T'Nelta Mori, an alumna of the Pacific Executive Leadership Development Program shares her perspective on the program and her work.

Guam's T'Nelta Mori is one of over 175 young public servants from the Insular Areas who have graduated from the Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) and shares her impressions and experience in the program and her work on Capitol Hill for the Guam Congressman.

 Since 2008, the Office of Insular Affairs has supported the ELDP to assist the Insular Area governments with developing and retaining the qualified and skilled staff needed to lead insular governments. The ELDP is implemented by the Pacific Islands and Virgin Islands Training Initiative or PITI-VITI (www.pitiviti.org) and is funded by the Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs.

0:00 Introduction and ELDP program overview
2:18 What is unique about the program? 
4:34 The impacts of COVID 
5:05 ELDP guest speakers 
6:55 Island area representation and diversity in the cohort 
9:26 The meaning of “blue continent” 
10:00 Working for Guam and the Pacific Island region 
12:38 Process of passing legislation 
15:38 Growing up in Guam 
17:33 Transitioning out of COVID
18:22 Celebrating the 78th Guam Liberation Day 
18:40 Where to find the website and social media accounts 

The Chamorro music for this video, Music Esti Ha Bida, was borrowed from Minanq670 - Chamorro Music Esti Ha Bida on Soundcloud.com. Images provided courtesy of T'Nelta Mori, pitiviti.org, and sannicolas.house.gov. 

The OIA Conversation series is hosted and produced by the Office of Insular Affairs. Participation or mention in this program does not imply any specific endorsement.  

For more information about the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs, visit our website at www.doi.gov/oia, follow us on Instagram and Twitter @InsularAffairs, and like OIA on Facebook.

Participation or mention in the OIA Conversation Series does not imply any specific endorsement and is meant to provide awareness and information about OIA-funded programs.  

#WhatWeDoIslands | There's More to Islands ... #OIAConversations

Transcript

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[Music]

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[Music]

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welcome to oia conversations where we

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learn more about people

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programs and issues that are important

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and relevant to the united states

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territories

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and to the freely associated states this

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is tonya joshua deputy technical

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assistance director in the office of

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insular affairs

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today we will be learning more about the

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executive leadership development program

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funded through the office of insular

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affairs at the u.s department of the

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interior we will be learning more about

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the eldp program through tinelta mori

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who recently graduated and who works in

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the office of the guam congressman

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michael fq san nicolas

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welcome to nelta thank you so much for

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having me tanya it's an honor and

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privilege so today we wanted to know

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more about your experience in that

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program

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the eldp program is a

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developing program like no other

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it's

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unique in that it's

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geared towards

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individual in the public service

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you do have to have two years of

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consecutive government service and so

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on top of that

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you are

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in

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for an experience that brings in

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regional leaders

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and non-regional leaders brings in

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scholars and

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it doesn't focus

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singularly on one area of an individual

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it is you know towards leadership but

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they

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practice

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or they instill practices

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that

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you can apply not only personally but

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professionally in order to be the utmost

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or you know the best servant leader that

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you can be and so i think that holistic

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approach to the program and the

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curriculum that they put together

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i think is what really lends to the the

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program and speaks testament to its

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caliber yeah is there something that

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unique about the eldp that you think

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makes it special

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where do i start where do i end

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it is the people it's definitely the

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people

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who run it from the instructors to the

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coordinators to the students

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they are individuals who

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not only come

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from you know subject matter areas and

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are like okay so we're going to teach

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you what we've learned from textbooks or

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whatnot but they're

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community members who've really embedded

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themselves

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in not only the western culture but then

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also the pacific island culture and i

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think that lends a unique lens and an

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appreciation for

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just the overall landscape of you know

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our pacific region and they're able to

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connect with us on a level that i don't

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think any other ordinary

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instructor or you know program can kind

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of give because they're very

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it's a

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grounds up program and it's comprised of

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people who are truly there for the

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government's service it's not really

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anything as much as a it's an executive

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leadership development program it's not

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so much an individualistic but it's more

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of a holistic and a group approach that

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builds on each of our experiences

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because the group is of course comprised

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of government servants you know in the

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public sector and that was kind of you

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know a requirement right they're looking

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at building up the next generation or

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the next wave of island leaders and so

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public service is definitely

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at the forefront of it and when you're

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just in a group of individuals with that

