04/10 april directions

FreightPort is key to buildup preparationP A G E 1 6

April 2010 $3.50

“The people right now are not really looking at any particular stance of any candidates, but it’s who can set the direction of this territory?”

Gov. Carl T.C. Gutierrez

Get more bang for your buck with these value cards — page 21

A Third Term?

Interview page 36

Executive RoundtableIndustry leaders talk buildupP A G E 2 5

Corporate PhilanthropyNon-profits feel economic pinchP A G E 3 1

3DIRECTIONS • APRIL 2010

WELCOME TO. . .

THE MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO YOUR PRODUCTIVITY

INTERVIEWGov. Carl GutierrezCandidate for governorWith nearly 40 years of political experience and seven years as a government employee before that, he has had a career unlike any other in Guam’s history, and has been the most powerful force in the Democratic Party for two decades. Gutierrez possesses a hands-on management style and attributes his political clout to Guam’s grassroot voters, though he made significant inroads with the private sector during his two terms as the is-land’s leader.

Executive RoundtableAs the buildup moves from planning to execution, business experts speak their minds about what this opportunity could bring.

April 2010 Vol. 15, No. 02

Regular FeaturesPerspective 4Signposts 6Picture This 8People 10Diversions 42Fresh Inc. 44Executive Environment 45Money 50Sales Department 51Digital World 52Managers’ Toolbox 54Customer Index 58Higher Thoughts 59Family Business 60

ProfilesRoland Gogue 46Field Supervisor, Pacific Pest control

Jesse J. Reyes 48Training Manager, Pacific Islands Club

EDITORFaye Varias

ASSISTANT EDITORBryan C. Sualog

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORSJill Espiritu, Marty Herron, Kim Komando, James Lea, Ron Marks, Melanie Mendiola, Carl Peterson, Jesse Pinkston

DIGITAL DESIGNTaliea Designworks

PHOTOGRAPHYSteve Hardy

ADVERTISING SALESStephani FerraraRayann Taitano

PUBLIC RELATIONSNellie Joy Roberts

ADMINISTRATIONTia Camacho

PUBLISHERJerry Roberts

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/OPERATIONS MANAGERStephani Ferrara

INSPIRATIONAdam Cooper, Kian Cooper, Aiden Ferrara, Allejandra Ferrara, Aylah Ferrara, Josiah Roberts and Micah Sablan

Opinions expressed in Directions are not necessarily those of the publisher or our advertisers.

SEND COMMENTS TOEditorDIRECTIONSP.O. Box 27290,Barrigada, Guam 96921E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: 671.635.7501 Fax: 671.635.7520

©2010 DIRECTIONSAll rights reserved.

PRINTED BYT&T PrintingHong Kong

Corporate PhilanthropyNon-profits as a whole suffered in 2009 as a result of the recessionary environment in the U.S. In order to stay afloat, these organizations unfortunately, in some cases, turned to the cutting of programs and benefits.

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Card ClubsLocal residents are offered a myriad of opportuni-ties to stretch their dollar with bonus-laden credit cards and memberships and discount cards.

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Corporate CelebrationsIt’s with pride that businesses in Guam celebrate anniversary milestones, providing outstanding service and plan to do so well in the future.

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FreightAre shipping and freight forwarders ready for the buildup? With modernization of the port, grading our state of readiness, and concerns for what we can do to make the buildup as easy as possible, the shipping guys are at the front lines.

4 DIRECTIONS • APRIL 2010

With the military buildup slowly coming into focus amid all the discussions over what it will really mean to Guam’s civil-

ian community, most people I talk with don’t really have a clear picture of how they’ll directly fare when the billions of dollars start rolling out.

They hear of local wage scales increasing but there’s no well de-fined evidence as to how they’ll be affected. They learn of plans and projects, along with rumors of others, and they’re left to won-der what it all means in the grand scheme of things.

I’ve heard anxiety expressed several ways dozens of times since we first learned of the buildup:

“Is my company prepared to grab its share of the bounty?

“How will we do in the face of new and powerful competitors?

“Where do I fit into the organization’s plans? Will I be promoted? How can I maximize my personal benefit from the buildup?

I’ve had business owners — several of them with companies that have been in operation for 10 years or longer — tell me that they have no idea what the next five years will bring. Many are quali-fied to participate in federal contracts but also understand that competition will be stiff, and there are no guarantees that they’ll be awarded any bids.

What we can be assured of is that some people will do extremely well and become millionaires or even multi-millionaires, while at the other end of the spectrum we will see many businesses fail and dreams extinguished.

For the vast majority of people, there is great uncertainty. Setting aside the concerns over how the military growth will impact our society, culture, and quality of life, most people are focused on what it will mean in financial terms.

Will they need a Plan B?

Last month I wrote about re-discovering the marketing skills I had pushed aside for other duties, and how that has helped bring added revenue as well as enjoyment to my work. Apparently, this topic struck a chord with a lot of people and maybe you’re one of them. It’s my Plan B.

There’s no telling what the publishing and training landscapes will look like five years from now, so besides a desire to have a little more fun and to have a direct influence in helping others to achieve their goals, this also provides me with a hedge against the conditions I can only guess will be present as we move through

this turbulent decade. We’ll certainly work hard to put ourselves in the best possible position to succeed, but anybody in business knows well that this doesn’t ensure success or survival.

Do you feel secure or are you wondering about your future, along with so many others?

Maybe you need a Plan B.

I don’t mean that you should cash in your current career for an-other line of work. Just that you can convert some hours outside of your “day job” to create a new stream of activity, enthusiasm, and income.

If you believe that finding time for a part-time enterprise is impos-sible, I understand because I felt the same way. A 50-hour work week is light for me. I log 60+ hours on a regular basis, and have crossed over into 70+ more times than I care to remember. I have a family, too. Still, I was able to squeeze out some time for my Plan B because I knew I needed it.

How much time do you need to be able to create something that is valuable? I started with five hours a week and now have stretched it to about 10 because it is delivering results.

I’m not spending one minute less with my family. I just found ways to become more efficient, made a few choices with respect to en-tertainment options — and the time was there. There’s no magic to it. It’s about setting priorities, and my Plan B became a priority.

As for the choice of my Plan B, I am fortunate that it has afforded me the opportunity to both make money as well as help others design their own Plan B. Having a hand in someone else’s success is gratifying.

I know that the majority of Directions’ readers share the uncertainty I have over Guam’s future and what the next several years will bring. A solid Plan B will go a long way toward improving one’s prospects and overall confidence.

Enjoyment, satisfaction, and excitement are also key factors. As I mentioned last month, what I’m doing part time has been so good at lifting my spirits that I’m having more fun playing with our pub-lishing business and the training we do. That’s the icing on the cake.

What about you and your Plan B?

If I can help you walk through the process, e-mail me at [email protected] or call 635-7501. If you’re looking for a suggestion for a good Plan B I can help there, too.

Do You Need A Plan B?

http://guamtraining.com

Contest rules:1. Must be 18 years or older to participate.2. You may e-mail [email protected], fax (671) 635-7520 or mail (address on page 3) entries.3. Your entries must be received no later than Friday, April 30th, 2010. One entry per contest only.5. You may photocopy this page for use in the contest.6. Winners will be drawn at random from all eligible entries.7. Prizes may not be surrendered for cash.8. Entrants grant Directions and the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa the right to use their name and response.9. Winner must be hungry for some terrific food and service.


Students awarded scholarshipsFirst Hawaiian Bank and Guam Business awarded five students scholarships from the 2009 First Hawaiian Bank Guam Busi-ness Businesswoman of the Year. University of Guam students Lisa Nguyen, Melissa Pisaro and Leilani Manalo each re-ceived $3,500. Guam Community College student Chelsea Ulloa was awarded a $2,200 scholarship. Pictured are the award-ees along with representatives from Glimpses of Guam and First Hawaiian Bank. Photo courtesy of Glimpses of Guam.

GTA TeleGuam recently donated 1,847 pounds of canned goods to the Salvation Army. Pictured (from left) are Dino Zervoula-kos, GTA Mpulse Wireless senior product development man-ager; Marie Mesa, GTA executive vice president of people; Capt. Christina Taylor, Salvation Army Guam corps officer; and April Manibusan, Salvation Army Guam development coordinator. Photo courtesy of GTA

Endangered plants donated to TinianGuam Navy has donated more than 200 plants of the endangered “fadang” to the Tinian Department of Land and Natural Resourc-es (DLNR). The plants were propagated and grown in the Navy-funded Tinian plant nursery managed by the University of Guam (UOG). Pictured from left are Sam Palacios, assistant director of Tinian DLNR; and UOG professor Thomas Marler discuss fadang conservation issues. Photo courtesy of UOG.

GTA donates nearly one ton in canned goods


Biz

Bit

sBIZ BITS

Nissan Motor Corp. Guam announced in December that Nissan Guam had been presented with a global award for excellence by Carlos Ghosn, president and chief executive officer of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Nissan Guam is one of 13 companies within Nissan worldwide to receive the award. Nissan Guam was awarded the Global Nissan Award for 2008, affirming effective daily activity to-ward achieving business objectives.

The new “Sagan Bisita” passenger lounge operated by Delta Air Lines and LSG Lufthansa Service group opened at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport’s main terminal in January. the 6,355 square-foot lounge offers wireless Internet access, flat screen televisions, a self-serve food buffet, a wide variety of beverages and coffee, washrooms and fill shower facilities.

The Procurement Technical Assistance Center at the University of Guam will offer a new Federal Contractor Certification Program beginning this year. The Federal Contractor Certification is a training program for business owners intended to help them understand federal contracting, respond intelligent-ly to solicitations and perform successfully once a contract has been one. The program was created by the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance centers and the Center for Veterans Enterprise, with the assistance of the Defense Acquisition University. Continental Airlines will increase the Guam-Cairns flight service from four times a week to daily flights, according to a release.

