COM Land Grant Executive Director Mr. Stanley Lorennij, on behalf of the COM Board of Regents and the COM Central Office staff, honored retiring long-term employees at a simple retirement function at Red Snapper restaurant in Kolonia, Pohnpei, FSM, on June 7, 2024.

The two retiring COM employees are Mrs. Haraline Ramirez, Secretary to the Executive Director, and Mr. Ricardo Vera Cruz, Business Manager.

Mrs. Harline Ramirez has worked for COM for 44 years. She started in November 1980 as Clerk Typist III and was promoted to Executive Secretary to the Executive Director and the COM Board of Regents. At the end of her contract, Mrs. Harline Ramirez will retire in September 2024.

Mr. Ricardo Vera Cruz has worked for COM for 39 years as the budget Manager. He started in 1986 as the Budget Officer, and later, his position was re-classified as Budget Officer. Mr. Ricardo Vera Cruz continued in the same position until he retired in April 2024. Mr. Doman Daoas, the current CFO, has taken his place.

A simple retirement function was organized at Red Snapper restaurant to facilitate long-term service for the two retiring employees. Traditional handicrafts were used to facilitate the event, and the retirees were given a plaque containing the signed COM Board of Regents Resolution thanking them for their service.

Pictured from left to Right: Mr. Doman Daoas, CFO, COM; Mrs. Margaret Weital, EFNEP Coordinator, COM; Mr. Ricardo Vera Cruz, retired Business Manager and Mr.Stanley Lorennij, Executive Director, COM Land Grant at the retirement facilitation function in Kolonia, Pohnpei FSM, on June 7, 2024.

Pictured from left to Right: Mr. Doman Daoas, CFO, COM; Mrs. Margaret Weital, EFNEP Coordinator, COM; Mrs. Haraline Ramirez, retired Executive Secretary and Mr.Stanley Lorennij, Executive Director, COM Land Grant at the retirement facilitation function in Kolonia, Pohnpei FSM, on June 7, 2024.

A few selected pictures from the retirement function are posted below :

College of Micronesia Executive Director Mr. Stanley Lorennij and staff thank the College of Micronesia Board of Regents for supporting the retirement function.

Dr. Cheng Sheng Lee, Director of Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture (CTSA, USDA), paid a courtesy visit to the College of Micronesia Central Office in Pohnpei on June 8, 2024. Dr Lee was on an island-hopping mission to get recent updates on the aquaculture situation in the RMI and FSM. Dr. Lee congratulated ED Stanley on his new role as the Executive Director for the COM. Dr. Lee and ED Stanley discussed different topics pertaining to aquaculture in the region. Dr. Lee explained to ED Stanley about the CTSA Programs and funding opportunities. He further invited ED Stanley to take up the vacant COM Land Grant position at the CTSA Board of Directors. ED Stanley thanked him for the offer and let Dr. Lee know that he will discuss this offer with the COM Board of Regents in their next meeting.

Executive Director Stanley, Chief Scientist and Director of COM Aquaculture Program, Dr. Manoj Nair gave an updated overview of COM Aquaculture programs in the Micronesian region while senior extension agent Engly Ioanis highlighted the need and importance of sustainable feed for livestock. Dr. Lee and ED Stanley agreed to work on a comprehensive MOU between COM and CTSA for the efficient utilization of resources between the two USDA organizations to prevent wastage and duplication of efforts.

Pictured from left to Right: Executive Director Lorennij, S, Ioanis, E, Dr. Cheng Sheng Lee and Dr. Nair meeting at the COM Central Office in Kolonia, Pohnpei FSM, on June 8, 2024.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) extramural grant funding agency for agricultural research, education, and Extension programs. A senior seven-member NIFA delegation under the leadership of Dr. Dionne Toombs, NIFA Associate Director for Programs, visited the Republic of Palau State to attend the four-day Conference on USDA NIFA Land Grant Programs for USAPI and FAS Colleges at Palau Community College (PCC) in Koror State, Republic of Palau from April 27 to May 3, 2024. A report of the same was recently posted on The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) website. A screengrab of the published news article and the link for the original article on the APLU website are given below.

Supporting the Pacific Islands’ Land-grant Universities – APLU

The conference was coordinated by a joint team from the College of Micronesia Land Grant Program under Executive Director Mr. Stanley Lorennij and the senior leadership of PCC, including COM Board of Regent Chair Dr. Emais Roberts, PCC President Dr. Patrick Tellei and Dr. Christopher Kitalong, Vice President PCC CRE.

College of Micronesia wishes to thank Kim Scotto, Senior Associate, Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources (FANR) Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) for sharing this article.

COM Land Grant Executive Director Mr. Stanley Lorennij and CFO Doman Daoas made a courtesy visit to Dr. Theresa Koroivulaono, President, COM-FSM, at her office in COM-FSM, National Campus in Palikir, Pohnpei, FSM on June 5, 2024.

The primary purpose of this visit was to hand over a COM check of $30,000 to further support the COM-FSM Resident Instruction. In addition, Executive Director Stanley and President Dr. Theresa discussed various topics, including upgrading education for the COM Land Grant CRE Extension Agents from AA to Bachelor and Bachelor to Masters. Dr. Theresa informed Executive Director Stanley about the proposed MOU COM-FSM, which it will soon be signing with the University of Guam to provide a Hybrid Bachelor of Agriculture Science program. Dr. Theresa further offered tailor-made classes for the CRE staff to upgrade their primary language and math skills at the CETEC Campus in Pohnpei and online for other CRE staff in other FSM States.

Pictured from left to Right: Doman Daoas, CFO, COM; Dr. Theresa Koroivulaono, President COM-FSM; and Mr. Stanley Lorennij, Executive Director, COM Land Grant. Executive Director Stanley is handing Dr. Theresa a check for the COM-FSM Resident Instruction program at the COM-FSM President’s office in Palikir, Pohnpei FSM, on June 4, 2024.

Pictured from left to Right: Mr. Stanley Lorennij, Executive Director, COM Land Grant; Dr. Theresa Koroivulaono, President COM-FSM and Doman Daoas, CFO, COM meeting at the COM-FSM President’s office in Palikir, Pohnpei FSM, on June 4, 2024.

COM Land Grant Executive Director Mr. Stanley Lorennij met with the new Director of Pohnpei State Resources and Development, Mr. Mark Kostka, at the COM Central office on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. At the onset of the meeting, Executive Director Stanley Lorennij congratulated Director Mark Kostka on his new position as the Director of Resources and Development, Pohnpei State. The two Directors further discussed varied topics of mutual interest. Director Stanley Lorennij assured Director Mark Kostka of COM Land Grant’s full support for successfully implementing the Pohnpei State Food Security Plan developed by the Pohnpei State Department of Resources and Development. Dr. Manoj Nair, the Acting Associate Director for AES, also attended the meeting and provided Director Mark Kostka with an update on the hatchery-based Sea cucumber aquaculture efforts by COM Land Grant in Pohnpei State.

Pictured from left to Right: Mr Stanley Lorennij, Executive Director, COM; Mr. Mark Kostka, Director, Pohnpei State Department of Resources & Development at the College of Micronesia Central office May 28, 2024.