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same passion in that same focus that you

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really can't go wrong and it just lends

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an experience unlike any other so we the

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program wrapped up in march of just this

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year it was originally set to be a four

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week program and

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you know with the pandemic and all the

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different happenings and whatnot it was

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pushed back i believe it's over 16

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months so that was quite the experience

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not only for myself but of course from

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my fellow classmates but i think

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considering you know the parameters that

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the program administrators and

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coordinators had to work with it was

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definitely

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a great program at the end yes

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did you so you were the first cohort to

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experience covet oh yes we were and i i

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know for sure they're hoping that we can

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definitely be the last but yes so we

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were their first cohort that had the

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whole virtual experience and so

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everyone just like you know the whole

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rest of the world they definitely rose

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to the challenge and did the ultimate

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best to ensure that the quality the

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value and just the teachings of the

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program weren't compromised in any way

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so i understand you heard from the

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president of palau one example of a

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speaker maybe you wanted to tell me

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about that that experience and other

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speakers sure so our speakers for the

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eldp program ranged from

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governors to justices

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the presidents

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and it was such a valuable experience i

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want to say for the entire cohort

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because it allowed us access that is

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normally not you know given to everybody

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to have these really similar to what

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we're having one-on-one conversations

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with these leaders and so for instance

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we were given opportunities to not just

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hear

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their journey and their story about

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where they started to where they come

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from but we were really able to balance

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things off from them you know their

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perspectives on things their lessons

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learned and really just taking in as

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much and extracting as much as we can

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from seasoned leaders to

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help ourselves along in our leadership

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journey and the funny story about the

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palau present he was also our

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i want to say the main overall judge for

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our last

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official assignment but it was a

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surprise having him come in and so when

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he came in it was such a good time i

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know that he's a

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very busy man and especially during the

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time that he was dealing with in palau

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it was i believe just to start the whole

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pandemic reaching their end with their

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shores so for him to really give up his

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time to

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connect with the cohort and offer the

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knowledge and experience that he has it

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was a great experience for our audience

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i should mention that there is also so

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yours was the pacific cohort that's

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correct and there is also a virgin

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islands cohort i know the usvi has their

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own program and then the pacific islands

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has there so yes we were unfortunately

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unable to meet and whatnot but they kind

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of maybe for our listeners we can remind

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them all of the island areas that are

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represented in your program of course so

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for our particular cohort i know we had

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individuals from guam we had individuals

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from american samoa the commonwealth of

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the northern mariana islands the

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federated states of micronesia and then

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we also had from palau in the republic

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of the marshall islands so we had the

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whole blue continent and so you know not

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everyone can ever have that in in

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an environment and so

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the individuals themselves were all

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public servant leaders and we ranged

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from doctors to public audit or i don't

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think we had public funders but i know

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we had no i don't think they continued

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but we had directors and

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um

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you know ministry heads and teachers we

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had so many teachers and uh just

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governments you know government servants

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there who

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not only completed the program solely on

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the program but they were also running

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their respective you know agencies and

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departments and serving their people in

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their capacity so they're doing these

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classes while they're exactly they're

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still doing this they're still full-time

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parents full-time you know public

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servants and then full-time students of

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the eldp program and i remember in my

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particular group because you've broken

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down in groups during you know project

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times and my particular group i was

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fortunate enough to work with

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doctors and so there was a time we had

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to do a presentation and they came in

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and they were like i'm so sorry i had a

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code something and i'll be right back

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and you're just you know it really

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speaks to their commitment and

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dedication to the program because you're

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just like oh you need to save a live

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well please by all means no apologies

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needed on this and you know we can still

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put this powerpoint presentation

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together and then we'll wait for you and

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so

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you have to also be mindful that this

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was during the whole pandemic right and

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so not only are governments scrambling

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to you know respond or recover from it

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but

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you know they're still learning and it's

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you know ground zero and

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these are actual government employees or

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you know government servants who have to

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respond to that and so on top of that

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they were definitely doing the eldp

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program and i think that just really

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does speak testament to the

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caliber and dedication i should thanks

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to congress who provided incredible

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support through

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the us government to all the island

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areas during the closing

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you said a word i wanted you to expound

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on ten elta blue

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continent can you tell us about this

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blue continent sure so the blue

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continent

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is

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the up-and-coming continent and i know

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it's a humble little continent that

