New Chief of Police, Customs, Quarantine Director, Corrections
Director, Homeland Security Advisor among them
Designees: Stephen Ignacio, Chief of Police; Ike Peredo, Guam Customs and Quarantine; Samantha Brennan, Department of Corrections
Guam Governor-Elect Lou Leon Guerrero announced major appointments Thursday. Upon assuming office, Leon Guerrero will formally transmit their nominations for confirmation to the Guam Legislature. At that time, the nominees will serve in an acting capacity to their respective agencies.
“Lieutenant Governor-Elect Tenorio and I are pleased to announce Stephen Ignacio, Ike Peredo, Samantha Brennan, Joey Terlaje and Tim Aguon to lead these agencies for our administration. I am confident in each of their abilities and I value the extensive experience they bring to the law enforcement and homeland security agencies they will represent. Collectively, these individuals will be responsible for providing a strong and collaborative framework that provides for the safety and security of our entire community. I look forward to their contributions and service to our people,” said Gov.-Elect Leon Guerrero.
“Our commitment to public safety has been a hallmark of our campaign and the people of Guam deserve to have highly qualified and dedicated individuals serving in these respective agencies. We can’t wait to restore our trust in public safety and security and that’s why I am honored to join Gov.-Elect Leon Guerrero in announcing the selection of Stephen, Ike, Samantha, Joey and Tim. The people of Guam deserve the hard work and commitment of these individuals as we begin our administration,” said Lt. Gov.- Elect Tenorio.
The nominees and respective agencies follow:
• Captain Stephen C. Ignacio as Chief of Police, Guam Police Department Stephen C. Ignacio is currently a Captain with the Guam Police Department and serves as the Commander for the Hagatna Precinct Command. He joined the Guam Police in August 1987 and graduated from the 28th Police Training Cycle. He has been employed with the Guam Police for over 31 years where he has worked in the Criminal Investigation Division, Highway Patrol, Support Division and Administration Division. Captain Ignacio is among a few Guam Police Officers who successfully graduated from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent Course. Captain Ignacio holds both a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of Guam and an Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement Administration from the Guam Community College. In addition to being a Police Officer, Captain Ignacio has been an adjunct Instructor at the Guam Community College for nearly 20 years. Captain Ignacio and his family reside in Barrigada where he is also a member of the Barrigada Municipal Planning Council.
• Mr. Ike Peredo as Director, Guam Customs and Quarantine, Mr. Peredo is a U.S. Army veteran and currently teaches Geography and American History at Bishop Baumgartner Memorial Catholic High School. In the 27th Guam Legislature, he served as Chief of Staff to Senator John M. Quinata. Prior to these positions however, Mr. Peredo’s career was entirely at Guam Customs & Quarantine. He began at the agency in 1976 as a Customs Officer I and over the course of 20-plus years served in various supervisory capacities in the Agency’s Marine, Airport, and Narcotics sections. Beginning in 1986, he was the Assistant Chief of Customs. He held that position until he was promoted to Deputy Director of the Agency. Mr. Peredo received both his B.S. in Criminal Justice and Secondary Education Certification from the University of Guam.
• Ms. Samantha Brennan as Director, Department of Corrections. Ms.Brennan recently retired at the rank of Major from the Probation Division, Judiciary of Guam after almost 32 years of government service. Her law enforcement career began in 1989 as a Customs & Quarantine Officer with the Department of Commerce. In Aug. 1993, she became Deputy Marshal I with the Judiciary of Guam and over the course of her 20 years of service, has held the positions of Deputy Marshal I and II, Probation Officer I and II and the Adult Drug Court Coordinator. As the Adult Drug Court Coordinator she was instrumental in moving the therapeutic treatment court towards evidence based practices by adopting the “Matrix Model” as their treatment component. Ms. Brennan received her Bachelor of Science in Public Administration in May 1997 and a Masters of Public Administration in May 2002, both under the Pedro “Doc” Sanchez Scholarship at the University of Guam. Additionally, she has completed the first Criminal Justice Certificate Academy offered by the Judiciary of Guam in collaboration with the Guam Community College to become POST certified, receiving an Associate of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the Guam Community College in May 2017.
• Mr. Joey A.A. Terlaje as Deputy Director, Department of Corrections. Mr. Terlaje is currently a Captain with the Marshals Division in Judiciary of Guam. Mr. Terlaje has been with Guam’s Judiciary since 1996 and within this time has served in various supervisory roles; Marshal of the Courts, Deputy Marshal Supervisor, and Deputy Marshal Sergeant. He began his career with the Guam Judiciary in 1996. Prior to that, he was a Police Officer at the Guam International Airport Authority. Mr. Terlaje’s interest in law enforcement began in 1993 as a Police Reserve Officer with the Guam Police Department, a position he kept active up until 2017. Mr. Terlaje is a highly trained law enforcement professional. He has received certifications in Dignitary Protection, Defensive Tactics Instructor, SWAT Instructor, WMD Tactical Commanders Course, and HIgh Risk Response Instructor, as examples. Mr. Terlaje is a 1992 graduate of the Guam Community College Police Academy and also received his A.S. in Administration of Criminal Justice from the same institution.
• Mr. P. Tim Aguon as Homeland Security Advisor to the Governor of Guam. Mr. Aguon is currently the Consumer and Professional Products Division Sales Manager for Ambros, Inc. He has been serving in this capacity for 20 plus years and is responsible for executing the sales portfolio for Micronesia and the South Pacific. Mr. Aguon is also an active member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, holding rank as Senior Master Sergeant. During his 30 plus years of service in the Reserves, Master Sergeant Aguon has held responsibilities in air transportation, information management, and currently as Air Transportation Superintendent. He has deployed to various conflicts, to include Desert Shield, Desert Storm, 9-11 Security Forces, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Master Sergeant Aguon has demonstrated command of leadership, management, and logistical expertise throughout both his career in the private sector and military service. He is the recipient of numerous recognitions, of note is the Air Force Commendation Medal for Performance. Mr. Aguon has attained his Associates Degree in Information Management from Trident International University and has received diplomas from the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy and the Senior Non-Commissioned Officers Academy.
The incoming administration is confident that the Organic Act vests in the Governor of Guam the statutory authority to use her discretion to make appointments to her cabinet in the best interests of ensuring government operations and prioritizing the importance of executive leadership at various departments. In this case, the incoming administration has assessed the necessity to appoint deputy directors to certain agencies to achieve its mission and objections in the executive branch.