From creating more job opportunities to improving our quality of life – Guam leaders are taking their economic pitch off-island and making the case for global investment that could shape life back home.

What happens in a convention center in Maryland this week could have real impact here on Guam. Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and the Guam Economic Development Authority are representing the island at the 2026 SelectUSA Investment Summit – the nation’s premier event for attracting foreign investment. Hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the summit brings together thousands of investors from more than 100 countries.

Now in their seventh year attending, Guam’s delegation is working to position the island as a key investment hub in the Indo-Pacific – highlighting incentives like the qualifying certificate program, its strategic location, and the ongoing multi-billion-dollar military buildup.

Governor Leon Guerrero says, “Guam is open for business, and events like the SelectUSA Investment Summit give us the platform to tell our story directly to the investors who can help diversify our economy and create jobs for our people.”

Ahead of this week’s summit, the delegation hit the ground running in New York, hosting their very own InvestGuam Symposium – where the governor made a direct appeal to investors, laying out what she says is a stronger, more stable financial foundation for Guam.

She said, “As I enter my final year as the governor of Guam, I am not just looking at the next fiscal cycle. I am looking at the legacy of the last seven years.”

She points to her administration’s elimination of an $80 million General Fund deficit, improved credit ratings, and millions set aside in the Government of Guam’s Rainy Day Fund – moves she says signal that Guam is ready for long-term investment.

“This readiness is anchored by our new Guam Financial Management Information System," she explained. “By embracing these cutting-edge systems, we are enabling real-time financial visibility, strengthening accountability, and accelerating audit performance – providing you, the investors, with enhanced data integrity and transparency.”

But her message to investors wasn’t just about balancing the books – it’s about what comes next. The Leon Guerrero-Tenorio Administration is pushing beyond sole reliance on Guam’s tourism economy into areas like telecommunications and advanced manufacturing.

Projects include a 3D printing facilities expected to support private sector needs and defense logistics, federal funding boosting digital infrastructure, and new opportunities in aerospace and aquaculture – all of which could mean more diverse jobs and a more resilient economy.

At the same time, with a growing military presence on island, the governor made it clear that civilian needs can’t be left behind. That includes investments in island healthcare – Leon Guerrero making yet another push for the construction of a new hospital.

“A modern hospital in Guam is no longer just a local public health necessity, it is a strategic national security asset," she said.

And as Guam courts global investors, the delegation’s focus is also on protecting culture and land – ensuring development doesn’t come at the cost of identity.

As connections grow in New York and meetings continue in Maryland, island leaders are making their case: that investing in Guam is also an investment in its people.