Three education leaders in the region announce future plans

Guam Community College will be looking for a new leader, since President Mary A.Y. Okada is leaving the college. The local Guam college joins two others in the region as having vacancies in their leadership positions.

The board of trustees has already updated its Policy 455, which guides the presidential search process. At the July 18 board of trustees meeting, the trustees voted to establish a presidential search committee.

Okada has led the college since 2007 and is the institution’s first female president. She was one of three finalists for the position of president of the University of Guam in 2023.

Most recently GCC announced its re-accreditation by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges for eight years, the longest term allowed for re-accreditation.

Galvin Deleon Guerrero, president of the Northern Marianas College, announced he will run for delegate to Congress in November 2026.

According to a statement from the board of trustees of NMC, Deleon Guerrero will retain the presidency until he files his candidacy. Deleon Guerrero was appointed president in 2021.

Patrick U. Tellei, president of Palau Community College, also has announced his retirement. PCC Board members have started their search for a new president. See the Journal story: Regional colleges evolve; Challenges still remain.

Tellei took the helm of the Palau Community College in 1999, making him one of the longest, if not the longest, serving chief executive of any higher education institution in the region.

Tellei has worked at many global and regional educational programs and organizations, including Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, Accrediting Commission for Community & Junior Colleges and South Carolina Association for Career & Technical Education. It’s through these organizations and the college that brought Tellei to work with other educational leaders across the region such as the late UOG Presidents John C. Salas and Jose T. Nededog, as well as Robert A. Underwood who has served as UOG president and Guam’s delegate to U.S. Congress.

According to the PCC Board’s vacancy announcement, they are looking for a student-focused candidate “with a vision for advancing the college’s capacity to meet the region’s academic and workforce needs.”

“The College President must also create and sustain educational partnerships that enable investments for the success of current and future students,” according to the announcement. “The role of the President of Palau Community College encompasses an active engagement within the campus and amongst the wider community. The President must be committed to promoting the College’s institutional values, ideals, and standards. Above all, the President must maintain strong and effective communication, be a transparent leader, and be accessible to students, faculty, and staff… The next president will build on the strong reputation that PCC has enjoyed in past years and lead the college to greater heights. Palau Community College is engaged in collaborative work within the community and strives to strengthen and maintain that relationship.

To learn more about PCC, visit pcc.palau.edu. For information on the application and to contact PCC’s search team, visit pcc.palau.edu/pcc-search.