ELDP graduates 24 on Saipan

Senior Director of Graduate School USA Jason Aubuchon said, "I'd like to start by recognizing each of your individual accomplishments over the last nine months."

He added, "We design a hard program we select busy people. And when the program starts that we hear from people that it's pretty hard to get away for a week, to be with the group…My response is to say, that's how we know we've got the right people."

24 people from across the Pacific are now new graduates of the Executive Leadership Development Program, which is administered by Graduate School USA and commissioned by the Dept. of the Interior in 2008.

For the first time, they held their graduation on Saipan.

Recent graduate Andy Choo from Yap said, "...in keeping with the spirit of always striving to maintain the positive mindset of abundance and gratitude I can only sincerely thank them and thank you…after all, the program has taught us that the heart of leadership is serving people. "

The goal is to develop and retain “qualified and skilled staff needed to lead insular governments into the future.”

ELDP Leadership Coach Dr. Jeffrey Berlin told the graduates, "Continue to stoke that fire so your light burns bright and please let us all remain in touch so our collective fire burns bright."

The full live stream coverage of the graduation is available on KUAM News' Facebook page.