Saipan Chamber of Commerce names nominees for coveted titles

And the Nominees are …

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce has named its nominees for a variety of titles. All of the Nominees will be recognized at the chamber’s Business Person of the Year gala on Jan. 27 at the Kensington Hotel Saipan.

(From left) Brian Shin, CEO of Micronesia Resort Inc., a subsidiary of E-Land Group; Alexander A. Sablan, vice president of business development for Tan Holdings; David M. Sablan, consultant to Tan Holdings; Ivan Quichocho, vice president, Tan Holdings; Michael Sablan, vice president, Triple J Enterprises Inc.; Jay Santos, general manager, Triple J Five Star Wholesale and Triple J Truckload Store; Esther Muna, CEO, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp; Gloria Cavanaugh, vice president, Mariana Eland; Robert H. Jones, chairman,Triple J Enterprises Inc.; Velma Palacios, executive director, IT&E; and Ben Babauta, former assistant general manager of Operations for DFS Saipan. Santos received the 2022 Businessperson of the Year award. He was surrounded by past winners during the 2022 “Bowties & Diamonds” Business Person of the Year annual gala at the Crowne Plaza on Jan. 21, 2023. Journal file photo

The nominees are:
For Business Person of the Year: Perry Inos, partner in the AP Group; and Emma Perez, co-founder of 500 Sails.

For 2003 Non-Profit of the Year: The Pickleball Federation of the NMI, The NMI Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Autism Society of the NMI, the Northern Marianas Technical Institute and the Marianas Alliance of Non-Governmental Organizations.

For 2003 Small Business of the Year: Sweet Lane Saipan, the Guam Marianas Training Center, Eucon Medical Health Services, Angry Penne Restaurant and Tyler’s Gelatte Stone.

For 2023 Chamber Member of the Year: The Northern Marianas College, Micronesia Resort Inc. 500 Sails and Century Insurance.

For 2023 Sustainable Business of the Year (in conjunction with the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance): Caravan of Food; and Artman Trash Corp.

The incoming board of directors will also be sworn in at the event.

Tickets are $150 and include an Open Bar, or tables of eight for $1,100, inclusive of the Open Bar and a complimentary premium bottle of wine. Contact the chamber at (670) 234-7150 or via [email protected], for tickets or information.

Sinlaku exposes fragile NMI supply chains already strained before super typhoon

Even before Super Typhoon Sinlaku battered the Northern Mariana Islands and disrupted fragile supply chains, businesses across the islands were already struggling with rising costs of doing business, especially with surging fuel and utility charges, worker shortages, and the general difficulty of obtaining imported products, not to mention shipping delays due to competition with the enormous tonnage of disaster aid coming to the islands.

Saipan Chamber of Commerce names nominees for coveted titles