Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Senators wanting to travel to Las Vegas next month for the American Samoa Government Employees Retirement Fund (ASGERF) meeting have been informed to submit their names as soon as possible to the Senate Retirement Committee chairman, Sen. Soliai Tuipine Fuimaono, to be included in the Senate delegation.

The off-island meeting is held every two years — during the year with the odd number for example 2023 — and Fono retirement committee members are invited to attend the meeting, where off-island financial experts provide reports and other financial information on the Fund.  In past years, the meetings were usually held in Honolulu.

Why it’s being held in Las Vegas this year, and not the ‘closer’ Honolulu destination has not been made public by the ASGERF committee or office.

Soliai announced that the ASGERF meeting would be held next month in Las Vegas during Tuesday’s Senate session; and requested that senators wanting to travel to submit their names as early as possible.

Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean, who is also the Fund’s board chairman, added that the meeting will be held Feb. 15 and Feb. 16 in Vegas.

He recommended that senators go on a holiday, travel to the meeting.

And the Senate President was serious in his statement.

The whole of the Senate — that’s all 18 senators — are members of the Senate Retirement Committee.

GOVERNOR’S NOMINEES

Gov. Lemanu P. S Mauga’s nominees for two government boards and a department director was introduced in the Senate yesterday and assigned to their respective committees for confirmation hearings this week:

•        Falenaoti Loi-On Fruean, who became deputy director of Port Administration in January 2020 and is currently serving as acting director, is nominated as director of Port Administration.

In his nomination letter to Fono leaders, the governor said Loi-On Fruean has held various positions in Port Administration since January 1994. Her educational accomplishments as well as her long history with the department makes her an ideal candidate for director of Port Administration, the governor said. 

•        Rev. Mataio Failauga — who has pastored the Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa in Fagamalo since 2018 — is nominated to the American Samoa Student Financial Aid board.

He is a graduate of Leone High School and a U.S Navy veteran, retiring in September 1999. Thereafter he attended Kanana Fou Theological Seminary from June 2006 to 2010.

•        Local businessman Joseph Toloa’i Ho Ching II — currently President & CEO for both CBT Ho Ching & Co., and AVEIA INC. — is a nominee to the American Samoa Government Employees Retirement Fund Board of Trustees. He is a member of the board of directors for the two aforementioned companies and is the administrator for the Angels Crossing Home Hospice.

He serves on the boards of the Territorial Bank of American Samoa, Kalia Chamber of Commerce in Utah and is chairman for the American Samoa Voluntary Organizations Active Disasters.

“Mr. Ho Ching has extensive experience in private sector business, competence in fiscal matters and commitment to community service,” wrote the governor in his nomination letter to Fono leaders.