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people don't really know about but i

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know that it's comprised of all the you

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know the pacific island

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although very small when united that is

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where the power comes from in the

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camaraderie so that is the continent and

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a delta definition by all means it is

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not the official

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definition at all but that's kind of how

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i've interpreted and kind of gone off

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with it yes yes so we are actually here

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on capitol hill in washington dc that's

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where this interview is taking place i

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have the honor and privilege of serving

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the people of guang under

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the leadership of congressman michael

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case nicholas tell us about the work

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that you do for guam for the pacific

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islands region

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please share a little bit more about

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what your role specifically sure so i

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again have the honor and privilege of

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serving the people through my capacity

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as the legislative director for the

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office of congressman nicholas and we

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work very closely with the congressman

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to ensure that

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his legislative priorities and his

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legislative vision

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in service to the people of guam are

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seen through properly through the

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legislative process whether it be

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working with our congressional liaisons

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or working with the inner departments of

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the house to draft legislation research

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legislation

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and really get things from the ideas

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that the congressman has

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for the people of guam into paper and

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into the legislative process so

0:11:04.320,0:11:08.800

that's what we do in our policy side of

0:11:06.800,0:11:10.320

things and we help push that agenda

0:11:08.800,0:11:12.320

forward and try to get the needed

0:11:10.320,0:11:13.519

resources and the

0:11:12.320,0:11:15.440

community

0:11:13.519,0:11:17.680

that we serve not only that's from guam

0:11:15.440,0:11:21.279

but also from micronesia as you've kind

0:11:17.680,0:11:23.360

of noted in the pacific islands and so

0:11:21.279,0:11:26.480

our legislative

0:11:23.360,0:11:28.399

agenda or our priorities have ranged

0:11:26.480,0:11:30.399

from a multitude of things you'll see

0:11:28.399,0:11:32.240

that we have a website congress.gov that

0:11:30.399,0:11:33.040

kind of pinpoints the congressman's work

0:11:32.240,0:11:34.399

and

0:11:33.040,0:11:35.460

he is

0:11:34.399,0:11:36.720

such a

0:11:35.460,0:11:39.120

[Music]