PHR Ken Corp. donates to Chamorro VillagePHR Ken Corp. donated $15,000 from net proceeds of its Golf for a Cause charity golf tournament to Chamorro Village. Pictured from left are: Nicolaus Priesnitz, Hilton Guam Resort & Spa gen-eral manager; Hayato “Jack” Yoshino, PHR Ken Corp. president; Jeff San Nicolas, acting Chamorro Village manager; Sylvia Flores, Department of Chamorro Affairs acting president; first lady Joann Camacho and Crystal Sablan, Hilton marketing communications manager.. Photo courtesty of PHR Ken Corp

Cuthbert Project members returnOn Nov. 24, members of The Cuthbert Project returned from the island of Onoun where they spent almost two weeks setting up the project’s pilot program. The role of The Cuthbert Project is to locate funding, acquire equipment, set standards, train teach-ers and monitors, and provide the necessary software to allow the students on the outer islands an educational opportunity. Pictured are team member Bill Hagen with Sarah Valencia and Billie Manzon of Machanaonao Elementary with five high school students from WeiPat High School on Onoun in front of the so-lar array which is providing power for the computers. Photo courtesy of The Cuthbert Project.

Twent-five complete training programOn Dec. 20, 2009, 25 young Micronesians graduated from the Center of Micronesian Empowerment (CME) Job Placement Training program. Due to a high demand, CME has decided to continue to offer the training programs through 2010. Pictured are a few of the graduates. Photo courtesy of CME.

Sweepstakes winnerAnheuser-Busch InBev announced the military grand prize winner of the Budweiser World Cup Sweepstakes. Rachel Hldebrandt and her husband Aaron will be taking off June 13 for an all expense paid trip to watch the FIFA World Cup matches live in Johannes-burg, South Africa. Pictured from left are: Anheuser-Busch InBev executive Bob Steck; Rachel Hildebrandt; and Aaron Hildebrandt. Photo courtesy of DDB


Are your new management hires and promotions getting into the most-read business publication in the region?It’s easy to do. Just send color photos (head and shoulders with plain, contrasting backgrounds preferred)

along with similar employee information you see here to:

DIRECTIONSP.O. Box 27290 Barrigada,Guam 96921

If you have questions, please call 635-7501 or e-mail: [email protected].

Note: digital photos should be at high or fine resolution and converted to a jpg (at maximum quality) before e-mailing.

Robert Philipshas been appointed director of busi-ness development at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa. Philips comes to Hilton with two decades of ex-perience in global sales, hospital-ity, business planning and markeing.

Sheila Sheddaccepts a promotion from sales man-ager to director of sales at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa. Shedd will direct-ly oversee the management of local, corporate and international whole-salers sales accounts in addition to military and government accounts.

Robert Cawoodjoins the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa as the transportation safety and com-pliance manager. His responsibilities include supervising and directing work of all security and bell/valet attendants.

Patty Perezreturns to the Hilton Guam Re-sort & Spa as the director of house-keeping. Prior to returning to the Hilton, Perez was employed with Fairmont Acapulco Princess and Fairmont Pierre Marques in Mexico.

Rear Adm. Paul J. Bushongtakes on the position of commander of Joint Region Marianas, U.S. Defense Representative Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Feder-ated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau/Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Marianas based in Guam. The change of command ceremony was held March 27.

Richard Schnitzer is named Clinic Administrator of the FHP Medical Center. Schnitzer brings more than 30 years of experience building healthcare organizations, de-veloping management teams and sig-nificantly improving operational per-formances in the healthcare industry.

Wendie Hill accepts the position of Finance Ad-ministrator of the FHP Medical Center. Hill has over 20 years of healthcare ex-perience in management and finance including financial planning and analy-sis. She was previously the Financial Analyst/Manager at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

Pilar Laguanamarketing manager at Guam Visitors Bureau, was asked to sit on the Inter-national Advisory Task Force (NTA) at the NTA Leadership Team Confer-ence in Washington D.C. The NTA is a trade organization comprised of thousands of tourism profession-als involved in the growth and de-velopment of the travel industry.

There are many milestones on the long road of business ownership

— one of which is making it past the five-year mark. While some

businesses never make it to that milestone, others make it to the five-

year mark barely hanging on. Those who make it to the five-year mark

and beyond with a strong, healthy business and their own sanity, have

something truly worth celebrating.

Many businesses have become household names in Guam by

deepening their roots in the community. These same companies have

expanded themselves to increasingly employ Guam’s workforce and

have continued to prosper.

It’s with pride that businesses in Guam celebrate anniversary

milestones, as they defy national statistics. This Corporate Celebrations

feature looks into two local companies providing outstanding service

on Guam, and plans to do so well into the future.


CO

RPO

RAT

E CELEBRATIONS

“We made it our mission to

revolutionize retirement planning

in Micronesia.”

•

“We like to think that we are not big in size, but huge in customer service.”

•

16 DIRECTIONS • April 2010

L

Timeline

Infrastructure

DIRECTIONS •

were talking about before. ‘How much volume? How big is the surge? How fast is it happening?’ Who knows? I don’t think the port knows so what are they going to plan for, Bell said. Joel Quitugua, Guam Freight Service business development manager Guam-Mi-cronesia, said the port would have to ex-pand its facilities. They’re probably going to need a bigger ‘lay-down’ because right now the carriers aren’t running at full capacity. When you go down there on a Monday or Tuesday, what your seeing is not full capacity.”

According to the port’s master plan, the port’s modernization will be designed to meet the growth of the island along with the military expansion. The plan calls for upgrades to the terminal operating system to allow for automated invoicing, cargo and container tracking, financial management and maintenance manage-ment; expansion of the wharf to accom-modate larger vessels and increase overall vessel handling capacity; and the acquisi-tion of additional gantry cranes; expansion of facilities to support fishing and cruise line industries.

“I believe that the master plan is good,” Lim said. “It’s just a matter of them making it a reality.” However he’s not sure if it can be done in time for the buildup. “Maybe they’re also foreseeing the (buildup) de-lays so maybe the timing may not be bad.” Bell said the port’s current operations doesn’t negatively affect Triple B’s busi-ness, however, “If in this master plan they don’t create an efficient system in terms of costs per movement of cargo, then the rates start going up. ... If this master plan doesn’t include a fiscally responsible plan, then it could affect us all because we

18 DIRECTIONS • April 2010

New Facilities

DIRECTIONS •

Looking Forward

DIRECTIONS •

According to the Associated Press, 62 percent of travelers across Asia Pa-cific are now feeling “as loyal” or “even more loyal” to brands in re-

sponse to the current economic downturn, largely influenced by the presence of effective loyalty program. A 2009 survey of Hilton Honors, with 5,000 respondents across China, India, Japan, South Korea and Australia, noted that 47 percent said they would choose a specific hotel even if they knew it was more expensive but would accrue them personal loyalty points. This behavior was even more common in China and India where the figure rose to (67 percent) and In-dia (52 percent) respectively but less prevalent in Australia (36 percent) and Japan (37 percent). Welcome to the world of loyalty programs, where people are truly looking into what gives them more bang for their buck. It’s no different in Guam, where local residents are afforded a myriad of opportunities to stretch their dollar with bonus-laden credit cards and memberships and discount cards. Take a look.

Get the Perks and Savings You Deserve!

Card Clubs


CALVO’S INSURANCE

A new loyalty program exclusively available to all Calvo’s Insurance homeowners and auto customers, participants are rewarded with great discounts and special offers from a wide variety of partner businesses! These include Shell, PayLess, ABC Electronix, Tropical Living, Oxygene, Rhino Linings, Synergy, Dharma Cafe, Elegant Reflections, CAR AudioImage, Atrio, Premier Club, SM Guam, Bully’s, California Pizza Kitchen, Samurai Restaurant, Tango Theatres, Chili’s, Royal Bics, CarsPlus, Capricciosa, Tony Roma’s and Dolce Frutti Gelateria.

At the end of each quarter, Calvo’s will have big ticket sweepstakes as well! For example, the 1st quarter drawing took place at the Micronesia Mall Payless Markets on May 8th in which one lucky Driver’s Club member won a grand prize of a round trip ticket to Japan courtesy of Delta Air Lines! Other prizes include PayLess shopping sprees and more!

Participation is absolutely free, but your home or car must be insured with Calvo’s Insurance.

Sign up today at any Calvo’s Insurance location (Agana, Dededo or Agat). Applications are also available at all partner locations.

For information contact Pinki Lujan at (671) 479-7626

Invest In Your Health...Tax-Free!What are Health Savings Accounts (HSA)?HSAs allow you to save for future medical expenses on a tax-free basis. You also earn tax-free interest and can make tax-free withdrawals to pay for most of your family’s health care expenses while covered under a High Deductible Health Plan.

How do I withdraw money from my HSA?All withdrawals are made through an HSA Debit Card from BankPacific. You can use the card to pay for health care expenses or write a check from your HSA Debit Card account. The HSA Debit Card is a VISA card, which means it can be used all over the world at any health care-related merchant that accepts VISA.

How else can this benefit me?With ASC, you can invest in three mutual fund profiles, in a Money Market fund or in a BankPacific HSA Debit Card. You can choose one or all three options. All investment

earnings grow tax-deferred and can be withdrawn tax-free to pay for qualified health care expenses.

How will I be informed of my HSA balance?You can log on to ASC’s or BankPacific’s website to view your HSA account. You will also receive quarterly statements from ASC and monthly statements from BankPacific.

Call ASC today to learn how you can put more money in your pocket with this tax-savings account!

ASC TRUST CORPORATIONFor more information call (671) 477-2724.

120 Father Dueñas Avenue, Suite 110 Capitol Plaza, Hagåtña

www.ascpac. com • [email protected]


For information call the 24-hour CitiPhone at (671) 477-2484 (CITI) for more information.

CITIBANK

Whether you choose the Rewards Card or the Clear Card, Citibank is the right choice.

Rewards Cards allow you to earn one (1) Rewards Point for every $1 you spend. These Rewards Points can be redeemed for your choice of items such as: cash, Shell gas, periodic gift item offers and mileage on five (5) different airline programs -- Continental One Pass, Delta Sky Miles, Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Miles, Singapore Air Kris Flyer; and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.

The Clear Card is a no-frills card which features no annual fee, a lower APR and still gives access to instant savings and exclusive discounts with Citi Privileges partners.

Citibank Credit Card Benefits:All Citibank Credit Cardmembers enjoy:

• NO INTEREST FINANCING with 0% Citi Paylite - Enjoy 0% Annual Percentage Rate financing for your big purchases at participating merchants around

the island and pay back in light, equal monthly installments at no interest for up to 36 months.

