Board of Directors
Dr. Bobby Cruz was elected to the Board on February 1, 2021. He is a proud son and servant leader of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). He is passionate about promoting positive social change that improves the lives of people. Dr. Cruz holds a Bachelor’s degree in English, a Master’s degree in International Education, and a Doctorate Degree in Administrative Leadership for Teaching and Learning. His professional work in the CNMI includes more than a decade of service to the Public School System where he served as a teacher, curriculum manager, and school administrator. Dr. Cruz is currently the Director of Instructional Technology & Distance Education overseeing technology programs and initiatives that provide online learning opportunities for students and professionals. His office provides distance learning for 2,000 students annually from both public and private schools throughout the CNMI and supports 500 educators in advancing their credentials through online certification programs. Dr. Cruz is also the Co-Director Project HALIGI, a school-based mental health program that provides a multi-tiered system of support for students and their families. He is a member of the PSS Key Management Team and sits on both the Strategic Performance and Data Governance Committees and frequently supports grant and policy writing.
Outside his official role with the school system, Dr. Cruz is a passionate volunteer, extending his expertise in support of professional learning for youth and adults alike. He is regularly featured as a keynote speaker and has led various community projects such as the Marianas March Against Cancer, where he served on the steering committee for 7 years, 3 of which was as chairperson. Dr. Cruz is also involved with non-profit organizations such as the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and Marianas Young Professionals. He is additionally a coach and an athlete, having represented the CNMI in international competitions in both tennis and Va’a. Dr. Cruz is an advocate for marginalized groups and is ardent about the preservation of indigenous cultures, guided by the belief that if you want to see change come to pass, then you ought to participate in the process.
Gretchen (Gin) A. Smith was elected to the Board in October 2021. Gin is currently an attorney barred in the CNMI, but she also spent three years as an English teacher at Marianas High School. She received her juris doctorate in May 2018 from the University of California at Davis School of Law and her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of California at Los Angeles in 2012.
Leonard Leon is a photographer, filmmaker, cultural jewelry artist, and lifelong creative who draws influence from around the Pacific. Originally born and raised in the Marshall Islands, Leon moved to the Marianas as a young man and grew to admire the Chamorro and Refaluwasch cultures he encountered while living in Achugao. He has a BA in Creative Media with a Minor in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. On Saipan, Leon is best known creatively for the series of photos and stories he collected of the island in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yutu. Additionally, he has received praise for the pendants he carves out of giant clam shell. Leon was elected to the Board of Directors in February 2021 and elected to the position of Secretary/Treasurer in April 2022.
Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho was elected to the Board on February 1, 2020. He is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with over 21 years of active duty service. He is the dean of Enrollment Management and Student Success and dean of Students at the University of Guam and is also the Executive Director for UOG AmeriCorps Volunteer Center; a member of Advisory Team for Project Tulaika (Guam Behavioral Health Transitions Grant); chair of the Stakeholders Sub-committee for the Guam One-Stop Data Village Governance and Advisory Council; and board member for WestCare Pacific Islands. In addition, he is an Ambassador for the National Service-to-School program serving military members transition to higher education. He earned his Doctor of Education degree from Drexel University; Master of Arts degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Louisville; Master of Arts degree in Leadership & Liberal Studies from Duquesne University; and Master of Military Arts and Science degree from the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from the University of Guam. His military education includes: Ordnance Officer Basic Course; Combined Logistics Officer Advance Course; Combined Arms Services Staff School; U.S. Army Command & General Staff College; Support Operations Officer Course; and the Defense Institute for Security Assistance Management.
Michael White was elected to the Board on June 26, 2019. He has a B.A. in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University and a J.D. from Temple University School of Law. Mr. White was a staff attorney for the Congress of Micronesia under the Trust Territory of the Pacific and has been in private practice as an attorney on Saipan since 1975. He co-founded the Northern Marianas Bar Association in 1980 and served as its first president. He is currently the president of the Northern Marianas Sports Association and serves in various capacities as a member of International Basketball Federation (FIBA), Pacific Games Council, International University Sports Federation (FISU), Micronesian Games Council, and the Basketball Association of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Robert “Rob” Harrell was elected to the Board of Directors in February 2023 and appointed as Chair of the Development Committee on May 2, 2023. He is a US Army Veteran of 15 years moved to Saipan in October of 2008 from Honolulu, Hawaii. Currently working at IT&E as Executive Director of Customer Operations and Network Operations Center he continues to look for ways to give back to the community. As a former President for the Parents Advisory Consul and President of the Garapan Elementary School Parent and Teachers association he has seen the opportunities to learn, share and support the continued focus and teaching of the music, culture and language of the indigenous and diverse people of the Commonwealth.