0:11:36.720,0:11:41.200

all catch-all kind of person that he

0:11:39.120,0:11:43.839

always wants to

0:11:41.200,0:11:46.399

get as much resources and assistance he

0:11:43.839,0:11:48.000

can to the people and so our

0:11:46.399,0:11:50.079

legislations that we've pushed out on

0:11:48.000,0:11:53.279

his behalf have been

0:11:50.079,0:11:55.279

ranging from veteran affairs to

0:11:53.279,0:11:58.079

social you know social service and

0:11:55.279,0:11:59.920

whatnot education health care

0:11:58.079,0:12:02.160

all the whole nines we've kind of tried

0:11:59.920,0:12:04.720

to pinpoint and you know as one person

0:12:02.160,0:12:06.639

unlike other states that have multiple

0:12:04.720,0:12:08.639

representatives just him being the sole

0:12:06.639,0:12:11.360

representative has definitely led a

0:12:08.639,0:12:13.760

challenge in ensuring that guam is

0:12:11.360,0:12:16.000

present guam is included in every

0:12:13.760,0:12:18.320

legislation that goes out so

0:12:16.000,0:12:20.160

in a nutshell that's kind of what we do

0:12:18.320,0:12:21.360

here in the office

0:12:20.160,0:12:23.600

as a policy

0:12:21.360,0:12:25.839

amazing um tinelta people might not be

0:12:23.600,0:12:26.720

aware uh maybe you could speak a little

0:12:25.839,0:12:29.200

to

0:12:26.720,0:12:31.839

legislation the process

0:12:29.200,0:12:33.920

you draft you submit it doesn't always

0:12:31.839,0:12:35.920

pass you do it again and again could you

0:12:33.920,0:12:38.639

speak a little bit to that um the

0:12:35.920,0:12:40.240

process the actual work sure sure and so

0:12:38.639,0:12:41.440

and thank you for the opportunity to do

0:12:40.240,0:12:44.079

so because i think that this is

0:12:41.440,0:12:46.720

something that is sometimes overlooked

0:12:44.079,0:12:47.440

or kind of really underplayed in just

0:12:46.720,0:12:49.360

the

0:12:47.440,0:12:51.440

amount of the magnitude of work that

0:12:49.360,0:12:53.600

goes into say passing a single

0:12:51.440,0:12:55.120

legislation you know you think it's

0:12:53.600,0:12:57.839

unfortunate it's not as simple as

0:12:55.120,0:13:00.480

something where you just draft a bill

0:12:57.839,0:13:02.959

research put it into writing and then

0:13:00.480,0:13:06.000

it'll pass you know if you'll see

0:13:02.959,0:13:08.880

legislation takes months if not years in

0:13:06.000,0:13:11.279

order to be passed and enacted and so

0:13:08.880,0:13:14.560

there's a lot a lot of work that goes

0:13:11.279,0:13:16.320

into it not only on the members and you

0:13:14.560,0:13:18.720

know building those connections with the

0:13:16.320,0:13:20.800

other members and

0:13:18.720,0:13:22.959

like a small island of guam

0:13:20.800,0:13:24.399

getting those relationships established

0:13:22.959,0:13:26.079

those networks established to

0:13:24.399,0:13:26.959

strategically push

0:13:26.079,0:13:28.639

the

0:13:26.959,0:13:30.000

plan forward and you know push the

0:13:28.639,0:13:32.800

efforts forward

0:13:30.000,0:13:35.200

it's no easy task as you know there are

0:13:32.800,0:13:37.440

more than 430 members on the hill and

0:13:35.200,0:13:40.560

the congressman has been very good in

0:13:37.440,0:13:43.760

establishing those relationships see how

0:13:40.560,0:13:46.480

an issue for our americans in guam or an

0:13:43.760,0:13:47.920

inequity not only affects guam but

0:13:46.480,0:13:49.279

really the overall landscape of the

0:13:47.920,0:13:52.079

nation because

0:13:49.279,0:13:53.680

how can we really say that we're

0:13:52.079,0:13:55.600

you know for all americans if we're

0:13:53.680,0:13:57.360

forgetting our americans that are here

0:13:55.600,0:13:59.360

whether in guam or the territory seeing

0:13:57.360,0:14:01.199

my puerto rico and whatnot

0:13:59.360,0:14:03.040

so that's really

0:14:01.199,0:14:05.920

something that takes up a lot of time

0:14:03.040,0:14:07.920

you know the like you said the drafting

0:14:05.920,0:14:10.160

the research before you can get anything

0:14:07.920,0:14:13.279

into a bill yeah and does a congressman

0:14:10.160,0:14:14.839

have to have us another member also in

0:14:13.279,0:14:16.560

order to

0:14:14.839,0:14:18.160

um and i think you're alluding to the

0:14:16.560,0:14:21.600

non-voting delegate right so as a

0:14:18.160,0:14:25.279

non-voting delegate he does not have a

0:14:21.600,0:14:26.639

vote um on the floor right but then

0:14:25.279,0:14:29.120

he has

