The College of Micronesia Land Grant Program’s central office was proud to host its 2026 annual Board of Regents meeting in Pohnpei, coinciding with the opening of its newly remodeled office on the third floor of the building that houses the COM-FSM Cooperative Research & Extension (CRE) program and the Small Business Development Center office. This important event brought together key leaders from all across the Micronesian region led by Chairman of the board Dr. Emais Roberts from the Republic of Palau, Vice Chair Suzanne L. Gallen from the Federated States of Micronesia, and honorable Minister Gerald Zackios from the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Also attending were the presidents of the three partner colleges, College of Micronesia-FSM (COM-FSM), Palau Community College (PCC), and the College of the Marshall Islands (CMI) along with the three Vice Presidents of Cooperative Research & Extension (CRE) programs from each of these partner colleges and several researchers and extension agents.

The Board of Regents convened its annual meeting at the newly inaugurated COM LGP central office conference room. Key agenda items discussed included budget updates, investment performance reports-reviews and advisories provided by Raymond James & Associates – Guam branch, policies, and quarterly progress reports provided by the central office team as well as the partner college CRE Vice Presidents highlighting challenges, issues, ongoing initiatives and program activities across the region.

The meeting was concluded with a farewell reception hosted by the COM Land -Grant central office at the Mangrove Bay Bar and Restaurant, providing a warm and collegial setting for attendees to strengthen partnerships and exchange ideas on advancing COM LGP mandates across the region.

Sitting from Left to Right (front row) Chairman of the Board of Regents, Dr. Emails Robert of ROP, Vice Chair of COMLG Board of Regents to the FSM, Suzann L. Gallen, CMI Board of Regents, Hon. Gerald Zackios. Second Row in the back from Right to left, Dr. Cristopher Kitalong, PCC-CRE VP, Mr. Steven Young, COMFSM-CRE-VP, Stanley Lorennij, COMLG Executive Director (Central Office), PCC – President, Dr. Patrick Telley, Incomming Board of Regents, Mrs. Lynn Sonden of COMFSM, Associate Director – CES, Engly Ioanis, COMFSM-President, Dr.Theresa Koroivulaono, CMI-CRE VP, Dr. Adedayao Ogunmokun, Dr. Murukesan Krishnapillai, Researcher/Extension YAP CRE and CMI-CRE personnel and CFO of COMLG-Central Office.

Holiday Notice – College of Micronesia Land Grant Program Office Closures.

The College of Micronesia Land Grant Program will be observing the following holidays and breaks in November & December 2025:

This is an encouraging update to the previous update on COM LGP’s current status amidst the ongoing U.S. government shutdown.

Please note that COM LGP has recently been granted permission to draw down funds from the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP.gov), thereby enabling the continuation of full operations through the end of January, contingent upon ASAP.gov’s continued availability per the drawdown schedule.

The directive sent out earlier to all CRE VPs and the Call for Action within the shutdown contingency plan are currently being temporarily rescinded for now and all normal operations shall continue. COM LGP will continue monitoring the situation, and if circumstances change or further action becomes necessary, timely updates and directions will be provided.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Contingency Plan for U.S. Government Shutdown

Scenario: ASAP Drawdown is NOT Available

1.Purpose

This contingency plan establishes the actions to be taken in the event a U.S. Government Shutdown that prevents access to funds through the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) System. The plan ensures continuity of essential Land Grant operations, protects employees, and maintains compliance with federal and institutional policies until funding access is restored.

2.Scope

This plan applies to all Land Grant programs and projects administered by the College of Micronesia Land Grant Program and partner colleges (College of the Marshall Islands, Palau Community College, College of Micronesia-FSM), including:

• Cooperative Research and Extension (CRE)
• Agricultural Experiment Station (AES)
• Cooperative Extension Services (CES)
• Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)

3. Key Assumptions

• ASAP system will not allow drawdowns during the federal shutdown.
• Funds previously drawn and deposited into local accounts remain accessible. (if there is)
• •Institutional reserved may be considered for temporary support, subject to Board of Regents approval.
• •Federal reporting requirements remain in effect unless explicitly suspended by USDA-NIFA.
• •Shutdown duration is unknown; plan covers both short-term and extended disruptions.

