Career entrepreneur Melania Mendiola is hanging up her hat as the governor’s administrator of economic development and government financing, having spent more than six years serving the public as the head of Guam Economic Development Authority.
The intelligent, young, vivacious, highly personable and kind cabinet member, expects to leave her post in April.
The GEDA board will have to vote on a replacement, likely to be recommended by Governor Lou Leon Guerrero.
Ms. Mendiola led the agency that – under the policy direction of the governor – leveraged a combination of federal and local funds, grants, tax incentives, public financing, and project management that saw the island through the pandemic, Super Typhoon Mawar, and into the new investments to Guam’s economic sustainability.
She released the following statement to Kandit regarding her resignation:
“Grateful to the governor and lieutenant governor who have been consistently supportive of me professionally and personally.
“GEDA is a smaller government agency, made up of just over 30 extremely talented and by the way, all unclassified, employees. In my six years of service, we saved the government over 100 million in bond savings, worked successfully towards numerous bond upgrades, distributed over $120 million in grants to businesses for pandemic aid, revamped the childcare industry through reforms in the block grant program and pushing out funding to start up daycares and new ventures.
“The great work will continue because the great public servants at GEDA remain ready to help when called. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve and am leaving GEDA and the administration with nothing but love and fondness for the colleagues and friendships I have made along the way.“