Kimberly (Kim) Mendiola, a dedicated advocate for mental health, brings her expertise as a licensed counselor to empower individuals on their healing journey. Serving as a board member since September 2023, Kim earned her Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Pacific University of Portland, Oregon, and obtained her Oregon license to practice in 2014. With a passion for community well-being, she returned to her homeland of Saipan, committing herself to provide professional mental health support as a board-licensed therapist. Kim’s contributions extend beyond the boardroom, as she has served in various capacities such as vice chair for CNMI PSS’ Early Intervention Program Interagency Coordinating Council and a member of NMPASI’s Council for Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness and the Division of Youth Services’ Parent Leadership Committee. She is currently the Clinical Supervisor for the CHCC-BHS’ Mental Health Services Unit and holds national certification as a Clinical Supervisor.
Kim is also an accomplished local artist and musician. While charcoal and paint are her trusted accomplices in bringing visions to life, she also embraces unconventional materials like food and natural elements. Growing up on the island, Kim used to play the piano for local churches and choirs, or participate in recitals and community music events. Her passions merge when she is able to incorporate art or music into therapy with clients. When the work settles, Kim finds solace in the great outdoors and traveling.
Samuel McPhetres was elected to the Board in April 2022. He was born and raised in Saipan and a graduate of Northern Marianas College. He then began his architectural career with a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Washington. As a graduate student, Sam participated in community-oriented studios ranging from designing and construction of bus stops for low income housing, Post-Katrina community rebuilding efforts in Louisiana, and the conversion of a tobacco curing house to a community center in a rural village in Taiwan. Sam went on to work on K-12, University Buildings, and mixed-use commercial and residential projects. Sam is certified as a LEED Accredited Professional to emphasize environmentally responsible and sustainable design.
Sam moved to Guam in 2011 and in 2014, he was selected as one of Guam Business Journal’s 40 under 40. Sam was a founding member of the Sons of Saipan and in 2016 they were recognized by the US Congress for their contributions to the post typhoon Soudelor and Yutu recovery efforts. In 2017, Sam became the first recipient of the “American Institute of Architects Regional Grass-Roots Scholarship” from the Guam and Micronesia region.
In 2020, Sam moved back to Saipan and was part of the COVID-19 Task Force designing the Alternate Care Site and COVID Screening and Security Zone for the CNMI Judiciary.
Lynette is a Chamorro native-born and raised on the island of Saipan. Her career in education began in 1991 when she was babysitting for extra college money. She found herself teaching whenever she babysat, which led to the realization that pursuing the life of an educator is the path she is destined to take; the same path that her beloved grandfather, William S. Reyes also lived.
After changing her major, Lynette graduated with an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts, Education Specialty, a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, and a Master’s degree in International Teaching. In 1998, she started teaching as a substitute teacher at the Northern Marianas College Lab School, then as a classroom teacher at William S. Reyes Elementary School. In 2004, she became a Reading Resource Teacher, where she worked with students who were two or more grade levels below in reading. In 2006, Lynette became the Vice Principal and then three years later, became the Principal. In 2012, she was hired at the PSS school district to manage the Territories and Freely Associated States Education Grant (T&FASEG), which focused on training teachers and district and school leaders on integrating technology. In 2017, she was hired as the Associate Commissioner of Accountability, Research, and Evaluation, which was a brand new department for the district. Lynette led the assessment program, accreditation, continuous improvement for schools and the district, accountability, research, and evaluation to name a few. She is currently the Deputy Director for the Region 18 Comprehensive Center and a Senior Research Specialist with the Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL).
In her spare time, Lynette loves to vacation with her family, SCUBA dive, snorkel with her granddaughter, and hang out with friends.
Daria is a daughter of Tinian from the Northern Mariana Islands, born to parents Juan and Lourdes Atalig. Her upbringing on Tinian largely motivated her educational pursuits abroad, but she returned home to work for the CNMI. Daria has a passion for working with under-served communities and her resume is replete with medical, educational, and leadership activities that have taken her to Central America, western Europe, Asia, and her fellow Pacific island nations. Her background helped better inform her work on establishing a children’s mental health system, directorship of her island’s health center, and her work with patients during the pandemic.
To further get in touch with her Chamorro cultural roots, Marjorie joined 500 Sails as a student in its traditional sailing program three years ago and eventually joined its Board of Directors, chairing its Strategic Planning Committee to produce its first five-year Strategic Plan and for a short term as Vice President before stepping down to work for the NGO. She served as the Director of Community Programs for six months before taking on the Cultural Maritime Training Center. In her spare time, she is a traditional sailor and a student of traditional navigation for Master Navigators Cecilio Raiukiulipiy and Mario Benito. She has sailed to Tinian thrice over the past two years and was part of the crew for the circumnavigation around Saipan under Grand Master Navigator Sesario Sewralur. She also completed two half-marathons in 2022 alone and twice more with a relay team. She is greatly inspired by novels by Patrick Rothfuss and Neil Gaiman and the cultural lores of her ancestors and works of art by her Chamorro brethren. Daria earned dual bachelor degrees in Psychology (research concentration) and Biology with a minor in Neuroscience from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree in Medical Sciences from the University of South Florida.