Leon Guerrero-Tenorio Administration Announces Appointees to Serve on
Commission on Decolonization
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Monday, February 4, 2019
Hagåtña, Guam – The Leon Guerrero-Tenorio Administration today announced appointments to
serve on the Commission on Decolonization.
Governor Lou Leon Guerrero, who serves as chairperson, has selected Mary Cruz, Ph.D., and
John F. Reyes, Jr., to join her on the commission. The Leon Guerrero-Tenorio administration last
week announced the nomination of Melvin Won Pat-Borja to serve as the Executive Director of
the Commission on Decolonization.
The Commission on Decolonization will hold their first meeting on Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at
3 p.m. in the large Conference Room at the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor’s Complex, Adelup.
“Dr. Mary Cruz is a scholar and writer who specializes in CHamoru identity. She has a
prominent, respected voice in the self-determination conversation. Dr. Cruz offers a wealth
of knowledge and will be important in the Commission’s agenda to inform the People of
Guam on the various political status options in advance of a future vote,” said Governor
Leon Guerrero.
Lt. Governor Tenorio added, “John Reyes is invested in our island, evidenced by his active
leadership roles in a number of local non-profits. His background in telecommunications
and banking will offer a fresh perspective to the Commission of Decolonization.”
Mary Therese F. Cruz, Ph.D.
Mary Cruz, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Political Science, CHamoru Studies, and
Micronesian Studies at the University of Guam where she has taught since 2006. She received
her Masters and Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her dissertation is titled ReSearching Identity: Being Chamorro in an American Colony. Cruz’s work has been published in
distinguished journals and she has made over a dozen presentations at conferences in England,
France, Tokyo, and in the Pacific Region on CHamoru identity, self-determination, and military
buildup. She is presently involved with the New Zealand Studies Association, the Pacific History
Association, the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association, and the Upsilon Nu –
Guam Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha – National Political Science Honor Society.
John F. Reyes, Jr.
John Reyes is the Vice President-Business Intelligence Manager for the Bank of Guam. He is
responsible for the banks Oracle applications management and implementation, data analytics,
and reporting. Prior to moving back home to Guam in 2015, John served as the Vice President of
Operations & Human Resources at Cloudbilt, Inc., a Salesforce.com ISV based in Charlotte, NC.
John’s career also spans 10 years in telecommunications with Sprint in Las Vegas, Nevada, and
three years in healthcare informatics with Inovalon, Inc. in Maryland. John is a Magna Cum
Laude graduate of Regis University in Colorado with a Masters degree in Business
Administration. He is also a proud University of Guam alumni. John serves as President and
Chair of the board of the Guam Girl Scouts and is Chair of the Board of Mercy Action Marianas,
Ltd., two non-profit organizations serving the island community through educational, leadership,
financial and scholarship programs.
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For inquiries, please contact Krystal Paco, Press Secretary, at 787-3229 or
krystal.paco@guam.gov.
PDF: PR020419-2