Committee recommends William A. T. Torres for Saipan higher-education aid board after grilling on trades and funding

The Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation’s Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations voted April 9 to recommend William Albert Tenorio Torres for appointment to the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance Board (SHEFA), after members pressed him on how the scholarship program should balance support for vocational training and traditional four‑year degrees.

Torres, who told the committee he is “a proud product of both a traditional four‑year institution and a vocational trade school,” said his background — a bachelor’s degree from Chaminade University and an associate degree in Automotive Technology from WyoTech, plus grant work at the Northern Marianas College (NMC) and Northern Marianas Technical Institute (NMTI) — gives him perspective on both students’ paths and program administration.

Why it matters: The SHEFA board oversees scholarship funds used to send Saipan students to postsecondary programs. Committee members framed the confirmation as timely because of limited public funding and workforce changes that increase demand for skilled trades on the islands.

During questioning, Representative Marissa R. Flores asked how Torres would balance limited scholarship dollars between trade training and four‑year college degrees and how he would encourage students abroad to return. Torres said outreach to high schools, working with the state workforce development board, and exploring partnerships and alternative funding sources would be central to his approach. He also cited his experience securing and stewarding federal and institutional grants as relevant to identifying additional funding streams.

Flores also raised repayment and loan‑repayment arrangements for scholars who go abroad, asking whether alternative service options — including grant writing or remote work opportunities — might help returning scholars discharge obligations. Torres agreed exploring grant opportunities and alternative placements was prudent, and he pledged to consider policy changes that widen funding options while maintaining fiduciary oversight.

Committee members including Representative Diego Vincent F. Camacho and Representative Vincent S. Aldan highlighted the immediate need for trade skills on Saipan as guest-worker categories change and urged the board to prioritize workforce readiness in scholarship decisions. The committee’s assistant attorney general reminded members that restoring full boards and quorums was needed so agencies can function and that the nomination would help resume stalled business.

Outcome: A motion to recommend Torres’s confirmation was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote. The chair instructed staff to prepare a committee report recommending confirmation to the next stage of consideration.

Next steps: The committee report will be prepared and filed with the delegation; final confirmation will follow the delegation’s process.