Awards, media coverage and recognition for local businesses making names for themselves in the region and beyond

Jon Nathan Denight, vice president of marketing with GTA, (at left) received the award from Tim Donovan, president and CEO of the Competitive Carriers Association.

Guam Telecom company recognized for marketing spot

The Competitive Carriers Association named GTA a 2023 Excellence in Marketing Award recipient at the Mobile Carriers Show in Pittsburg, Penn., on May 4.

GTA was named the winner of the radio spot category for Carrier Member for 2023, chosen by CCA members for its Smartphone Trade-In Program radio campaign.

The awards recognize marketing campaigns across print, broadcast, digital and social platforms in the mobile carriers industry.

Photo courtesy of Thomas W. Krise

UOG presents Bordallo with award

Thomas W. Krise, president of the University of Guam, presented the UOG President’s Medal to Madeleine Z. Bordallo in recognition of her decades of support for UOG and its mission of Ina, Deskubre, Setbe (Enlighten, Discover, Serve). The surprise award ceremony took place during a joint Guam Society of America and UOG Alumni gathering at The Implementation Group (UOG’s research consultants) offices at The Wharf in Washington, D.C.

Bordallo, who is the liaison for Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero in Washington, was also recognized as member of Congress, lieutenant governor, senator, and first lady of Guam.

Company secures training partnership for NMI and region

James T. Arenovski, president of Island Training Solutions (left) with Craig Bushman, president of Certiport, at Certiport’s 2023 Asia Pacific conference in Bali, Indonesia.
Photo courtesy of Island Training Solutions

Certiport — the leading provider of performance-based IT certification — has announced a partnership with Island Training Solutions for Micronesia.

Certiport’s certification programs include the Microsoft Office Specialist Training Program, the Microsoft Office Specialist program, the Microsoft Fundamentals program, the Adobe Certified Professional program, and more.

Island Training Solutions offers training and certification to a variety of clients ranging from large corporations and local and federal government agencies to small organizations and non-profits.

James T. Arenovski is the president of Island Training Solutions, which was formed in 2006. The company offers a menu of training and development courses at various levels and has conducted training and certification throughout the islands.

Certiport is a Pearson VUE business. The IT management company was founded in 1994. Island Training Solutions joins a network of more than 15,000 Certiport authorized training centers worldwide. Its U.S. headquarters are in Salt Lake City, Utah.

(From left) Ruben Montalvo, director of operations; and Joe Cruz, Safety Manager, both with PFM
Photo courtesy of PFM

Guam company awarded national safety excellence award

Pacific Federal Management Inc. received a National Safety Excellence Award from Associated Builders. The award was presented to PFM and 48 other contractors at the 33rd annual Excellence in Construction Awards during the ABC Convention in 2023 in Orlando, Fla.

The 2022 National Safety Excellence Award winners were selected from ABC member firms that achieved Diamond, Platinum, or gold status in ABC’s STEP Safety Management System in 2022. Contractors were judged on self-evaluation scores, lost workday case rates, total recordable incident rates, leading indicator use, process and program innovations and interviews conducted by members of ABC’s National Health and Safety Committee.

The National Safety Excellence Awards are presented in three major North American Industry Classification System code categories: NAICS 236, Construction of Buildings; NAICS 237, Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction; and NAICS 238, Specialty Trade Contractors. CNA, one of ABC’s eight strategic partners, is the presenting sponsor of the National Safety Excellence Awards.

(From left) Ric Andersen, vice president of sales of the HON Co.; Jessica Leon Guerrero, president of M80 Systems; Carlo Leon Guerrero, vice president and general manager of M80 Systems; and Brandon Bullock, president of the HON Co.)

Guam company recognized at ceremony in Ireland

The HON Co. — which designs and manufactures a variety of lines of furniture, recognized M80 Systems with the 2022 HON Standing Ovation Award at the 38th annual HON Team Up recognition ceremony in Dublin in Ireland.

The Standing Ovation award is voted on by key members from field sales, customer support and leadership throughout the HON organization, according to M80.

Magazine features diving in Palau

Palau was featured in Scuba Diver Magazine, with a detailed story of a stay aboard the M/Y Black Pearl, a 45-meter super yacht and dive boat. The yacht has been running trips in Palau since 2019and has 14 cabins and a list of guest facilities including a jacuzzi and choice of decks, as well as a business center.

Photo from Palau Pledge

The magazine described Palau as “One of the best places in the world to dive with sharks, mantas and big schools of pelagic fish, including jacks, barracuda, snapper and bumphead parrot fish.”

Dives included Barnum’s Wall, Siaes Corner and Chandelier Cave.

Scuba Diver Magazine has 22,100 subscribers and social media sites.

Australian TV focuses sustainable travel in Palau and the Pacific

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation featured Palau in a story focusing on sustainable travel as tourism returns to the Pacific.

