sene was also appointed chair.

As previously reported by Samoa News then-Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga through a Dec. 3, 2020 memo re-appointed four members of the ASTCA board. Among the re-appointed members were Iulogologo Joseph Pereira who was also reappointed as board chairman.

Aside from Iulogologo, the other members — Alofagia Nomura, Taiulagi Asuega and Omar Shalhout were re-appointed with terms to expire in December 2022.

Samoa News also reported at the time that the other three members on the board at the time were Solip Hong, Dr. Tupulua “Bone” Ta’ase and Ben V. Sauvao. The terms for Hong and Tupulua were set to expire in November 2021, while Sauvao’s term was to expire in June 2022.

SHIPYARD BOARD

For the Shipyard board of directors, Lemanu appointed 10 new members through a memo dated Jan. 19th, which is also the effective date of the new appointments.

The board members are: Angelo Canepa, Sen. Fano M. Shimasaki, Rep. Sam Meleisea, Peter Taliva’a, Krista Corry, Sen. Togiola Tulafono, Leilua Stevenson, Port Administration acting director Christopher King, Taulapapa William Sword and Frank Gaisoa.

The terms for Canepa, Fano, Meleisea, Taliva’a and Corry all expire in January 2024 while the other board members’ terms all expire in January 2025, according to the memo. 

“If there were any prior members who had unexpired terms, they are removed from the board of directors,” said Lemanu, who points out that his latest memo supersedes any previous directives.

Lemanu also said Vernon Frank Thomsen is invited to attend board meetings as an observer from the Coast Guard.

The Shipyard was created by executive order and its board members are not subject to Fono confirmation.

As previously reported by Samoa News, then Gov. Lolo — after his administration took the helm of government in January 2013 — appointed new Shipyard board members in February that year.  Lolo at the time requested resignation of three board members — including Stevenson, who is now appointed by Lemanu to the board — or they would automatically be removed.

Carlos Sanchez, who was board chair at the time, was not requested by Lolo to resign, however he handed in his resignation voluntarily.

GOVERNOR’S STATEMENT

In a statement released yesterday morning by the Governor’s Office along with the two separate memos, Lemanu — in a “closed and intimate meeting” — appointed the new board members for ASTCA and the Shipyard Authority.

“It is my hope that you lead with integrity and to remember that you serve the people of the Territory,” Lemanu is quoted in the statement reminding the appointees.

It also says that the governor discussed his vision and expectations for board members’ positions and responsibilities during the meeting.

"These services will greatly affect the livelihood of our people and our local economy, do not take this role lightly. After carefully reviewing your backgrounds and experience, I have no doubt that this is a great team for both ASTCA and the Shipyard Services, and will produce great results for the  future of the Territory,” the governor told the appointees. “Now it's time to get to work.”