4. Plan of Action

A. Financial Management

1. Freeze Non-Essential Expenditures – Limit spending to essential activities (e.g., personnel salaries, utilities, existing contractual obligations.)
2. Cash Flow Monitoring – Central Office and Partner colleges should monitor their cash balance as reimbursement of expenditures may be delayed.
3. Prioritization of Obligations – Payments will prioritize:

• Employee salaries and benefits

• Safety- and compliance-related program activities

• Time-sensitive experiments (e.g., ongoing agricultural trials)

4. Alternative Funding Sources – Explore temporary internal bridging mechanisms (Endowment fund, Local funds/BOR funds, Matching funds where allowable)

5. Vendor/Contractor Communication – Notify contractors/vendors/Partners of potential delays in federal reimbursements and negotiate extensions where feasible.

B. Program Continuity

• Prioritization of Activities – Continue only activities that are essential to health, safety, compliance, or that prevent program disruption. Defer new projects until funding access resumes.

• Staffing – Retain core staff necessary to maintain critical services; defer overtime and non-essential travel. Defer new hiring of personnel if possible and feasible.

• Reporting – Prepare all reports on time, even if submission systems are down, to ensure readiness once federal systems are operational. (e.g. RFP required documents)

• Research Protection – Ensure that live animals, plants, and ongoing field experiments are sustained to prevent irreversible loss.

C. Communication

• Internal Communications – Provide regular updates to leadership, program directors, and staff regarding financial status and operational adjustments.
• External Communication – Maintain contact with federal grant officers and financial officials to document impact of the shutdown. (if federal grant officers are available)
• Stakeholder Notification – Inform partners, subrecipients, and beneficiaries of potential delays in reimbursements or payments or service delivery.

• Risk Mitigation
• Maintain detailed records of all expenditures and obligations incurred during the shutdown.
• Document all communications with federal agencies and stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with federal regulations (2 CFR 200) even during restricted funding flow.
• Develop a recovery plan for rapid resumption of ASAP drawdowns once the system is available.

• Recovery and Post-Shutdown Actions
• Resume ASAP drawdowns immediately once federal access is restored.
• Prioritize clearing backlog obligations (payroll, vendors, contractors, partners).
• Reassess program budgets and adjust schedules for postponed activities.
• Submit required financial and programmatic reports to USDA/NIFA, including documentation of shutdown-related delays.

• Approval and Implementation
• This plan shall be effective immediately upon announcement of a U.S. Government shutdown and will remain in effect until funding access with ASAP is restored. It shall be reviewed and approved by the Executive Director with coordination with the Vice Presidents for Cooperative Research and Extension.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

THE U.S Government Shut Down … At midnight on Tuesday, September 30th, the US government shutdown due to Congress’s inability to agree and approve the fy26 budget. This shutdown affects most federal agencies and employees.

COM Land-Grant Program’s Status … As a result of this shutdown, the COM LGP is unable to drawdown funds from ASAP.gov because it is closed and will remain closed until the US government reopens for normal business. This is the major issue that the program is facing at the moment. Fortunately, there are still obligated funds available in the program’s local accounts that will hopefully sustain the program’s operations for the next two months if the shutdown is prolonged for two months. To help ensure these limited funds are used effectively and efficiently, a Contingency Plan is already in place that limits expenditures to only essential activities such as personnel, utilities and ongoing contractual obligations. 

What To Expect … Delayed payments to vendors / contractors or delayed reimbursements to the program’s three partner colleges (CMI, COM-FSM and PCC) where the Cooperative Research and Extension teams and activities are administered.