• INSTANT SAVINGS, EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS with CitiPrivileges -— Citibank Credit Cardmembers receive special offers -— whether for home improvement, recreation, leisure or just dining out — like getting up to 35% off at participating merchants island wide.

For a complete list of CitiPrivileges partners, visit www.citibank.com.gu

There are three easy ways to apply:

1. Visit Citibank Hagåtña Branch2. Apply online at www.citibank.com.gu3. Call 24-hour CitiPhone at (671) 477-2484 (CITI)

Paradise Fitness Center is a full-service fitness facility. Simply look for the Paradise Fitness card displays at quality businesses and ask about the Paradise Partners Program. Just present your membership card and a picture ID to receive your discount or service benefit!

Paradise Partners Fitperks include:Agana Stadium Theaters, Brown Bag Café, Buddies Billards & Brew, California Pizza Kitchen, Carmen’s Mexican Restaurant, Champion Sporting Goods, DNA Evolution, DV8 Board Shop, Gabriel’s House of Pasta, Hooters of Guam, I-Care Optical, Kid’s Evolution, King’s Restaurant, Larkin Family Chiropractic, Lens Mart Optical, Lone Star Steakhouse, Meskla Chamoru Fusion Bistro, Micronesia Mall Theaters, Outrigger Resort Guam, Planet Hollywood, Sea Grill Restaurant, Splash, Studio 2-11, TGIFriday’s, Tony Roma’s Restaurant, and Underwater World.

Paradise Fitness offers:After School Aerobics, Ballroom Dance, Belly Dancing, Body Combat, Body Pump, Body Sculpt, Group Cycling/

Circuit Cycling, Hatha Yoga, Hip Box, lb 20/30, Power Yoga, Step, Tae Bo® Fitness, Yoga, Zumba® for Kids/ Kids Aerobics, and Total Body Conditioning.

Stop by either of our two very convenient locations in Dededo or Hagatna and speak with any of our friendly staff on how you can apply and get started. Paradise Fitness Center, Guam’s Leader in Fitness.

PARADISE FITNESS CENTERDededo: (671) 635-2100 • Hågatña: (671) 475-2100

www.guamparadisefitness.com


You work hard to treat your customers like VIPs. It’s time someone did the same for you. Enjoy the conveniences offered by our 76 Stations and Circle K stores. • Island-wide acceptance with locations in: Agat, Airport Road, Anigua, Barrigada, Cabras, Dededo, Molojloj, Ocean Vista, Piti, Sinajana and Ypao. • 24 hour service at 76 stations and Circle K convenience stores. Except Cabras and Malojloj. • Receive Power Pass Rewards on carwash and merchandise purchases. • Purchase automobile lubricants and car care products with your card. • Choose from three grades of gasoline and diesel to fuel any need. Carry the card preferred by local businesses. • Convenient automatic debit payments. • Easy-to-read monthly statements with comprehensive tracking. • Customize your individual accounts to have greater control of purchasing authority. • Secure authorization process to ensure against fraudulent use.

Apply now or complete the application online at www.sppcorp.com

SOUTH PACIFIC PETROLEUM CORPORATIONFor more information call (671) 647-7600 or

email [email protected]. Also, visit us online at www. sppcorp.com


By Jesse Pinkston

As the buildup moves from planning to execution, business experts speak their minds about what this opportunity could bring.

The biggest topic among all industries is the military buildup. How are you positioning your company to make the most of this influx?

Laura Dacanay, vice president/Guam and CNMI Region Manager, First Hawaiian Bank: First Hawaiian Bank is well capitalized and able to provide financing assistance to businesses that are working with the military buildup. Our numerous products and services make it easier for businesses to choose products that fit their particular needs. The low rate environment is making access to funds more affordable. Our relationship officers have been staying close to our customers and meeting new prospects that are bidding on projects with the military. In addition, we continue to produce the annual economic report for Guam and the CNMI that can be used as a tool for new businesses or

existing companies in their strategic planning.

Chris Felix, president and principal broker, Century 21 Realty Management: Military BuildUp — My company is a full service real estate company. We are anticipating the buildup to have a major impact both on the values of real estate and on the rental rates over the next five to seven years starting next year. To prepare for this market increase in value and sales I have started training my sales staff focusing on commercial, industrial and high end residential sales and service. I have also increased my accounting staff and property management staff in order be able to service the anticipated increase in real estate management services that will be needed. I do expect the real estate market number of sale to more than double in 2011 as compared to this year and last year. I believe this will start by the end of this year based on the finalization of the draft EIS and the starting of contract signing by October 2010. I am expecting the bulk of investors to be from the United States with also a large amount from the Philippines. This is based on contacts from investors I have received all ready.

Industry leaders forecast what the military buildup brings to Guam

ExecutiveRoundtable

From left, Jeffrey Quitugua, Laura-Lynn Dacanay, Chris Felix, Dr. Thomas Shieh and Jay Rojas get together to talk about what the military buildup brings to Guam. Photo by Steve Hardy


By Jesse Pinkston

Jeffrey Quitugua, wildlife biologist, endangered species recovery program:With the alternative actions that were proposed in the DEIS/OEIS, DAWR is not in favor of the buildup. Alternatives selected will present hardships for the recovery of Guam’s threatened and endangered species and the preservation of marine and terrestrial habitats. In addition, the likely introduction of invasive species is of great concern.

Thomas Shieh, MD, FACOG, Board Certified Ob-Gyn, and President Elect, Guam Medical Association: The military buildup presents an opportunity but also a major concern. What I have heard is all the RFPs for DOD construction contract includes a statement that they want no impact to the health of Guam’s community.The reality is that this is unrealistic. No matter what you do, unless the U.S. Naval Hospital is going to open their doors completely, the impact will be felt regardless. What I

like to see is the requirement of a POSITIVE IMPACT, not no impact at all. That’s the wrong approach. In order for the military to fit into our civilian sector, they need to create a positive impact by engaging with our local doctors,

nurses and health care insurance industry. To solely rely on the outside and distant themselves from Guam’s community will only create more anonymity. Think about this for a minute. If a worker or a military personnel is out on liberty and gets injured,

the nearest hospital may be GMH, and majority of the doctors at GMH are from the private community, the impact will be felt. Right now, our clinic focuses on the care to our local community, and not geared for any military buildups because there are a lot of uncertainties. There is a lot of talk, but nothing in concrete detail. To prepare to serve our local Guam patients, our office have recruited one more very capable ob-gyn provider to ensure that any patients that comes through our doors will be provided with the highest medical care possible on island. When they come to our clinic, they will see a well trained obgyn, because we do not use mid-level providers. When a patient comes to our office, they can rest assured that they will see a fully trained physician.

Jay Rojas, executive vice president, SEIGuam: SEIGuam: Slotnick Enterprises, Inc. is a small private investment company that invests in residential and commercial properties and small businesses. A few years back we opened Construction Resources which is pegged to manage any and all information pertaining to Guam’s construction industry. As the number of construction projects increase, an available and organized

“The financial industry has been going through some challenging times this past

year — the economy is not out of the woods yet.”

— Laura Dacanay, vice president/Guam and CNMI Region Manager, First

Hawaiian Bank


source of construction information will be instrumental in our growth. We have researched and developed software that is flexible and scalable to the islands construction needs today and tomorrow. We have always worked under a conservative premise to help the island and invest in sound projects that make sense and will continue to do so.

What do you expect will be your biggest challenges in the next three to five years?

Dacanay: For many, it will be access to capital. Our bank is well capitalized so that would not be an issue for us. Overall, the financial industry has been going through some challenging times this past year and a half — and the national economy is not out of the woods yet. The special assessments charged by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to banks have basically penalized the remaining good banks for the sins of a few bad banks that failed tremendously. It will be a challenge while the financial industry continues to work itself out of this mess. There are several new regulations that have come out affecting residential mortgage lending, consumer credit card debt, overdraft charges these changes continue to present challenges to ensure that forms and disclosures, as well as consumer education, continues.

Felix: I believe our biggest challenge in the next three to five years will be living with the huge construction projects that will be ongoing and handling our infrastructure requirements. We need to focus on trying to preempt any problems we may have to face such as infrastructure, environmental and quality of health issues. Too often we have waited for the problems to get serious before addressing them. Rather than that we need to prepare as best we can for the foreseeable problems and react quickly to the ones that we cannot foresee. Traffic delays and detours are unfortunately going to be a way of life for us for a while. We need to accept this and learn to live with it as we did in the late 70s and mid 80s when our highway and water systems were being rebuilt and travel on Marine Corps Drive from Yigo to Hagåtña took a long time.

Quitugua: The protection and recovery of native species and their habitat will be increasingly difficult. Recovery and monitoring programs that have been occurring for more than 30 years are in jeopardy due to increased restrictions on access for local resource agency personnel.

As well, the amount of clearing of habitat that is proposed under the DEIS may prevent recovery due to lack of suitable habitat.

Shieh: Inflation. I foresee Guam’s community struggling to deal with inflated prices. Not in health care per se, but in the cost of living such as rentals, food, and travel. You already see some of the most outrageous p r i c e s going on in the rental markets for apartments and travel fares so high that many of the Guam residents cannot afford to even touch. Guam has to make sure that our locals have affordable living quarters and the standard of living remains reasonable. If we continue to say, “oh, military will pay this much, so lets charge this much regardless of what happens to the locals,” it will be a disaster.

This of course has a ripple effect. When people struggles to pay rent, they will rather do that than to pay for their health care, what happens, their priority

changes, and doctor’s bills becomes a low priority for them to the point they wait to seek care until it is too late and their care becomes even more expensive. We want patients to seek preventive care and not seek care only during acute situations.

Rojas: The biggest challenge in the next

“We need to focus on trying to preempt any problems we may have

to face.”

— Chris Felix, president and principal broker, Century 21 Realty

Management


three to five years is to be able to manage the island’s growth. The buildup is giving us an opportunity to get our proverbial ducks in order and plans in place. To be successful we need to look at the change in the island’s demographics, what investments need to be made, and how well we can plan for these changes to warrant a business plan. But we cannot plan a growth in our businesses if there seems to be such yo yo support from our leaders. Thankfully I will always have a contingency plan and a “plan C.”

What do you think will be the biggest challenge for the island as a whole?

