Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Community College (ASCC) – Agriculture, Community and Natural Resources (ACNR) Division’s Forestry Program manager Denis Sene Jr. has successfully completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government (HKS).

“The program focused on several areas including real-life case studies, addressing policy issues, cooperative governance and behavioral decision-making,” Sene said. The three-week program is designed for all senior-level executives working with state and local governments and provides a balance of traditional and hands-on learning experiences to help public officials better address the concerns of their constituents and communities they serve.

Sene, who also serves as the Territorial Forester for American Samoa, was among 73 program participants, which included elected and appointed officials such as mayors and other officials such as city managers, police chiefs, fire chiefs, CEOs, and directors from the United States, Argentina, Ireland, and the Ukraine. According to Program Director Taylor Woods-Gauthier, Sene is the first representative from American Samoa to participate in the program at HKS.

“My experience with the program was phenomenal,” said Sene. “It was eye-opening and insightful to learn about leadership and policy from experts at Harvard University and different leaders from across the world. I am excited to apply what I’ve learned to further develop the ASCC-ACNR Forestry Program and to continue serving the people of American Samoa. I highly recommend this program to other leaders in American Samoa.”

Sene’s tuition was funded by the National Association of State Foresters. For more information about the ASCC-ACNR Forestry Program please call 699-1575 ext. 241.