Tourism is a main source of the economy in the Pacific and it is where much of the employment comes from. The closure of the boarders during the pandemic came at a cost of $1 billion in lost income according to Apisalome Movono, a Massey University professor from New Zealand. He said the volatility, gaps and weaknesses in the tourism industry were apparent after the pandemic. He suggests low impact, sustainable tourism.

Photo courtesy of the Palau Pledge

Movono said the industry needs to develop investments that support long-term benefits to the people and environment in the Pacific. A regional commitment was signed in 2022 by more than 12 Pacific states and territories to promote sustainable tourism. Movono said rather than Pacific nations having an economic dependence on tourism, regional tourism should depend on the Pacific and its people surviving and thriving, which in turn calls for more meaningful relationships with tourism partners. Palau was mentioned as a pioneer with conservation as its focus. In 2017, Palau set in motion the Palau Pledge which is the first of its kind immigration law requiring visitors to sign a mandatory environmental pledge to promise to act in an ecologically and culturally responsible way during their stay. Palau’s O’lau Palau (olaupalau.com) app, launched in 2022, which is used by tourists, encourages responsible tourism as launched by the Palau Pledge. Visitors can accumulate points on the app by activities such as “using Palau’s carbon calculator and reef-safe sunscreen, visiting culturally significant tourism sites, eating sustainably-sourced local food and avoiding single-use plastics.”

Bank makes national list

For the second consecutive year, Bank of Hawaii is named on a national ranking of “Most Trustworthy Companies in America” by Newsweek and is the only business in Hawaii to appear on the list. A total of 700 companies across 23 industries are listed. In the banking industry category, Bank of Hawaii ranks No. 4 nationwide.

Bank of Hawaii does business in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and Palau.

Newsweek partnered with Statista to compile its second annual list of Most Trustworthy Companies in America. Publicly held and privately held companies with revenues of more than $500 million were evaluated on customer trust, investor trust, and employee trust. The rankings were determined based on a sample of 25,000 surveyed individuals from a total of 95,000 evaluations submitted.

The mystery of the missing island

“Guam among the world’s greatest places in Time Magazine,” ran the headline on the release from the Office of the Governor. Well, yes, but no. Close enough for government work, as they say.

Some media took the release at it’s word and published the story, at least initially, until news seeped out that Guam was not actually among the destinations earning praise.

Guam did not make the list, but a soft feature on the island did make the magazine, complete with paid content, although from tourism industry leaders. The Guam Visitors Bureau says it did not pay for content. The issue with Guam’s four pages circulated only in those copies published in the Asia Pacific region. Time Magazine is not distributed in Guam.

UOG students to take to the road for scholarship and research

University of Guam business major Christian Gyles Ramos has been selected for a Truman Scholarship. Ramos wanted to be the first in his immigrant Filipino family to earn a U.S. college degree and he has surpassed this with his accomplishment. The Truman Scholarship was established by the U.S. Congress in 1975 as a memorial to President Harry S. Truman. Ramos will be able to use the $30,000 scholarship for graduate studies and to gain admission to some of the nation’s leading universities. Since 1978, there have been 20 students named as Truman scholars from UOG, including Ramos. Out of 705 candidates nominated by 275 colleges and universities in the country, Ramos is one of 62 Truman Scholars. The Truman Scholarship also offers eligibility into the U.S. Foreign Service.The eligibility into U.S. Foreign Service is part of the legacy of the late Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

University of Guam chemistry major Loreto Paulino Jr. has been selected to take part in the Polaris Project — a research project where a team of students hope to uncover secrets on climate change.

Photos courtesy of the University of Guam

He will travel to the Arctic region of Alaska where there will be no communication by phone or internet and only access by small plane will be possible.

Paulino was selected as one of 11 students in the nation and the first from UOG. The Polaris Project research team under the Woodwell Climate Research Center is funded by the National Science Foundation since 2008. The project seeks to research what happens to ancient carbon in Arctic permafrost as it melts and to inform decision makers and the public about climate change and for training for future Arctic researchers. Paulino will spend spend two weeks in July with faculty and research staff of the Polaris Project where fieldwork will take place in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta of Alaska. A research project will be conducted by each of the selected students at the delta and another two weeks will be spent at Woodwell Climate Research Center well the students will analyze their data.

Paulino, who spent field safety training for the Arctic trip in Massachusetts in April, is pursuing a degree in chemistry and a minor in mathematics. His ultimate goal is to complete a doctorate in chemical oceanography.

Resident recognized with Medal of Valor

Dwayne Pangelinan, supervisory police officer with the 36th Security Forces Squadron at Andersen Air Force Base, received a Medal of Valor for his courageous actions during two separate incidents, one of which included applying lifesaving measures.

Pangelinan has received two other Medals of Valor. He has worked at Andersen for 15 years.