Dacanay: The biggest challenge for the island as a whole is to have all of our elected leaders agree on what is best for the entire island — and create a uniform plan of action to move us in that direction. There

have been too many moving parts that are not working in unison for the benefit of all. The military b u i l d u p p r e s e n t s s i g n i f i c a n t opportunities and threats

—the challenge will be to create a win-win situation where the local community can benefit from this build up and not sacrifice the integrity of our Chamorro culture and island beauty.

Felix: I honestly believe that our biggest challenge as a whole is our political structure and problems that this causes. Our legislature term of only two years cause our

senators to start focusing on re-election the minute they are elected and sometimes this causes them to make decisions and focus on legislation that may not be what is good for our island as a whole but rather what will help them politically. It seems to me that a longer term of four years and a limit on the number of terms someone can serve in our legislature will help keep our senators focused on what is best for the island and our quality of living. I also believe much more stricter rules on ethics and conduct for our government employees should be implemented. It seems that so many inefficient and even illegal activities can be curtailed or stopped if the current system to protect our government employees from being removed were loosened. We need our government to become more efficient and productive. Our government needs to remember that it gets its income form out taxes in the private sector.

Quitugua: With the buildup there will be many challenges for Guam. In regards to Guam’s natural resources, the increase in stress (habitat loss, disturbance from construction and operations) for the native animals and plants is of great concern. Minimizing the stress to these organisms will be a great challenge.


“The increase in stress for the native animals and

plants is of great concern. ”

— Jeffrey Quitugua, wildlife biologist, endangered species recovery program:


Shieh: Again, i n f l a t i o n . Whether we like it or not, you can see that inflation has caused a negative impact to the people in their rents and places to go. This trend needs to be watched very carefully because it will ultimately cause a lot of negative social impact.

Rojas: What is promising about the buildup today, (after the draft EIS was released, and the comment period over), is that Guam’s politicians have finally opened their eyes

to see what we need to do to accommodate such a large influx of people. We have known for almost four years that we would see 8,000 marines and 9,000 dependents moved from Okinawa. In my opinion they have had four years to realize that our hospital would be strapped, our utilities would be affected, and our schools need help. But yet now that the Department of Defense gathered information on the EIS and released it, they feel we should put the brakes on the buildup. The biggest challenge for us as an island is to be able to elect officials who have a plan. As businesses, we always have a three to five year forecast and plan, but yet our politicians start planning on their re-elections as soon as they are elected. This is quite possibly the most devastating virus this island can foster.

When you think about Guam post-buildup, what do you see?

Dacanay:I would like to see a thriving cultural tourist economy where our local island residents own businesses that actively promote our island’s beauty and cultural experiences to not only an increased military population, but an expanded tourist population. The increased revenue from the buildup, if done right, should have created better roads, more reliable power and water distribution systems, expanded port facilities, better hospital facilities, health care services, and public schools, greater public safety and public services for our entire island, and better standard of living for our island community. The key is it must be done right.

Felix: After the buildup I believe we will have a period of adjustment both economically and culturally. The island will be seeing $2-4 billion a year being spent during the buildup and this will create a boon to our economy. Businesses will thrive and new businesses will be created. The government will have excess funds due to the tremendous increase in tax revenues and revenues for other sources such as Section 30 funds, highway funding, federal grants, etc. If the government does not realize that this increase in income is only temporary, I am afraid they will not only spend the excess income unnecessarily but also commit the island to support

huge increases in spending such as increases in government employment salaries and contracts. Our economy will suffer for a while and inflation will impact us, but if we plan for this time and budget our resources correctly we can easily face these few years of problems. The other problem of cultural adjustment can also be resolved by good planning and preparation.

Quitugua: The negative impacts the DEIS/OEIS fails to recognize. It is really about what we won’t see — fruit bats, native trees, native birds...

Shieh: Post buildup? This question has to be asked after we see what the real intent is during the buildup. I don’t see anything informative that is concrete enough for us to discuss what the impact of post buildup. Right now, everything is being focused on building on the bases only.

Rojas: What is funny is that since I was away from Guam for 15 years, for college and to gain business experience, I would always be asked, “What is Guam like?” My usual response is that Guam is like Hawaii 10 years ago. No matter what year it is, we are usually 10 to 15 years behind the state of Hawaii. Granted we have not seen as much growth, nor will we see Tumon with the skyscrapers, but we will see a large part of the island fairly populated, but nice quiet spots of nature elsewhere. There is no reason the buildup and the island cannot coincide and find a common ground. In many cases, we, as a people, like that we have big box retailers. Some say it would be great if we had more, or more opportunities to have what they have “in the states.” I see no reason why we cannot have more major chain food establishments, or big named stores. Or another mall. These are all more opportunities that a larger population, and

“We want patients to seek preventive care and not seek care only during

acute situations.”

— Thomas Shieh, MD, FACOG, Board Certified Ob-Gyn, and President Elect,

Guam Medical Association

30

a cohesive community can have, if we work together for the big picture.

Please include anything else you feel should be a topic of concern regarding the buildup in relation to your industry.

Felix: If you have traveled through the United States recently or visited Saipan or

some of the other neighboring island, I believe you have seen how lucky we are here in Guam. Things in the states and neighboring islands are tough with tremendous

unemployment problems and crime rising at an alarming rate. Drug problems, quality of education, crime and the slowdown of the overall economy has caused much more serious problems than those we are facing and need to face because of the buildup. I think we are forgetting at times how lucky we are and how blessed we have been thanks to the buildup and our being a part of the United States. Our quality of living is high and I do not consider us (the private sector of Guam) a “third world and third class” of people as

some of our legislators have claimed.

Quitugua: This is the time that the people of Guam will need to work together to preserve and protect our natural resources. The number of people living on Guam will increase therefore, the demands for more land clearing, fishing and hunting will increase.

Shieh: Guam has to have better regulation of the insurance industry. Part of me supports President Obama’s vision of insurance regulation and I hope our Guamís legislature can take our own initiative to ensure patients are not denied care because their insurance companies dropped them or raised their rates so high that they cannot afford to keep their insurance. Or they being denied or charged a lot for pre-existing conditions. Or worst off, when their doctor recommends a diagnostic test and the insurance companies tells the doctors. “No, you cannot order that test or procedure.” Guam has to have better regulation over the insurances, or you’ll see limited coverages with caps and high deductibles that ultimately will cause a lot of pain to patients.

Rojas: Relating or not relating to the buildup, I am very concerned of our Governor’s legacy. We do not have enough money to run our government, let alone enough money to change the name. It is not feasible to spend what it will take to change the name of our island, when we cannot pay our teachers. If this is really the legacy he wants to leave, one question I have is how much is it going to cost to change the flag of Guam or Guahan alone. As a businessman I worry about this. In fact, I worry enough how much it will cost our business to change our slogan, change our business cards, our letterhead, and our marketing material. All because our Governor wants to leave a legacy.

DIRECTIONS • APRIL 2010

“There is no reason the buildup and the island

cannot coincide and find a common ground. ”

— Jay Rojas, executive vice president, SEIGuam

By Melanie Mendiola

•


be it grants, legislative appropriations, and private donations. Like Island Girl Power, the main source of funds that keeps the organization running daily is not corporate giving, although she sees the corporate space as an important partner to keep the organization going. “Through the years, Pa’a Taotao Tano has utilized corporate partners mostly for leveraged resources, rather than cash” says Reyes. For example, the office space occupied by the organization (two spaces in the DNA building in Hagatna) belongs to David Lujan, to whom Reyes refers as a “visionary with

regard to cultural preservation.” The main struggle for the organization, according to Reyes, is the perception individuals have about the cultural arts. “Our struggles are that we are asking them to support cultural preservation, which to some people is very important, and some people, it is not.” Luckily for Pa’a Taotao Tano, however, cultural preservation is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, not only on Guam. Reyes pointed out that during the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, the Canadians showcased dance of the indigenous people of the land. “Even GVB surveys say that

tourists feel that culture is lacking. We are striving to change that, but the only way we can accomplish this is with the support of the tourism industry.” Even organizations with widespread national recognition like the Make-A-Wish Foundation (MAWF) are feeling the pinch of a tighter economy. According to MAWF executive director Victor Camacho, “There are many worthy organizations all going after the same philanthropic dollar. With the global economy in its current state, there has generally been less corporate giving than in years past.” To keep the momentum going even during a slow year, organizations such as MAWF rely heavily on the board of directors to raise funds. “The board is tasked with fundraising, but ultimately everyone involved from board, to volunteers, to staff have a role in fundraising. We all do what we can to bring in corporate support.” Camacho notes that 85 percent of annual funding is in the form of corporate giving. Despite market conditions worldwide, locally, non-profits have been fortunate to grow and flourish. According to Claudia Clement, community manager – Development for the American Cancer Society, even in tough times, Guam rallies for the Relay For Life. “Last year the Guam Relay netted $413,200. Growing teams, team retention and sponsorship are concerns

Hundreds of people gather annually for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.


each year but the event continues to grow without too much issue.” She is not overly optimistic, however. “It will be interesting to see the economic downturn takes it toll on this year’s Relay.” Like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, fundraising responsibility for the American Cancer society is shared by staff members and the board — Clement as the development manager and the Relay for Life Committee. Guam Animals in Need (GAIN) also feels the pinch of corporate cost cuts, but the challenge to raise adequate funds are ongoing. “The biggest challenge is changing the perception that, ‘They are just boonie cats and dogs,’ ” says Corinne Lopez, vice president of GAIN Board of Directors and Education Committee Co—Chair.” What people need to realize is that although they may not be an animal enthusiast themselves, animal overpopulation really is everyone’s issue. We have all seen the carcasses on the road, smelly and unsightly, not to mention the starving, mangy, creatures wandering the streets and getting into our garbage. And who hasn’t been harassed at one time or another by dogs as we walk near our homes?” Most of the donations are the result of the commitment of animal lovers to the well being of the island’s stray animals. The organization was founded in 1989, by Rebecca Rodriguez, a military spouse, who was concerned with the poor condition of Guam’s many stray animals. GAIN took over operation of the Yigo Animal Shelter in 2001, which had been run by the Guam Department of Agriculture up to that point. According to Lopez, “The mission of GAIN in short, is to educate the community on humane treatment and proper care of companion animals, thereby preventing animal cruelty and abuse. We also aim to strengthen the bond between animals and humans. One more part of our mission is to reduce the number of unwanted animals wandering the island and suffering.”

