Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A familiar face has joined the LBJ Medical Center Team as Director of Human Resources, and Acting Public and Media Relations Specialist. Mr. Stanley Iakopo, who was last seen as one of our local athletes during the 2023 17th Pacific Games held in the Solomon Islands began his employment contract at the LBJ last week Tuesday, arriving on island on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 and immediately getting to work.

According to LBJ, Mr. Iakopo was one of the applicants for the Chief Executive Officer position of LBJ, and while he was not hired for CEO, he was considered for the Director of Human Resources after being notified of it being an advertised position. The director of Human Resources is not the head of HR, but is the Assistant to the Chief of HR.

Iakopo was also asked if he would officially handle the public and media-press relations of the medical center, until the position could be filled. He accepted and is now also considered the official contact for all public media information.

An official press release will be made public in the upcoming days of his appointment to both positions.

Samoa News last wrote of Stanley Iakopo when he participated with three of his five children in the 2023 17th Pacific Games, held in the Solomon Islands in November.  At the time, we noted that he is a Samoan father and with his three children beefed up Team American Samoa’s athletics and bodybuilding squad.

During an exclusive interview with the 51-year old father, he told Samoa News that “American Samoa holds a special place in my heart.

“I was born and raised there and I see my participation in these Games as a way of giving back to our community back home even though I now live in Saipan.”

Stanley Tapuaialupe Iakopo was born at LBJ Hospital and grew up in Ili’ili, near the golf course, with relatives in Nu’uuli, Pago Pago, Onenoa and Malaeloa.

He was raised by his maternal grandparents, Samataua Tapuaialupe and Akata Iakopo-Tapuaialupe, his grandfather was a Catholic Catechist at Fogagogo.

He graduated from Marist High School in 1990, and worked locally at the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) coordinated by then EMS Chief Fuapopo Avegalio, and worked as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for three years. He then left to continue his higher education at the UH, and continued with his academic accomplishments, which include a BS in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, a degree in Physio Therapy, a Nursing degree, as well as Masters in Education. He is currently working on his thesis for his doctorate.

“The need to always strive for something better comes from the advice I received from my grandmother, who instilled in me the values of hard work and to always look to the future,” Iakopo reminisced.

“She would always quote the Samoan saying, ‘Tu’utu’u le upega i le loloto…’ (Cast the net in the deeper parts of the ocean and you will catch bigger fish…) That has always motivated me to keep on striving for the best.”

Samoa News welcomes Stanley Tapuaialupe Iakopo and his family to American Samoa, and wishes them well.