CNMI's 24-member delegation joins Guam at high‑level federal talks in SFO
By Bryan Manabat
Saipan--The Northern Mariana Islands dispatched a 24‑member delegation to this week’s Interagency Regional Convening hosted by the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation in San Francisco, joining more than 100 federal officials from across the U.S. government for high‑level discussions on defense posture, infrastructure strain, disaster readiness and territorial resilience.
The CNMI delegation is led by Henry S. Hofschneider, the governor's chief of staff, representing Gov. David M. Apatang, who skipped the meeting to work on the commonwealth's budget plans.
In a statement, Apatang said his “immediate priority remains the pending fiscal year 2027 budget,” calling it fundamental to maintaining essential services and preparing for fiscal challenges.
He added that the CNMI delegation “effectively represented the CNMI’s interests” at the convening.
CNMI’s 24‑member delegation spans utilities, ports, health, military affairs and emergency management
The registration list shows the CNMI delegation that included Chief of Staff Henry S. Hofschneider, Homeland Security Advisor Clement Bermudes; CUC leadership including Chairman Allen Perez, CFO Bettina Terlaje, Executive Director Kevin Watson, and Power Generation Manager Richard Cano; Commonwealth Ports Authority executives Estrellita Ada and Wendi Prater; Healthcare and emergency preparedness officials Esther Muna and Warren Villagomez; Military affairs advisors Brien Nicholas Jr., Edward Camacho, and others; grants, CIP and public assistance administrators.
The CNMI delegation joins its Guam counterpart in pushing for stronger federal coordination on power generation, water security, port modernization, healthcare resilience, environmental protection and defense‑linked planning.
Officials said these areas face chronic strain due to geography, aging infrastructure and exposure to disasters.
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While the CNMI focused on cross‑sector coordination, Guam used the same convening to deliver one of its strongest federal appeals to date.
Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero told federal officials that Guam’s civilian infrastructure is not keeping pace with the largest U.S. military buildup in the Pacific since World War II. Her administration unveiled new projections showing a 30‑year requirement of $11.7 billion in civilian infrastructure and government services tied directly to national defense mandates.
The convening brought together senior officials from the Departments of Defense, Interior, Homeland Security, Energy, Transportation, Commerce, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, EPA Region 9, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Military commands including Joint Region Marianas, U.S. Army Pacific, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, and U.S. Pacific Command also participated.
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