Governor Ralph DLG. Torres announced the resignation of Press Secretary Kevin Bautista, who will be accepting a position as Director of the Office of the President/Chief of Staff at the Northern Marianas College.
On his departure from the CNMI Office of the Governor, Governor Torres said, “Kev has been with me for six years from my time as Lt. Governor, and I am very grateful for the hard work, dedication, and service that he has provided in his years working for me and our Commonwealth. I wish him the best on his future endeavors, as I know he will continue to be working for the people of our Commonwealth in his new capacity as Chief of Staff at NMC. He is an individual committed to the betterment of the CNMI, and it will be great to see his skills, knowledge, and leadership alongside the hardworking faculty and staff at NMC, an institution that I cherish. Ultimately, although we are sad to see him go, I look forward to what he will accomplish at NMC for our students.”
Press Secretary Bautista submitted his resignation on December 6, 2021 with his last day on Monday, December 20, 2021.
“I thank Governor Torres for his warm friendship, his trust, and the opportunity to serve him and the Commonwealth these last six years. This is truly bittersweet because I’m sad to be leaving him, my terrific colleagues at the Office of the Governor, the Cabinet, and all the friends I have made on Capital Hill in the various departments and autonomous agencies. At the same time, I am excited for the opportunity to serve NMC and their talented staff to take our Proa to the next level,” Bautista said.
“In 2015, I graduated from the University of Michigan with a Political Science degree, and I didn’t know if I was going to come back home or go back to Washington, DC for work. However, Governor Torres gave this Filipino American kid from Saipan an opportunity to come back home and serve. He is no ordinary politician because he is someone anyone can talk to and have a conversation without the formalities. We accomplished a lot together in six years through the creation of policies that grew our economy, saved the pensions for thousands of CNMI retirees, drafted meaningful policies with federal partners, ensured that longtime CW families with US citizen children are not separated, led a successful COVID-19 operation, and fostered an environment for young professionals to come back home and fulfill their dreams.”
“The Commonwealth is well-served to have him as Governor. He works tremendously hard, into many late nights, Saturdays and Sundays, and even more so during natural disasters and throughout this pandemic. His work ethic is something that I admire, but more so something our Commonwealth can be proud of. Governor Torres has also remained rooted to our Marianas culture and continues to serve as a role model for so many young professionals who desire to give back to these islands we call home. I will cherish our conversations, our collaborative work, and most of all our friendship.”
###
