Fred Bordallo, Dept. of Veterans Affairs; Ina Carillo, Station Manager of PBS Guam; Lasia Casil, Director Hagatna Restoration and Redevelopment Authority
Alice Taijeron, President Guam Housing Corporation; David Dell'Isola, Director Department of Labor; Krisinda Aguon, Dep. Director Department of Youth Affairs
Governor-Elect Lou Leon Guerrero has announced further cabinet and sub-cabinet positions for administration. Upon assuming office, Leon Guerrero will formally transmit their nominations for confirmation to the Guam Legislature as well as submit recommendations to the respective boards of the line agencies. Nominees will serve in acting capacities pending legislative confirmation.
“During our transition process we remained in bringing on the best individuals to serve in our administration, and more importantly, our island. I am confident that these recent appointments are a reflection of our sincere commitment to that end,” said the governor-elect. “Each of our appointees are proven agents of change, and we are excited to see significant progress being made early on at every agency in the government.”
The designees are as follows:
Chelsa Muna-Brecht, Director of the Department of Agriculture. Chelsa Muña-Brecht has been a project director for the Guam Department of Education for the last four years, successfully managing a multi-million dollar curriculum project. Prior to that, Ms. Muña-Brecht developed and managed a workforce development project for the Guam Community College where she collaborated with the private sector, GDOE, and several government agencies. Ms. Muña-Brecht is also President of PUNGCo Farms, a farming company she operates with two of her Muña cousins and young sons. Through her farm, she has successfully written and been awarded federally funded grants to aid in farm development.
Melanie Brennan, Director of the Department of Youth Affairs. Ms. Brennan has 33 years of combined government service; initially working for the Department of Public Health, as a Child Protective Services Social Worker and then later for the Division of Senior Citizens, Adult Protective Services working with the elderly and disabled adults. She joined the court system in 1991 as a Probation Officer. She progressively moved up the ranks serving as a Probation Officer Supervisor for the Adult, Pretrial, Intake and Prevention Units. Since 2011, she has served as the Deputy Chief Probation Officer assisting the Chief with overseeing the daily operations of the division.
Krisinda Aguon, Deputy Director of the Department of Youth Affairs. She is currently the Deputy Director of the Department of Youth Affairs. Her career began with the GDOE as a teacher in 1998 and she built her experiences and training with GDOE as an administrator, parenting teacher, consulting resource teacher, and a transition teacher, overseeing a school-to-work program placing students with disabilities in the workforce in alignment with their post-secondary goals.
David Dell'Isola, Director of the Department of Labor. He earned a BBA degree in Business Marketing from UOG. Mr. Dell’Isola’s 12 year government service experience includes Director of Department of Youth Affairs, Director of the Guam Department of Labor, and Director of the Agency for Human Resources Development. As Director of DYA, Mr. Dell’Isola successfully redirected DYA’s main emphasis from incarceration to prevention, treatment, and aftercare.
Jerry Toves, Deputy Director of the Department of Labor. He is currently the Territory Business Manager for Mead Johnson Nutrition with Ambros Inc. Being a key leader and having over 25 years of experience in diverse management positions, he is proven through feats of fiscal responsibility and business development.
Richard Ybanez, Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. He has nearly 20 years of managerial experience in the private sector and is coming off a successful term at All Micronesian Media, Inc. where he was the Sales Manager. Mr. Ybanez has held the positions GM of Windward Hills Country Club and the Director of Sales and Marketing for Guam International Country Club. Coupled with his professional experience, he was also a former Guam national volleyball player.
Victor Villagomez, Deputy Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. He has 18 years of combined service in the private sector and the Government of Guam. His most recent Government service is from 2008 to the present as the Municipal Clerk / Maintenance Supervisor / Community Worker. He assisted with various community outreach programs. He facilitated and assisted with numerous youth programs and activities.
Anna Marie Arceo, President of the Department of CHamorro Affairs.Born and raised on Guam with a strong identity as a CHamoru woman, Anna Marie Blas Arceo has over 30 years of experience in the advocacy in the perpetuation of the CHamoru language and culture. With a background in Elementary and Organizational Management in education and a specialization in CHamoru Studies, Anna Marie was a CHamoru Language Teacher, Curriculum Writer and Trainer within the GDOE system; Program Specialist/Planner in the original CHamoru Language Commission; Former Executive Director of the CHamoru Language Commission under the Gutierrez Administration; CHamoru Language Instructor at Bishop Baumgartner Catholic School; CHamoru language and culture Consultant for sole proprietorship, Ma’inan CHamoru; Program Coordinator for Micronesian Language Institute at UOG; CHamoru Language adjunct professor at Guam Community College; Executive Director, Government of Guam Chamoru Language Liaison Program. She's a founder and deeply involved with the Chief Hurao Academy.
