Rory J. Respicio, Ports Authority; Ray Topasna, GHURA; Thomas C. Ada, Guam International Airport Authority
Guam Governor-Elect Leon Guerrero has announced designees to head the Guam Port Authority, the A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority and the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority.
The governor-elect will formally transmit their nominations for confirmation to the Guam Legislature as well as submit recommendations to the respective boards of the autonomous agencies. Nominees will serve in acting capacities pending legislative confirmation.
Former Guam Senator Rory J. Respicio is designated as general manager of the Port Authority of Guam, former Senator Thomas C. Ada as the executive director of the A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority and Ray S. Topasna as executive director of the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority.
“These autonomous instrumentalities of our government are critical to providing basic services to our people daily and it is equally critical that we appoint the right individuals to lead these agencies," said Leon Guerrero. "Lieutenant Governor-Elect Tenorio and I are honored to announce the appointments of Senator Tom Ada, former Senator Rory Respicio, Ray Topasna, Connie Jo Shinohara, Dominic Muña, and Elizabeth Napoli to these leadership roles. Each of them recognize the great challenge ahead of them and they are ready to serve.”
The nominees and respective agencies are as follows:
Rory J. Respicio served in the 27th through 33rd Guam Legislatures and held various legislative leadership positions including Majority Leader and Chairperson of the Committee on Rules; Federal, Foreign and Micronesian Affairs; Human and Natural Resources; Election Reform; and Capitol District. Prior to being elected senator, Respicio served as Director of the Department of Youth Affairs.
Dominic Muña is designated as Deputy Manager of Operations for the Port Authority. Mr. Muña has spent nearly 30 years serving the people of Guam with much of his career at the Department of Public Works. He most recently served as DPW Building Maintenance Manager and also held the position of Superintendent of the Solid Waste Management Division.
Connie Jo Shinohara is designated as Deputy Manager of Administration and Finance for the Port Authority. Ms. Shinohara is a small business owner and the managing partner of Takekuma, LLC. She has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, having served as a Special Assistant to Governor Carl T. C. Gutierrez and as a Special Projects Coordinator for the Bureau of Women’s Affairs, Director of the Typhoon Paka Recovery Office, and Interim Director of the Department of Administration.
Senator Thomas C. Ada is designated as Executive Manager for the A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority. Sen. Ada’s combined career experience in the public, private, and military sectors are major contributing factors in his ability to bring a balanced and practical approach to the analysis, resolution, and management of issues in his new assignment. Sen. Ada returned to Guam in 1983 after completing his undergraduate and graduate studies and serving six years of active duty as a commissioned infantry officer in the U.S. Army. He later spent 20 years in the reserves and retired as a Colonel. He is also a nine-term senator. Senator Ada has also held senior management positions during his eight years in the private sector and completed the Professional Master of Business Administration studies at the University of Guam.
Ray S. Topasna retired as Special Assistant to the Governor in 2016 after serving in this capacity for three years. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Director and Executive Director for the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority from January 2011 through November 2012. While at GHURA, the Authority received its first and only clean audit in 57 years.
Elizabeth F. Napoli, designated as Deputy Executive Director for the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority. Ms. Napoli has 30 years of work experience in the government, as well as 12 years of work experience in the private sector. She has been a Speech Therapist with Guam Department of Education, which required ongoing communication and collaboration with an education and interdisciplinary team of professionals and families to meet the needs of students with communication impairments.