Skip Navigation or Skip to Content

Print Featured image on news empowering-future-leaders-to-understand-policy-advocacy-in-the-pacific-islands

Empowering Future Leaders to Understand Policy Advocacy in the Pacific Islands

The Graduate School USA’s Pacific and Virgin Islands Training Initiatives (PITI-VITI) hosted session three of the Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.  During the seven-day session, held from April 16 to April 22, 24 ELDP participants engaged in a week-long case study of a fictional Pacific island country facing economic distress.

Participants served on two parallel task forces and were given less than one week to diagnose and recommend reform policies to address the country’s severe fiscal crises. Each reform package was presented to Micro-Poly President Lokahi, a role played by Mr. Benjamin Graham, former Chief Secretary of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and current staff of the Asian Development Bank.

The ELDP also invited a distinguished group of guest speakers who shared their experiences and insights on the unique challenges and opportunities of leading in the Pacific islands.  Guest speakers provided participants with valuable guidance and practical advice as they developed their leadership roles.  Drawing from their leadership journeys, these experienced leaders also imparted insights to help the ELDP participants navigate their own leadership challenges and opportunities.

Esteemed leaders included:

  • Ms. Degi Young, World Bank Resident Representative for the North Pacific
  • Ms. Anna Mendiola, President and CEO of the FSM Development Bank
  • Ms. Rhea Moss-Christian, Executive Director of the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.
  • Mr. Mark Moody, Chargé d’affaires of the United States to the Federated States of Micronesia
  • Mr. Ihlen Joseph, Iso Nahnken of U Municipality
  • H.E. David Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia

 

"Even though we are small nations our voices must be heard and our country’s self-determination must always be maintained. As leaders, you must ensure accountability and transparency; this allows for strong leadership.”

 

In addition to the case study and guest speaker sessions, EDLP participants received one-on-one coaching from faculty advisors that included: Mr. Jeff Berlin, Mr. Kevin O’Keefe, Dr. Mary Okada, and Ms. Anna Mendiola. The coaching sessions allowed participants to discuss progress in achieving their Individual Leadership Development Plans (ILDP) and to receive personalized guidance to achieve their goals.

The ELDP Participants also engaged in two enriching cultural events while in Pohnpei. The first, hosted by the Iso Nahnken of U, Mr. Ihlen Joseph, was a culturally rich evening providing ELDP participants an opportunity to learn about local culture and ceremony. The second was a visit to Nan Madol, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre considered to be one of the most impressive feats of engineering in the Pacific region. The site is of great cultural significance to the people of Pohnpei and serves as a symbol of the region’s rich history and heritage.

The third ELDP session proved successful, providing participants with the skills and insights necessary for their leadership roles in the Pacific Islands.  Moving forward, from April to July 2023, participants will transition from Session Three to Session Four, focusing on " Five Seeds of Leadership - Leading Processes and Leading People."  Building upon the self-awareness and leadership abilities developed in previous sessions, session four will be delivered virtually and aims to help participants develop the skills to increase productivity and the skills needed to lead and inspire others.

The fifth and final session of the ELDP will take place in Saipan, CNMI, the week of August 14, 2023.

The ELDP is supported by the U.S.  Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs and aims to help insular governments develop and retain qualified and skilled leaders for the future.

 

The Office of Insular Affairs provides funding support for the ELDP, administered by the Graduate School USA’s Pacific & Virgin Islands Training Initiatives (PITI-VITI). Additional information on the ELDP can be found at https://pitiviti.org/about-the-eldp. Please find information about PITI-VITI and our work at https://pitiviti.org/, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and LinkedIn.

ELDP VIII Session 3 (Pohnpei)

Choose Topics

accept-rols

Thank You for Subscribing to the PITI-VITI Mailing List!

border
Telegram icon

Subscribe to our

Mailing List

Thanks for your interest in PITI-VITI and our programs! To sign up to received notifications, please enter your email address below and indicate which topics you're interested in. We do not share your information, and you can opt out of our mailing list at any time.

News Detail Page icon Empowering Future Leaders to Understand Policy Advocacy in the Pacific Islands

Empowering Future Leaders to Understand Policy Advocacy in the Pacific Islands

Featured image on news empowering-future-leaders-to-understand-policy-advocacy-in-the-pacific-islands
His Excellency David Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, met with ELDP Participants to discuss the unique challenges of governing a small island nation and the importance of demonstrating accountability and responsible leadership on the global stage.