0:14:26.639,0:14:30.560

power elsewhere and that's where kind of

0:14:29.120,0:14:32.800

the whole legislative process comes

0:14:30.560,0:14:35.040

through so as an although a non-voting

0:14:32.800,0:14:38.079

delegate he is still able to introduce

0:14:35.040,0:14:39.839

legislation on his own and so he's able

0:14:38.079,0:14:41.680

without any other without joining other

0:14:39.839,0:14:44.480

members yes but it's better of course to

0:14:41.680,0:14:46.320

have yes absolutely and so a lot of our

0:14:44.480,0:14:47.839

legislation you'll see

0:14:46.320,0:14:49.760

that we

0:14:47.839,0:14:52.399

have of course you know our friends from

0:14:49.760,0:14:54.320

the cmi or friends from the territories

0:14:52.399,0:14:56.160

and just the insular areas kind of on

0:14:54.320,0:14:58.320

board and we've really kind of put

0:14:56.160,0:15:00.079

together this united front going forward

0:14:58.320,0:15:02.320

so that's been great but

0:15:00.079,0:15:05.519

uh on top of being able to introduce

0:15:02.320,0:15:07.360

legislation himself he's also able to

0:15:05.519,0:15:09.040

vote in committees they have to go

0:15:07.360,0:15:10.800

through a committee markup

0:15:09.040,0:15:13.839

and the committee has to approve it and

0:15:10.800,0:15:16.399

so his vote is very important in that

0:15:13.839,0:15:18.000

he has a deciding vote on whether or

0:15:16.399,0:15:19.680

something moves out of committee or if

0:15:18.000,0:15:20.959

it doesn't so that's before it goes to

0:15:19.680,0:15:22.800

the floor and that's even before it goes

0:15:20.959,0:15:25.199

to the floor to vote so that's kind of

0:15:22.800,0:15:27.839

where it comes in and he's able to put

0:15:25.199,0:15:30.079

fourth amendment requests so all the

0:15:27.839,0:15:32.240

other things he's definitely able to do

0:15:30.079,0:15:34.959

co-sponsor legislation's co-lead what

0:15:32.240,0:15:38.399

have you now tinelton you have a special

0:15:34.959,0:15:39.920

background you grew up on guam so i was

0:15:38.399,0:15:41.759

born in guam and i like to consider

0:15:39.920,0:15:43.680

myself a daughter of guam as well as a

0:15:41.759,0:15:46.240

daughter of chuuk i was blessed with the

0:15:43.680,0:15:50.240

opportunity to go back and forth in

0:15:46.240,0:15:52.160

chuke i am native from chuuk and so

0:15:50.240,0:15:54.480

i like to say i was born

0:15:52.160,0:15:57.680

in guam but raised in both guam and

0:15:54.480,0:15:58.480

chuuk and so the values of

0:15:57.680,0:16:00.880

the

0:15:58.480,0:16:03.120

family traditions and cultures were

0:16:00.880,0:16:05.279

definitely embedded for me and deeply

0:16:03.120,0:16:07.360

influenced from not only my upbringing

0:16:05.279,0:16:09.519

in chic but then also in guam so i think

0:16:07.360,0:16:11.440

i like to say that having that meshed

0:16:09.519,0:16:13.920

together has just been the greatest

0:16:11.440,0:16:15.199

thing for me to carry on now i'm here

0:16:13.920,0:16:16.959

what are some

0:16:15.199,0:16:18.720

unique features of being from the

0:16:16.959,0:16:19.440

pacific just making sure that people are

0:16:18.720,0:16:22.160

not

0:16:19.440,0:16:23.920

not forgetting guam but it's an exciting

0:16:22.160,0:16:26.720

challenge in that

0:16:23.920,0:16:27.920

it opens up opportunities and areas of

0:16:26.720,0:16:30.320

growth

0:16:27.920,0:16:32.880

to be more creative if not more

0:16:30.320,0:16:34.079

strategic right and

0:16:32.880,0:16:35.040

it gives

0:16:34.079,0:16:37.279

as

0:16:35.040,0:16:40.240

a smaller island or as a representative

0:16:37.279,0:16:43.839

of a smaller island a unique perspective

0:16:40.240,0:16:46.399

and appreciation really of just

0:16:43.839,0:16:47.759

seeing through the lens how

0:16:46.399,0:16:50.000

although small

0:16:47.759,0:16:51.040

where we fit in in the overall picture

0:16:50.000,0:16:54.079

and how

0:16:51.040,0:16:55.279

we're not just a small part of the whole

0:16:54.079,0:16:57.199

we are

0:16:55.279,0:16:59.279

very critical to the whole as we're kind

0:16:57.199,0:17:01.519

of coming towards you know the compact

0:16:59.279,0:17:04.079

and whatnot and just the political

0:17:01.519,0:17:05.039

environment that's surrounding the area

0:17:04.079,0:17:08.160

it's

0:17:05.039,0:17:09.919

getting more and more attention and then

0:17:08.160,0:17:12.000

the challenges again like you said just

0:17:09.919,0:17:14.880