Like other non-profits, local businesses are generally solicited for specific projects, in GAIN’s case, the refurbishment of animal kennels, rather than on an ongoing annual basis. All organizations interviewed have been established for more than five years — the “sink or swim” point for many small businesses, and not only have the organizations managed to stay afloat, they have managed to thrive in our local community. According to Pa’a Taotao Tano’s Reyes, “Trying to get a line of credit at the bank or trying to get health insurance for our employees was a challenge that we overcame. I think there is a misconception that non-profits come and go. We realize that regardless of the mission of the organization [profit or not for profit], there are things you have to pay for — rent, utilities, phones . Non-profits need to work towards a healthy balance sheet. This also demonstrates responsibility to the public, about your financial health. Who wants to book a dance troupe for an event in six months, if the non-profit may not be around then?” Pa’a Taotao Tano currently has more than 600


“Our objectives are to empower, encourage and inspire young ladies to live

positive and healthy lifestyles.”— Juanita Blaz, program director, Island Girl Power

members of its various dance troupes throughout the island, and a grant allows the organization to fund cultural arts instruction in the Guam Department of Education, which impacts over 1000 students. The Make-A-Wish Foundation has been on Guam for over 20 years (since 1988), and has granted almost 200 wishes to children with life threatening conditions. Wishes ranging from trips as large as celebrity meet and greets to as small as having a bicycle. Granting wishes, maintaining an office, and holding fundraisers requires consistent available working capital. “No matter how small or large a wish,” says Camacho, “we try to bring an element of magic every time. This takes the time and efforts of our volunteers and board, but also the funding to grant the wishes themselves.” It is not unusual for a shopping spree for a young lady to include a limousine ride to their favorite stores, a trip to the salon, and lunch with friends and family following the day of fun. Make-A-Wish derives all its funding from local fundraising efforts, about 85 percent of which is from the corporate sphere Experience has taught non-profts what works and what does not in the local community with regard to raising funds. Nationally recognized non-profits like Make-A-Wish and American Cancer Society have annual events such as Make-A-Wish’s annual gala and ACS’s Relay for Life. During these events, ad hoc committees are set up to handle ticket sales and sponsorship solicitation. Of note: Take Care Insurance is the title sponsor for Relay for Life as well as the Make A Wish Foundation’s Kites for Wishes. Smaller organizations find support with individual enthusiasts and benefactors rather than large corporations who believe in the cause, whether it be cultural preservation or animal cruelty prevention. GAIN has found a natural niche fundraising among animal lovers. “One major fundraiser that we have done for the last several years is the calendar, featuring shelter animals and adopted animals. It has been a very successful enterprise, raising awareness of the plight of our island’s companion animals and of course raising money.” Other ways GAIN raises money is through a “sponsor a kennel” program in which a donor’s name will be put on a kennel for $250 a year — kennels, which of course, house animals available for adoption. Additionally, in 2009, GAIN hosted its “I Love Boonies” 5K walk/run with your dog, which was highly successful and popular. Pa’a Taotao Tano continues funding its efforts through ongoing partnerships with government and non-profit entities; for the former, through cultural arts programs in the schools described earlier and for the latter, through partnerships in the private sector. During the January Chamber of Commerce General Meeting, Jim Beighley, Managing Director for DFS Guam, acknowledged that programs that support Guam’s culture are “woefully underfunded.” He went on to applaud the efforts of organizations like Pa’a Taotao Tano and the Historic Inalahan Foundation for their contributions to the community. He stressed the need to support organizations like these to help attract more tourists to Guam. According to Reyes, Pa’a is often contacted to support GVB’s promotional efforts locally and abroad. Organizations who are not creative in finding sources of funding, like for-profit small businesses face the threat of being shut down. In his book The Art of the Turnaround, Michael Kaiser describes the process of financial recovery by famous New York dance company — Alvin Ailey. “Aiming to fill a deficit with one extraordinary gift is usually just a pipe dream. We need to focus on ‘right-sized gifts,’ gifts that make sense given the budget and the profile of the organization. For the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, with a $6 million budget and a $1.5 million deficit, $50 was too low and $1 million was too high. At Ailey, while we did receive


larger gifts, we focused our fund-raising on $1,000 gifts. Our board felt comfortable asking for this amount from friends and associates, and this was an amount that would make a difference to us.” It is this approach that local non-profits seem to follow fairly closely. As Guam is generally not considered a wealthy community, reaching out for corporate and individual support takes hard work and dedication to the cause. Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Victor Camacho urges other non-profits to “continually relay your mission to donors and stay true to it,” and above all, “be sincere and honest with donors, volunteers, and especially the kids.” Island Girl Power’s Juanita Blaz considers the best way to attract corporate donors through: “ethics, hard work, and consistent community messages” and also advises non-profits to “utilize the media to show your program’s achievements.” Corinne Lopez from GAIN stresses that organizations need to display the organization’s ability to carry out its mission. “[One way GAIN does this is through] improving the environment for our residents by reducing the number of stray animals roaming the streets. This is a tangible result of our spay and neuter clinics.” Fortunately, with the economic growth

expected in the coming years, the corporate dollar should make its way to the various organizations with missions as broad as curing cancer and as focused as ridding Guam of the problem of animal neglect. In the mean time, however, organizations are well aware that, like organizations in the mainland US, they need to collaborate with each other, seek opportunities for partnerships with the private and government sectors, and lastly, exercise creativity with regard to raising funds. Pa’a Taotao Tano means “the way of life of the natives of the land.” According to CEO Linda Taitano Reyes, “We are almost 600 members

strong — almost all of whom, are volunteers — this is our greatest resource. They enable us to keeping going and more importantly, to keep growing.”


“What people need to realize is that although they may not be an animal

enthusiast themselves, animal overpopulation really is everyone’s issue.”

— Corinne Lopez, vice president, Guam Animals In Need board of directors

Photography by Steve Hardy

FAS citizens left out of the new healthcare law:

“Under the Compact treaties these people are supposed to be cared for by Naval Hospital. But the federal government has for years ducked this responsibility by underfunding Naval Hospital.

Now that a new multi-million dollar Naval Hospital is in the works, we should strongly press the federal government to live

up to its commitments.”

Carl T.C. GutierrezDemocratic Candidate for Governor of Guam


What will be some of the sustainable benefits from the buildup?

“The Section 30 money, right now, is like $60 million. It’s going to go up to $120-$150

million a year just because the military is here. That’s sustainable and won’t go down. The most important thing that I see the buildup doing for us is bringing the middle class back to Guam, because so many moved away.”

“I’m going to be a different kind of a governor. I’m going to be visible. I’m go-ing to be easy to meet and talk to. I’m going to be able to make sure that that governor is as approachable as an is-land community governor should be.”

“People right now are not really looking at any particular stance of any can-didates, but it’s who has the lead-ership and can set the direction of this territory. Being governor for two terms I set the leadership and di-rection for those

eight years.”


A Toothy Issue

A tourist was visiting a remote South American village, and was admiring the necklace worn by a local resident.

“What is it made of?” she asked.

“Alligator’s teeth,” the man replied.

“I suppose,” she said patronizingly, “that they mean as much to you as pearls do to us.”

“No,” the man objected. “Anybody can open an oyster.”

Focus Is Everything

After booking her 80-year-old grandmother on a flight from Florida to Nevada, Mary called the airline to go over her special needs.

The representative listened patiently as Mary requested a wheelchair and an attendant for her mother because of her arthritis and impaired vision to the point of near blindness.

Mary’s worries went away when the woman assured her that everything would be taken care of, and Mary thanked her over and over again.

“Oh, you’re welcome, we pride ourselves on really hearing what our customers say, and providing the best service,” she replied.

Mary thanked he again and was just about to hang up when the reservation agent cheerfully asked, “And will your grandmother need a rental car?”

Grooming a Career

The supervisor stopped a worker and made a casual comment that he had been growing his hair for some time.

He then went on to extol the virtues of a good hair-cut, which, he insisted, makes an elderly man look younger and a younger man seem more mature.

“How would a haircut make a middle-aged man like me appear?” the employee

asked.

The boss said: “Still employed,”

Peerless Juror

Judge: Is there any reason you could not serve as a juror in this case?

Juror: I don’t want to be away from my job that long.

Judge: Can’t they do without you at work?

Juror: Yes, but I don’t want them to know it.

From Directions’ Law Enforcement Files

A young clergyman, fresh out of seminary, thought it would help him to better understand the fears and temptations his fu-ture congregations faced if he first took a job as a policeman.

for several months he trained. He passed the physical examina-tion, then came the oral exam to test his ability to act quickly and wisely in an emergency.

He answered all question until the last one, when the instruc-tor asked, “What would you do to disperse a frenzied crowd?”

The Priest thought for a moment and then said confidently, “I would take up a collection.”

It Was You!

There were two elderly people living in a mobile home park. He was a widower and she a widow. They had known one another for a number of years.

One evening there was a dinner in the big activity center. The two were at the same table, across from one another. As the meal went on, he made a few admiring glances at her and finally gathered his courage to ask her, “Will you marry me?”

After about six seconds of ‘careful consideration,’ she an-swered. “Yes. Yes, I will.” The meal ended and, with a few more pleasant exchanges, they went to their respective places.

Next morning, he was troubled. “Did she say ‘yes’ or did she say ‘no’?” He couldn’t remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. Not even a faint memory. With trepidation, he went to the telephone and called her. First, he explained that he didn’t remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the lovely evening past. As he gained a little more courage, he inquired, “When I asked if you would marry me, did you say ‘Yes’ or did you say ‘No’?”

He was delighted to hear her say, “Why, I said, ‘Yes, yes I will’ and I meant it with all my heart.” Then she continued, “And I must tell you that I am so glad that you called, because I couldn’t remember who had asked me.”

Just Ask The Right question

Safety is a major concern in Guam, especially with all the


construction work that is being planned.

At one such company the safety officer was conducting a class for workers and asked an important question.

“Does anyone know,” he asked a few of the men, “what the speed limit is in our parking lot?”

The long silence that followed was interrupted when one of them responded... “Well sir, the speed limit in the parking lot actually depends on one of two factors.

“Which factors are those?” asked the safety trainer.

Whether you mean coming to work or leaving.”

