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Neth nomination as Deputy Secretary of HESA deferred

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): February 2000 - The nomination of Midion G. Neth as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Social Affairs has been deferred to the May Congress session.

President Leo A. Falcam nominated Neth on January 31.

The President's first nomination, Rufino Mauricio, Ph. D., to the same position was rejected during the last Congressional session.

Neth received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Education from the University of Guam in 1979, according to a January 31 letter to Jack Fritz, Speaker of the Congress, from President Falcam.

He worked in the Pohnpei Department of Education system for about five years as an elementary and high school teacher and as an administrator responsible for Federal Programs for Secondary Education, according to the letter.

Neth served as a Pohnpei State senator from January 1984 to December. 1995. As senator he chaired the committees on Education and Cultural Affairs, and Health and Social Services. He also served as vice chair of the committees on Finance, and Judiciary and Governmental Operations.

Neth became chief of Pohnpei State Division of Commerce and Industry in late 1997 to late 1998. Beginning July of last year, he worked as special assistant for disaster coordination to the President, according to the letter.

Neth has chaired the Committee on Health and Environment of the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures and the Board of Trustees of the Ohwa Christian High School.

"Neth's well-rounded experience in education as a school teacher, an education administrator, and a high echelon, decision maker and advocator for education plus his understanding and respect of the traditional system as a traditional leader himself, make me confident that he will, if confirmed, competently discharge the constitutional and statutory mandates associated with the Deputy Secretary Position," Wrote the President.