GVB membership forum clears the air about internal tension

The dispute continues between the Guam Visitors Bureau management and a group of industry-leading, elected board members.  Management held a "membership forum" today, in part to help explain why the Board has not met in more than four months.

President and  CEO Carl Gutierrez read a statement that lays out why he believes there are conflicts of interest with the elected members, and why he took it upon himself to launch a legal review of the rules that govern board authority.

"The bylaws on its face conflict with the law that created GVB and the Open Government Law, and has been this way for a long, long time. I am so thankful for the legislature, especially Senator Joe S. San Agustin and Senator Clynt Ridgell, for understanding this complicated issue and fixed it by giving the general manager fiscal and personnel authority over the bureau," he said.

They did this by amending the Fiscal Year 2023 budget bill that gives Gutierrez that power effective for one year.

In the meantime, he tapped legal counsel Joe McDonald and a consultant that specializes in ethics law to conduct the regulatory review. Attorney McDonald summarized some of the findings during the forum, saying, "The general manager shall serve as the bureau's chief administrative officer. The day to day operations of the bureau shall be the province of the general manager. the general manager shall be primarily responsible for maintenance, operation, development and the administration of the bureau's business affairs."

Attorney McDonald then went on to describe the duties of the board members. According to what he read, their roles were promotional, advisory, and supportive in  developing the tourism industry. GVB will hold an in-person forum in November to present revised by-laws and a corrective action plan which membership will be asked to vote on.