Relatively Speaking

It was the day to worship the Lord and everyone in the tiny town of Johnstown, Texas got up early and went to the local church. Before the service started, the townspeople were sit-ting in their pews and talking to each other about their lives and families.

Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church. Everyone started screaming and running for the front entrance, tram-pling each other in a frantic effort to get away from evil incarnate.

Soon everyone had escaped the Church, except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew, not moving . . . seemingly oblivious to the fact that God’s ultimate enemy was standing in his presence.

Now this confused Satan a bit, so he walked up to the man and said, “Don’t you know who I am?”

The man replied, “Yep, sure do.”

Satan asked, “Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“Nope, sure ain’t,” said the man.

Satan was a little surprised at this and asked , “Why aren’t you afraid of me?”

The man looked the Devil in the eye and calmly replied, “Been married to your sister for over 48 years.”

Material in Diversions comes from individual contributions as well as Internet sources such as www.crosswalk.com, the Net’s premier site for clean humor.

1. Gov. Felix Camacho and GTA Teleguam recently exchanged barbs over something related to IT&E. What was it?

2. In september of this year NASA will retire these.

3. TakeCare CEO Joseph Husslein will be raising funds for Guam’s Big Brothers/Big sisters organization in a way that will test his endurance. How is he going to do it?

4. In Europe more than 100,000 scheduled airline flights were can-celled between April 14-21. Why? 5. This scenic island destination has been damaged by wild fires and off-road riders.

6. John Paul Stevens recently announced his retirement. Where had he been employed?

7. Georgia Congressman Hank johnson probably didn’t mean it but actually came out and said that the military buildup and pop-ulation increase would have this effect on Guam.

8. In order to combat counterfeiters of U.S. currency, beginning in February of 2011 the federal government will issue a high tech version of which bill?

9. While not the size nor location that he envisioned it, Guam fi-nally saw the culmination of a former governor’s dream when this landmark was completed.

10. U.S. regulators have alleged that this dominant Wall Street bank committed fraud.

ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 58

The word this time is Difficult. Last month it was Simple so we decided to turn things around. Just like Simple, boys and girls, Difficult can be about things or people. We all know people who seem to make a career — or life — out of being difficult. What we need to do is, well, usually simple, and just ignore them as much as possible, unless they — yep — make it just plain difficult to do that. At which time the choice becomes pretty simple: we have to deal with a situation...as dif-ficult as that may be for some people. I’m guessing that we could go back and forth like this all day long. That would be simple. But, we don’t want you to thinik that we’re difficult. Thus, we now tell the simple truth: The word Difficult has 21 words hiding within its 9 letters. Each of your choices must have at least three letters. When you’re done, check your list against ours on page 58.


For almost a year now Infusion Coffee & Tea has been serving

the gourmet coffee and tea and has quickly become a favorite spot for many locals. Archway Inc. opened Infusion in 2009 as a way to introduce people to its wholesale products, said general manager and vice president Mika Gibson. “We needed a showroom to showcase our products.” Infusion sells Lavazza Coffee, the No. 1 coffee brand in Italy. The drink menu includes variety of coffee served hot or iced, frappes, fruit

smoothies and Italian sodas. One thing unique to the cafe is the variety of gourmet teas it serves. “We really try to focus a lot on teas. The trend nowadays — everyone’s trying to be healthier. Everyone’s exercising and tea of course has a lot of health benefits to it,” Gibson said. “We really wanted to become not just a coffee cafe but a coffee and tea care.” Infusion serves wide variety of teas — 15 to 20 different types —

from around the world. One of the most interesting being the different blooming teas they serve. Blooming tea is a small bundle of tea leaves and flowers bound together. The tea is place inside a transparent tea pot and when hot water is added,

the bundle expands like a blooming flower. “We wanted to have a place where people could come in and not just have two different teas to choose from. We wanted them to look at our menu and say ‘I need

to try that one and that one,’ and really be able to have something different all the time.” Gibson said. Gibson said Infusion is constantly looking for new products to add to its menu and store. Infusion offers free wireless Internet access to its customers and is open Monday to Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Their drive-thru location is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

brought to you by

Infusiona division of Archway Inc.

Infusion, a division of Archway Inc. Suite B1 Tumon View Plaza 1023 N. Marine Corps Drive Upper Tumon, Guam 96913 Tel: (671) 647-0260

By Bryan C. Sualog

Our professional staff at Calvo’s can assist you.Call us today! 472-6816

“We wanted to have a place where people could come in and

not just have two different teas to choose from.”

— Mika Gibson

Many new business owners over-look the importance of budgeting for business insurance. A solid business plan should always include busi-ness insurance as well as a good risk management plan that will not only protect you against accidents and damages but could potentially reduce your business and liability in-surance premiums.

When your business plan includes a risk management plan, you are re-ducing potential risks from your busi-ness involving personnel, products, equipment or property as well as the frequency of specific risks by taking this proactive approach.

Purchase Insurance As Soon As Possible


Many people dream of having a spacious corner office with a view, but for Aileen K. Alfred, president of Pacific

American Title & Escrow company, that dream is a reality. “We were in our previous location for more than 10 years and it was time to get out of that building and re-locate to this,” Alfred said. “We’re very proud of this of-fice. It presents very well and we’re in the process of go-ing through various upgrades such as in locations and technology. It just fit. Everything fit. We’ve been in busi-ness for more than 20 years so it was long overdue.” The first thing that people notice when entering Al-fred’s office is the breathtaking view. Alfred’s corner of-fice offers a panoramic view of Tumon Bay. Decorating the office walls are several paintings by Russian-born artist Vladimir Kush. “For me it’s just serene,” she said. Lining Alfred’s shelves and desk are gifts she’s received through-out the years including a small statue of Buddha and Ganesh. The majority of Alfred’s furniture, save a few filing cabinets a new table and couch, are holdovers from

her old office. The furniture used to belong to her part-ner when he first opened up more than 20 years ago. “It’s the same chairs he’s always had. The same end tables so I just carried it forward. It’s kind of senti-mental now because it came around during the birth of the company so I decided to keep it,” she said. Although Alfred has an office that would make many ex-ecutives go green with envy, she said she spends most of her time outside of it and works where she is needed. Alfred said she tends to enjoy her office more on the week-end, where you can find her almost every Saturday. “Saturdays because that’s when I can do my paperwork. That’s when I have my quiet time and really appreciate the ocean view and my location because usually I’m involved in what’s going on with my people or transactions and helping out where the need be.” When Alfred is in her office and needs to unwind a bit, all she has to do is turn around and take a look out the window. “It’s very relaxing. I’m content with what we have here.”

By Bryan C. SualogPhoto by Steve Hardy

Aileen K. AlfredPresident, Pacific American Title Insurance

& Escrow Company

Many people spend years trying to find a job they enjoy. Roland Gogue was lucky enough

to fall into a job that he enjoys at a company he’s been working at for more than a decade. Gogue first started working at Pacific Pest Control 13 years ago as a pest control special-ist. He was living in San Diego, Calif. when he moved back to Guam in 1990 to help his uncle with the construction of one of the local golf courses and then stayed on as a greens keeper. In 1996, a friend of his introduced him to the pest control field — a field which he had no plans of entering. Luckily for him, it turned out to be field he truly enjoyed at a company he said has provided him with stability over the years and now through the island’s economic hardships. “Many people have been short-changed with their hours. Here it’s been secure. There hasn’t been any real downfalls such as layoffs or reduction in hours,” he said. “There’s always a need for pest control one way or another.” One of his favorite things about the job is that he’s not stuck in the office all day. It provides him the opportunity to get out and interact with customers. On an average day Gogue said he can visit as many as twelve differ-ent job sites. “It depends (on the job size) because a lot of things do take up a lot of time. With new customers, whether it’s residential or commercial, I’m out there to see that it’s done right the first time so we don’t have an issue with callbacks.” As a new pest control specialist Gogue began working various sites throughout the island. Over the years, he’s worked his way up to field supervisor (commercial) where he oversees a team of three pest control specialists. His duties include assigning work schedules, inspections, quotations and inspecting commercial accounts. A typical day for Gogue begins around 8 a.m. “It’s going out there and seeing the accounts ensuring the customers are satisfied — going out there and meeting new challenges as far as interacting with people and asking if they are in need of pest control services,” he said. The most rewarding part of the job, he said, is seeing the customers satisfied with the services

that his company provides. “That’s what this in-dustry is. Customers hire us to rectify their pest problem and to rectify it in a certain time frame.” Gogue likes to take a “hands off” approach when dealing with his subordinates. “I give them the freedom to go out there and perform the job they’re assigned. They’re skilled and trained. I just go out there to oversee the accounts.” Although Gogue likes to give his workers

the freedom to do their job, he said he’s always there if they have any questions or need advice. “If you’re always coming down on somebody, they’re not going to go out there and do what needs to be done. You just treat them the way you would like to be treated,” he said. When not working, Gogue likes to spend as much time with his

wife, daughter and two sons as possible. “I like to work out, keep fit and have family time. After work and on the weekends it’s just family time,” he said.

FamilyMelissa Toves, wife; Andrew

Gogue, son; Adrian Gogue, son; and Ashia, daughter

Community Involvement

Participated in island-wide cleanups

If I were a ruler for a day

I would feed the hungry worldwide.

As a ChildI had fun with my friends and

family.

MottoAlways help others before

asking others for help.

About “I think it is a good news source. I like how it touches on people’s successes and the path

they took to end up in the career they are in.”

Roland Gogue (left) and his family pose for a photo Qualcomm Stadium, home of the San Diego Chargers, during a 2009 family vacation.