The Graduate School USA’s Pacific and Virgin Islands Training Initiatives (PITI-VITI) hosted session three of the Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.  During the seven-day session, held from April 16 to April 22, 24 ELDP participants engaged in a week-long case study of a fictional Pacific island country facing economic distress.

Participants served on two parallel task forces and were given less than one week to diagnose and recommend reform policies to address the country’s severe fiscal crises. Each reform package was presented to Micro-Poly President Lokahi, a role played by Mr. Benjamin Graham, former Chief Secretary of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and current staff of the Asian Development Bank.

The ELDP also invited a distinguished group of guest speakers who shared their experiences and insights on the unique challenges and opportunities of leading in the Pacific islands.  Guest speakers provided participants with valuable guidance and practical advice as they developed their leadership roles.  Drawing from their leadership journeys, these experienced leaders also imparted insights to help the ELDP participants navigate their own leadership challenges and opportunities.

Esteemed leaders included:

  • Ms. Degi Young, World Bank Resident Representative for the North Pacific
  • Ms. Anna Mendiola, President and CEO of the FSM Development Bank
  • Ms. Rhea Moss-Christian, Executive Director of the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.
  • Mr. Mark Moody, Chargé d’affaires of the United States to the Federated States of Micronesia
  • Mr. Ihlen Joseph, Iso Nahnken of U Municipality
  • H.E. David Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia

 

"Even though we are small nations our voices must be heard and our country’s self-determination must always be maintained. As leaders, you must ensure accountability and transparency; this allows for strong leadership.”

 

In addition to the case study and guest speaker sessions, EDLP participants received one-on-one coaching from faculty advisors that included: Mr. Jeff Berlin, Mr. Kevin O’Keefe, Dr. Mary Okada, and Ms. Anna Mendiola. The coaching sessions allowed participants to discuss progress in achieving their Individual Leadership Development Plans (ILDP) and to receive personalized guidance to achieve their goals.

The ELDP Participants also engaged in two enriching cultural events while in Pohnpei. The first, hosted by the Iso Nahnken of U, Mr. Ihlen Joseph, was a culturally rich evening providing ELDP participants an opportunity to learn about local culture and ceremony. The second was a visit to Nan Madol, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre considered to be one of the most impressive feats of engineering in the Pacific region. The site is of great cultural significance to the people of Pohnpei and serves as a symbol of the region’s rich history and heritage.

The third ELDP session proved successful, providing participants with the skills and insights necessary for their leadership roles in the Pacific Islands.  Moving forward, from April to July 2023, participants will transition from Session Three to Session Four, focusing on " Five Seeds of Leadership - Leading Processes and Leading People."  Building upon the self-awareness and leadership abilities developed in previous sessions, session four will be delivered virtually and aims to help participants develop the skills to increase productivity and the skills needed to lead and inspire others.

The fifth and final session of the ELDP will take place in Saipan, CNMI, the week of August 14, 2023.

The ELDP is supported by the U.S.  Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs and aims to help insular governments develop and retain qualified and skilled leaders for the future.

 

The Office of Insular Affairs provides funding support for the ELDP, administered by the Graduate School USA’s Pacific & Virgin Islands Training Initiatives (PITI-VITI). Additional information on the ELDP can be found at https://pitiviti.org/about-the-eldp. Please find information about PITI-VITI and our work at https://pitiviti.org/, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and LinkedIn.

ELDP VIII Session 3 (Pohnpei)

Newsroom Icon 1 PITI-VITI Newsroom

Newsroom 1 NEWSROOM

Island Finance in Focus: Advancing Timely Audits and Regional Coordination at the IGFOA 2023 Winter Meeting

Calendar iconDec 21, 2023

news widget detailed news by  Monique WedderburnMonique

Explore highlights from the IGFOA 2023 Winter Meeting in Honolulu, where finance leaders from Pacific island jurisdictions convened to address challenges in government auditing and financial management. This meeting emphasized the importance of timely single audits, regional cooperation, and...

news subscribe icon Island Finance in Focus: Advancing Timely Audits and Regional Coordination at the IGFOA 2023 Winter MeetingMore Info

The Pacific and Virgin Islands Training Initiatives Successfully Concludes Grants Training in American Samoa

Calendar iconNov 02, 2023

news widget detailed news by  Monique WedderburnMonique

With support from the Department of the Interior - Office of Insular Affairs, the Pacific and Virgin Islands (PITI-VITI) successfully held grant training in American Samoa from October 24 to October 30, 2023.

news subscribe icon The Pacific and Virgin Islands Training Initiatives Successfully Concludes Grants Training in American SamoaMore Info