General Roderick Leon Guerrero, Adjutant General of the Department of Military Affairs.Major General Roderick R. Leon Guerrero is currently the Adjutant General of Guam and Director of Military Affairs. Major General Leon Guerrero’s military career began in 1985 as a Private First Class where he went to basic training and attended the Combat Medic Advanced Individual Training. From 2007-2008, Major General Leon Guerrero was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan. After his deployment, Major General Leon Guerrero served concurrently as the Commander, 105th Troop Command and as the J1, Guam National Guard. He assumed the duties and responsibilities as the 11th Adjutant General of the Guam National Guard in March 2015.
Ina Carillo, Station Manager of PBS Guam (KGTF TV12). She is a media professional and small business owner with over 20 years of experience in media management, programming, network relations and client management. She has led programming, sales and marketing teams for Marianas Cable vision, Docomo Pacific, Moycom and Directions Magazine. Ms. Carillo is the proprietor of Budget Bridal and Blush Boutique. She also is a member of the Pa’a Taotao Tano Board of Directors.
Celestin Babauta, Director of the Guam Regional Transit Authority. He was born and raised in the village of Agat and graduated from George Washington High School. He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1971 and was promoted to Chief Master Sergeant in 1988. While on active duty, he served in the following senior leadership positions: Transportation Manager at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam; Telecommunications Systems Control Manager at the Misawa Air Base, Japan; and Mechanical Systems Manager and the Superintendent of the Damage Control Center at the Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Upon retirement from the Air Force, he worked at the Guam Community College from 1991 - 2000.
Leah Beth Nahalowaa, Executive Director of the Guam Commission for Educator Certification. She is currently the Project Director of the federally-funded College Pathway Program at the Guam Department of Education. In 2014, Dr. Naholowaa began a strategic planning process to drive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) literacy for the next generation of Guam’s students. Her Project, College Pathway is also responsible for developing professional development and training in Advanced Placement Summer Institute for secondary teachers who teach accelerated courses in a college preparatory setting.
Lasia Casil, Director of the Hagatna Restoration and Redevelopment Authority. In addition to just winning a seat in the Guam Legislature, she is an accomplished jewelry designer and entrepreneur, LGBT rights and environmental activist and commercial real estate broker. Ms. Casil began her real estate career over 20 years ago in New York City working for a hotel and restaurant developer. In 2013, Ms. Casil returned home to Guam to launch her own jewelry brand, Infinite Charm. In 2015, she founded Guam Pride to tap into the multi-billion dollar LGBT tourism market. She is also the co-founder and president of Save Southern Guam, which advocates for responsible development that protects, preserves, and promotes the natural beauty and resources of southern Guam.
Fred Bordallo, Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a military veteran who completed his service with the United States Marine Corps from 1978-1985, the United States Naval Reserves Unit NR-120 Guam, from 1999-2006, and the United States Army Reserves 368th Military Police Company, Guam, from 2007-2013. He served with the Guam Police Department from 1986 to 2015, beginning assignments as a patrol officer with the Neighborhood Patrol Division then assignments as a traffic investigator, internal affairs investigator, field shift supervisor, operations/administrative sergeant, officer in charge training section, public information officer, deputy precinct commander, precinct commander, division chief, and acting bureau chief. During his career, he was promoted to the ranks of Police Officer II, Police Officer III, Police Sergeant I. Police Lieutenant, Police Captain and was appointed as the Chief of Police for the Guam Police Department in 2011.
Alice Taijeron, President of Guam Housing Corporation. She is the current Director Empower Retirement, Guam Field Office. In her role, Ms. Taijeron is responsible for maintaining client relations with Empower Plan Sponsor. She has over 12 years of experience in the financial industry and holds several securities licenses. Ms. Taijeron also has served as a policy analyst for former Speaker Judith T. Won Pat and Governor-Elect Lou Leon Guerrero and as a legislative aide for former Congressman Robert A. Underwood in Washington DC.
Angela Camacho, Housing Manager of Guam Housing Corporation. She is a REALTOR®, with Today’s Realty, a profession she has worked in since 2003. Ms. Camacho has developed strong network of relationships with both the private sector and government agencies. These working relationships will serve well the mission of GHC. Prior to real estate, she was an office manager and administrative officer with a local engineering and environmental firm, respectively. She also has insurance industry experience.