As a people person, Jesse J. Reyes enjoys in-teracting with as many people as possible

and makes the most of this skill as the training manager for the Pacific Islands Club (PIC). Reyes was promoted to training manager in January but has worked for the hotel for about six years. Reyes oversees all of the training for the ho-tel’s many departments. “I do certain trainings on my own. I conduct classes such as guest service training but any other training I do not teach, I set up such as Red Cross Classes, first aid, CPR, basi-cally any training that our hotel workers need.” He also oversees the hotels internship pro-gram — which has participants from the U.S., Korea and Japan who come to work at the hotel for about six months up to a year — and assists in public relations ac-tivities such as school tours and career days. A typical day for Reyes begins at 8 a.m. with him checking his numerous e-mails. “I have to work with practically everybody in the hotel because I’m setting up training for the following month. I have to set up train-ing for the current month. A lot of my time goes toward the interns because they always have a lot of questions about their internship.” Reyes started working for PIC in 2002 as a clubmate. At the same time he was attending the University of Guam earning his bachelors in East Asian Studies. After he graduated in 2005 he moved to Las Vegas for a couple of years. He moved back to Guam in 2007 and returned to the hotel as a clubmate. “From there I just worked my way up the ranks from a regular staff member to a cap-tain and to a supervisor. Eventually the training manager position opened up, which I went for.” “I was getting a little old to be a club-mate and I wanted to look for something a little more challenging and the training man-ager position and training manager position was something I thought I would fit in well with,” Reyes said. “I wanted that interaction that I was getting with the guests but now it’s more with the hotel’s employees, which I love. It’s probably the best part of my job.” Working at PIC has had a great influence on Reyes. As a clubmate, he became inter-ested Asian culture after intereacting with the guests, which led him to major in East Asian Studies and get a minor in Japanese. Reyes speaks both Korean and Japanese. PIC has helped me out a lot, he said. “They’re always looking for people who want to stay long term and they’ve always encouraged me

to try and do better and given me the oppor-tunity to try and move up,” even with no back-ground in human resources or training experi-ence. “This was my first job and I’m still here.” When not at work, Reyes said he likes to both watch and play sports, which was what originally led him to apply for the club-mate position years back. “Recently, I haven’t been playing too much sports myself. It’s all been watching. I’m a very very big Lakers fan, a big Kobe (Bryant) fan. I do like to wind-surf with my friends when I have the time.” For those looking to go into similar fields, Reyes said you can’t afford to be shy and you have to want that interaction. “It’s very challeng-ing because you’re working with people’s lives. People come in for different reasons. We handle their benefits, pay — any problems that may oc-cur, HR has to deal with so you have to be up to the challenge to interact with people during the fun times but also the difficult times.”

FamilyGi Young Reyes, wife

EducationBachelor’s in East Asian Studies from the University of Guam

with a minor in Japanese

Community InvolvementCo-chairman of PIC’s Relay for

Life team

As Ruler of the World for a Day

I would go watch Kobe Bryant and the Lakers play.

As A ChildI was very active.

When No One Is Looking I... do the robot.

Biggest Pet PeeveBeing late. If it involves me. I

hate being late.

About “It’s a good informative magazine. I think it’s good for people who don’t know too much

about business or want to get into business on Guam.”



With the impending mili-tary buildup coming to

Guam, many entrepreneurs out there are considering either starting a business or expand-ing their business. If you are one of these individuals con-sidering doing this, it is always important to prepare or update your business plan to make sure your idea is feasible and part of doing this is determining your capital needs to do it.

When exploring your fund-ing options, there are sev-eral factors to consider: • Are your needs short-term or long-term? • How quickly will you be able to pay back the loan or provide return on their investment? • Is the money for operating expenses or for capital expenditures that will become assets, such as equipment or real estate? • Do you need all the money now or installments over a certain period? • Are you willing to assume all the risk if your company doesn’t succeed, or do you want someone to share the risk with you? The answers to these ques-tions will help you prioritize the funding options available and whether you need to get short term or long term financ-ing. Remember to avoid fund-ing long term assets with short term financing. This can lead to severe cash flow problems in your business. Once you have determined

your financing needs there are two types of business financing available. The first is debt fi-nancing where you borrow the money and agree to pay it back in a particular time frame at a set interest rate. The second is equity financing where you sell partial ownership of your com-pany in exchange for cash.

There are several options available for these two types of business financing: Bank loans come in all shapes and sizes, from micro-loans of a few hundred dollars, typically offered by local com-munity banks, to six-figure loans by major national banks. Most lenders will also require you to put in 20 percent or more equi-ty injection as well as have the loan collateralized. Friends and family are still your best source for both loans and equity deals. They are typi-cally less stringent regarding your credit and their expected return on investment. Make sure to structure the deal with the same legal rigor you would with anyone else or it may cre-ate problems down the road when you look for additional financing. Credit cards can be a great tool for cash flow management, assuming you use them just for that and not for long-term fi-nancing. Keep one or two cards with no balance on it and pay it off every month to give your-self a 30 to 60 day float with no interest. And the low introduc-tory rates on some cards make them some of the cheapest

money around. Leasing is the way to go if you need big-ticket items such as equipment, vehicles, or even computers. Your supplier can help you explore this option. Angel investors fill the gap between friends and family and venture capitalists, who now rarely even look at investments below $1 million. Angel inves-tors are individuals who invest in businesses looking for a high-er return than they would see from more traditional invest-ments. Venture Capital (VC) is a type of private equity capital typical-ly provided for early-stage, high-potential, growth companies in the interest of generating a high return on their investment. Venture capital typically comes from institutional investors and high net worth individuals and is pooled together by dedicated investment firms. Private lending and finance companies represent a viable alternative when the bank says “no”. Private lenders are look-ing for the same information and will conduct similar due diligence as the banks, but they typically specialize in an indus-try and are more willing to take on higher-risk loans if they see the potential.

“It is always important to

prepare or update your

business plan to make sure your idea is feasible.”

By Casey Jeszenka

Casey Jeszenka directs both the Pacific Islands Small Business Development Network and the Guam SBDC. He has extensive experience in finance and management, as well as experience as a loan officer and loan fund administrator. Contact him at 735-2593 or at: [email protected].

Ways to Finance your BusinessFinance or Expansion


“That computer

you bought a couple of years ago really is

slower. This doesn’t mean

it’s time for a new

computer. You just need

to bring it back up to

speed.”

It’s not your imagination. That computer you bought a cou-ple of years ago really is slow-

er. Programs take longer to open and so do Web pages. Booting your machine takes an eternity. This doesn’t mean it’s time for a new computer. There’s probably life left in that old clunker. You just need to bring it back up to speed.

Check for malwareSpyware, adware and viruses slow your machine. Malware shouldn’t be a problem if you use security software. Still, scan your machine for viruses and spyware.

Clean your hard driveA full hard drive slows down your computer. It will take lon-ger to access files. So, clean it up. Access Disk Cleanup by click-ing Start>>All Programs>>Accessories>>System Tools>>Disk Cleanup. After the program scans your drive, you’ll see a list of file categories. Clear Temporary files, Temporary Internet Files and the Recycle Bin. Make your selections and click OK.

Remove unwanted programsRemove unwanted programs via the Control Panel. Click Start>>Control Panel. In Vista, double-click Programs and Fea-tures. In XP, double-click Add or Remove Programs. Select a pro-gram to uninstall and click Unin-stall in Vista. In XP, click Change/Remove. Follow the prompts.

Clean restore pointsSystem Restore lets you roll back your Windows settings to an earlier time. It’s a handy feature. But too many restore points can slow down certain processes. Clearing old restore points can speed up your PC. Click Start>>All Programs>>Accessor ies>>System Tools>>System Restore. In XP, click System Restore Settings. Select Turn off System Restore.Click Apply and then Yes to con-firm. Restart System Restore. When prompted, click Yes to re-enable System Restore. In Vista, click open System Protection. Deselect your Drive and confirm your choice. Click OK. Close and reopen System Restore. Click open System Pro-tection. Click OK. Close System Restore. Reboot your machine to create a new restore point.

Defragment your driveWindows often splits files, stor-ing parts in separate areas of the drive. Your computer must work harder to access files. Overcome this problem by defragmenting the drive. Data is rearranged for more efficient access. Read and write times will improve. Click Start>>All Programs>>Accessor ies>>System Tools>>Disk Defragmenter. Se-lect your C: drive and click An-alyze. Then, click Defragment. Don’t use your computer or leave programs running while using Disk Defragmenter. It will cause errors.

Check for errorsErrors may also be slowing your

hard drive down. Error Checking finds and fixes them for you. It also checks the integrity of your files. Open (My) Computer and right-click the C: drive. Select Properties. Click Check Now in the Error-checking section of the Tools tab. Select Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.Click Start. Fix any bad sectors that are found.

Switch to OpenDNSYou can speed up Web browsing by using a different DNS server. A DNS server helps your brows-er locate pages online. OpenDNS sends requests to the closest server. Once you sign up for an account, you have to make a few simple changes on your machine. The service’s site walks you through the process.

Clean your hardware The outside of your com-puter needs cleaned, too. Your keyboard is filthy, and your moni-tor is covered with dust. The fan vents are magnets for dust, pet hair and other things that don’t belong inside your computer. Start by wiping down your monitor. Turn it off and unplug it from the power socket. Use a soft, lint-free cloth that is slightly damp. If you have a standard, no-frills keyboard, run it through the dishwasher. Allow it to dry com-pletely before using. Otherwise, unplug the keyboard and wipe it down with a damp cloth. Canned air can remove debris between keys. Likewise, use canned air to clear your computer’s vents.

Old and Newby Kim Komando

Copyright 2010WestStar TalkRadio Network. All rights reserved.

Kim Komando hosts one of the top 10 most listened to radio shows in the United States and is the computer editor for Popular Mechanics magazine. Her radio show is heard on NewsTalk K-57.

Bring an old PC back to new computer shape.

Observations and trends to monitor

As Guam grows with the military buildup the landscape for employers is expected to change, and the majority of managers will find them-selves in the unfamiliar — and perhaps un-comfortable — position of having to “sell” their organization to retain and recruit talent. One of the key points in that sale will be a personal development plan for workers.

While cash compensation, health coverage and retirement benefits have traditionally been the most important factors in the eyes of management, personal development has gen-erally lagged behind. In the years to come, that will change.

There is a positive trend among proactive

employers to fit every worker with a their own “game plan,” one that charts their pro-jected progress.

If you look to your left, # 6 in the article, “Checklist for Liking Your Job,” you’ll see the importance of making workers feel like they have a future with your organization. If you asked the members of your team to detail their long-term employment prospects with you, and how they fit into your future plans and goals, what would they say?

Workers with a plan will be much tougher for another employer to snatch away. That news will also get out to potential recruits and improve your stock as an employment destination.

Providing employees with timely and valuable feedback is the responsibility of every super-visor. Much is written about it and Guam Training even has a course that instructs managers on how to deliver the kind of feed-back that is effective. But what about plain old, everyday advice?