reminding people that we are here we are

0:17:12.000,0:17:17.679

a part of this nation and just ensuring

0:17:14.880,0:17:18.799

that we're not forgotten bringing

0:17:17.679,0:17:22.000

to people

0:17:18.799,0:17:23.760

the fresh perspective as people who

0:17:22.000,0:17:26.319

actually come from the island now with

0:17:23.760,0:17:28.319

covid capitol hill was closed for some

0:17:26.319,0:17:31.600

time are you open can people come for

0:17:28.319,0:17:33.919

tours what's different now in

0:17:31.600,0:17:35.600

as we transition out of kovic so it was

0:17:33.919,0:17:38.160

it was kind of fun because i know we

0:17:35.600,0:17:39.840

started off as a fully in office but

0:17:38.160,0:17:42.160

then of course when the pandemic came we

0:17:39.840,0:17:44.320

did have to move remotely as did the

0:17:42.160,0:17:46.400

whole capital so we've been shut down

0:17:44.320,0:17:48.240

and just recently in the recent months

0:17:46.400,0:17:50.960

we've been able to we've had what's

0:17:48.240,0:17:52.640

called a phased opening and whatnot and

0:17:50.960,0:17:54.960

so we are back

0:17:52.640,0:17:57.200

full office operations we have people in

0:17:54.960,0:17:59.280

the offices we have people roaming and

0:17:57.200,0:18:01.440

so we definitely welcome people to come

0:17:59.280,0:18:03.600

and visit again the tours i know that

0:18:01.440,0:18:05.360

there is now a new system but if anyone

0:18:03.600,0:18:07.360

wanted to tour come and visit we're

0:18:05.360,0:18:08.400

always open for visits to our personal

0:18:07.360,0:18:10.640

offices

0:18:08.400,0:18:11.919

and then for the tourist specifically

0:18:10.640,0:18:14.720

that's gonna have to go through like

0:18:11.919,0:18:16.640

another request process but we are

0:18:14.720,0:18:19.039

definitely open to running again for the

0:18:16.640,0:18:21.200

people well we should mention that you

0:18:19.039,0:18:23.760

have an important holiday coming up yes

0:18:21.200,0:18:26.000

absolutely so on july 21st we will be

0:18:23.760,0:18:29.280

celebrating our 78th

0:18:26.000,0:18:32.480

annual guam liberation day and so this

0:18:29.280,0:18:34.320

was of course the day that the end

0:18:32.480,0:18:36.880

of the people of guam were enduring the

0:18:34.320,0:18:38.720

japanese occupation during the war you

0:18:36.880,0:18:41.120

have a website and you're on social

0:18:38.720,0:18:43.640

media congressional office has a website

0:18:41.120,0:18:45.440

an official website and it is

0:18:43.640,0:18:48.919

nicholas.house.gov so nicholas is

0:18:45.440,0:18:48.919

spelled s-a-n-n-i-c-o-l-a-s

0:18:50.400,0:18:56.640

and then he has an official facebook as

0:18:53.039,0:18:58.880

well that he is very much on and so

0:18:56.640,0:19:01.679

that can also be found under the handle

0:18:58.880,0:19:03.039

congressman michael f hughes necklace

0:19:01.679,0:19:04.480

yes

0:19:03.039,0:19:06.080

we've been speaking today with

0:19:04.480,0:19:08.880

tineltamori

0:19:06.080,0:19:10.799

a graduate of the executive leadership

0:19:08.880,0:19:12.799

development program funded through the

0:19:10.799,0:19:15.120

office of insular affairs at the

0:19:12.799,0:19:16.720

department of the interior tinelta thank

0:19:15.120,0:19:20.000

you for the time that you've shared with

0:19:16.720,0:19:22.320

us today uh please relay our

0:19:20.000,0:19:24.880

appreciation to the congressman for

0:19:22.320,0:19:27.360

allowing us this time and and welcoming

0:19:24.880,0:19:30.160

us into his office and we wish you all

0:19:27.360,0:19:32.240

the best in your work uh going forward

0:19:30.160,0:19:34.080

and look forward to staying in touch yes

0:19:32.240,0:19:39.400

absolutely tanya thank you so much the

0:19:34.080,0:19:39.400

pleasure has been all ours thank you

0:19:44.000,0:19:48.000

find out more about the office of

0:19:45.679,0:19:51.000

insular affairs and our work at

0:19:48.000,0:19:51.000

www.doi.gov

0:19:51.760,0:19:55.840

oia

0:19:52.960,0:19:57.760

you can also find more conversations

0:19:55.840,0:20:01.120

about the us territories and the freely

0:19:57.760,0:20:04.320

associated states on our youtube channel

0:20:01.120,0:20:08.720

on buzzsprout and on soundcloud at

0:20:04.320,0:20:11.720

insular affairs what we do islands oia

0:20:08.720,0:20:11.720

conversations

0:20:15.330,0:20:33.559

[Music]

0:20:30.559,0:20:33.559

is

0:20:34.120,0:20:38.989

[Music]

0:20:39.919,0:20:42.720

my