Giving advice extends our influence, can gain us trust, and stature. Plus, admit it, there’s an ego boost here. We like to be thought of as somebody whose advice is worth listening to. It feels good.

But it’s easy to make a mess of it, too. The way advice is given is just as important as the quality of it. If done poorly it can inadvertent-ly increase resistance to hearing your mes-sage and/or acting on it.

Kerry Sulkowicz, a psychiatrist and founder of the Boswell Group, a consulting firm based in New York, offers these tips on the art of giving advice effectively.

1. Before giving unsolicited advice, consider whether the individual will be open to it or find it unwelcome. Is there a big ego involved that could get bruised? How will that affect your working relationship?

2. Even if the advice is requested, thank the person for giving you the opportunity to comment. It’s flattering to be seen as wise and helpful. Thanking them “sets the table” nicely and may help the advice to be digested easier in case there is some negative informa-tion involved.

2. Test how the advice is being received. Ask the recipient how they feel about it.

3. Stick to the subject at hand and don’t ex-tend into other topics, unless somehow there’s a connection.

4. Be confident, but not arrogant. There is a difference between coming across as author-itative as opposed to authoritarian.

5. Give the recipient an “out.” Using the line that you’ve seen such-and-such approach work for yourself and for others, it might not be for everybody; “I’m not sure about this, but I think you could benefit from it”; or “Have you considered…?”

6. Ask for follow-up. It shows you care and conveys that you have a stake in giving good advice.

GIVING ADVICE IS ABOUT “HOW,” NOT JUST WHAT.

“It’s fine (often times good) if some people dislike you or

disagree with you, but no one should misunderstand you.

Everything you say should be clear.”

— Tim Ferriss

Everybody Needs a Game Plan

Manager’s Toolboxsolutions, ideas and inspiration for enhanced productivity

“I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The

problem is that I can’t find anybody

who can tell me what they want.”

— Mark Twain



CUSTOMER’S INDEXCUSTOMER’S INDEX

THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE DIRECTIONS

POSSIBLE

1. An $8 million stimulus grant recently awarded to IT&E to help develop communications infrastructure for Guam and our region.

2. Space shuttles

3. Husslein, an avid cyclist, will ride his bike from Califor-nia to South Carolina. The trip is approximately 3,200 miles.

4. Due to ash thrown into the atmosphere from a volcanic eruption in Iceland.

5. Tarzan Falls

6. The Supreme Court of the United States, where Stevens served as a judge for 34 years.

7. It could cause the island to capsize

8. $100.00

9. The Latte of Freedom at the Adelup Governor’s Complex was the brainchild of Gov. Ricky Bordallo. The project, started over 30 years ago, was initially intended to over-look Tumon Bay and be 300 feet tall.

10. Goldman Sachs

from page 43

Difficult Directions magazine is advertiser-supported and wouldn’t exist without the continued support of the organizations listed above and others like them. We give our clients the region’s largest au-dience of qualified buyers (twice that of the oth-er business publications). Our clients give us the opportunity to keep doing it.

Thanks!

CUDCUTFITFLULIDLITTICTIL

CUFFCULTDUCTDUFFFLITLIFTTIFFTUFF

CLIFFFLUIDLICITLUCIDFITFUL

ASC Trust Corporation 14, 22, 29

Abaca Pacific 53

Atkins Kroll Back Cover

Budget Car Rental 27

Calvo’s Insurance 2, 22, 44

CarsPlus 7

Citibank Inside Front Cover, 23

Docomo Pacific 12

Dewitt Trucking Guam 19

DGX 20

East Island Tinting 26

Fire-Comm 19

Guam Power Authority Inside Back Cover

Individual Assurance Co. 49

Johnstone Supply 33

Joy 92 35

KUAM 47

M-80 Systems 15

Micros Fidelio 34

Pago Bay Resort 5

Pacific Island Movers 17

Paradise Fitness Center 23, 32

Planet Hollywood 24

Sharp 28

South Pacific Petroleum Corporation

24, 30

TakeCare 50

Tanks A lot 34

Triple B Forwarders 18

Triple J Motors 1

Xing Construction 11


Fifty years ago Harvard University set out on a research project to determine the common denominator for suc-

cess among leaders. Not long after, USC started a similar project. After three years of research, the schools published their findings. Both surveys found that success-ful people have the ability to communicate. While only seven percent of people have the natural ability to communicate, ninety-six percent can develop this skill. As busi-ness and island leaders, communication is essential to our success. TIMELINESS“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Proverbs 25:11). Esther waited on God’s perfect timing to address the situation. Before approaching the king, she took time to evaluate and pray about the situation for three days. Despite the urgency of her circumstanc-es, Esther waited till the right time to ap-proach the king. Rather than immediately making her request, Esther invited the king and the murderous Haman to a banquet. When the king inquired what Esther’s re-quest was, she simply invited both men to another banquet. At this second ban-quet she unveiled the truth about her certain death. Proverbs 29:11 states, “A fool utters all his mind; but the wise man saves it in until afterward.” The timing of presenting a problem is normally more crucial than the problem itself! As we communicate

we must think of the person receiving the information and how our communication will impact him.

TRUTHFULNESSBy combining tactful words with the right timing, Esther was able to present the truth. Truthful communication requires accurate information presented in a clear manner. We must remember that some things are better left unsaid. We must al-ways tell the truth, but we don’t always have to tell the truth. Esther communi-cated the necessary facts, but did so in an appealing fashion. Esther 7:3 records her words which state, “If I have found favor, and if it pleases the king, let me and my people live.” Because she had used appro-priate speech and careful timing, the king was in a comfortable position and ready to hear her dilemma. Upon hearing of the plot to exterminate the Jews, King Ahasu-erus authorized the Jews to defend them-selves and decreed that Haman be hung for instigating the annihilation. Esther’s ability to communicate resulted in the rescue of an entire race of people.

CONCLUSIONJust as Esther demonstrated tactfulness, timeliness, and truthfulness while com-municating with the king, we also must incorporate these powerful principles into our businesses and personal lives. I once read of a girl who took her grand-champion lamb to an auction. As the bids

reached five dollars per pound, the little girl, standing beside her lamb began to cry. At ten dollars, the tears were streaming down her face and she clasped her arms tightly around the lamb’s neck. The higher the bids rose the more she cried. Finally, a local businessman bought the lamb for over $1,000, but then announced that he was donating it to the girl. The crowd ap-plauded and cheered. The story continues that months later, a man was judging some essays including the story of the lamb from the little girl. She explained the auction in her own words: “The prices began to get so high during the bidding that I started to cry from happiness.” She continued with: “The man who bought the lamb for so much more than I ever dreamed I would get returned the lamb to me, and when I got home, Daddy barbecued the lamb — it was really delicious.”

Communication is not only essential; it can be life-altering!

Effective CommunicationThe third complete article of a five-part series on “Goodly Leadership”


Businesses that are owned and run by families are special. Their structures are often different from other kinds of

business organizations. They can be flexible and creative in hard times, or they can be too smug or rigid to seize new opportuni-ties. The challenges that they face and their means for resolving challenges are often in-fluenced by the relationship between the business and the family. But a lot of closely held businesses that are not owned by families exhibit many of the characteristics that we think of as distinguishing family owned businesses. In the 20-plus years that I’ve been working with companies in the US and other coun-tries, I’ve encountered a number of “non-family family businesses” among sole pro-prietorships, LLPs and other closely held business organizations that behave like family companies. For example, both the non-family family business and the true family business may rely on informal, unstructured decision making processes. Decisions are made exclusively by the senior person in the business. Decisions may be made oppor-tunistically or under the pressure of a cri-sis instead of in a timely, strategic fashion. Sometimes there’s not a shred of evidence on the table to help illuminate the issues. Sometimes there’s no decision. The issue is talked about until everyone loses interest and wanders away to keep on doing busi-ness as usual. Many non-family businesses are like family businesses in the way they handle their rows and columns. Most of them have grown out of entrepreneurial start-ups that valued producing the goods, selling them and paying the bills more than keeping neat records. As their business volume in-creases, management’s attention to fine details may not keep step. Even companies with passive investors don’t always hold to really rigorous reporting standards. So with no ill intent, a lot of family and non-family

closely held businesses get serious about record keeping and reporting only at tax time. And then it’s a real fire drill. Another shared characteristic is what might charitably be called unconstructive mingling of personal and business inter-ests. Less charitably, it’s described as every-one getting into everyone else’s business. If the organization is flexibly structured and day-to-day productivity depends on day-to-day interactions among employees, people tend to have time and opportunity to share personal stuff with fellow workers. That’s not always bad, but sometimes it leads to too much familiarity on the job, and such familiarity can breed things worse than contempt. Non-family family businesses and real family businesses might resemble one an-other in their tolerance of squishy account-ability at all levels and in all directions. Family members in business together often cut one another a little too much slack on points of performance. That same willing-ness to let slide repeated mistakes, weak productivity and even obvious laziness can pop up in non-family businesses where relationships are based more on person-alities than on mutual acceptance of goals and performance requirements. In both cases, the effects are the same: the compa-ny chugs along at around 60 percent speed and output. But the other side of squishy account-ability is often a deep mutual loyalty that extends throughout the organization and reflects the human face of the business. The prevailing philosophy, usually unspoken, is that this company values some things more than the greatest possible profitability, and one of those things is the comfort and dig-nity of the people who work for it. A lot of non-family and family businesses operate on that basis. The challenges of ownership continu-ity and management succession can con-front non-family businesses just as they

do family businesses. Men and women who have founded companies, firms and other business organizations often donít want to just turn out the lights or see their life’s work go to the highest bidder when they’re ready to retire, and neither do their long-time employees. If the business is to continue as a going concern, choices have to be made about the next generation of owners and managers among those who want to keep alive the company’s stand-ing and success. Those choices sometimes cause as many sleepless nights as ones that involve flesh-and-blood successors. Of course, the family in a family busi-ness can add dimensions of complex-ity and reward to its daily operations and longer term planning. But people who work together almost as closely as family members can experience many of those same dimensions.

The Non-Family Business

James Lea is an internationally acclaimed family business consultant and is avail-able through Directions at 635-7501.

Family in family businesses add dimensions of complexity.

04/10 april directions

Documents

executive environment

buildup preparationp

aylah ferrara

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