The Guam Ethics Commission has chosen former Guam Visitors Bureau research and planning director Nico Fujikawa to serve as its next executive director. Commissioners appointed Fujikawa during an emergency meeting Wednesday.
According to Chairwoman Daphne Leon Guerrero, the commission did not have enough members to form a quorum during their regular meeting on May 27, meaning no formal action could be taken, so they held an emergency meeting to certify the official hire of an executive director.
Before the May 27 meeting, commissioners met with Fujikawa on May 5 and proceeded with an executive session, but Leon Guerrero stated afterward that a court reporter needed to be present for the commission to make a hiring decision, so no vote took place at that time.
Most commissioners voted to approve Fujikawa's appointment Wednesday. A male commissioner voted no on the appointment, but it isn't clear to The Guam Daily Post who it was. The Post observed the meeting virtually through Zoom. Other than Leon Guerrero, Commissioners Christopher Cruz, Margaret Tyquiengco and Dr. Robert Jack were present at Wednesday's meeting.
Fujikawa takes over from Jesse Quenga, the first executive director of the commission, who left the post in February. As the inaugural director of the commission, Quenga established an operational framework, championed key public laws to modernize ethical compliance and achieved 100% participation in mandatory ethics training for 12,000 government employees, according to a February release from the commission. An ad hoc committee was established to recommend a candidate for the commission's confirmation.
Fujikawa once served as the director of tourism research and strategic planning at GVB. He was terminated from the agency last year, accused of insubordinate and disruptive behavior and of refusing to perform assigned duties and responsibilities. He appealed the termination at the Civil Service Commission, alleging instances of retaliation and harassment on the part of management.
The CSC later dismissed Fujikawa's appeal because it was filed more than 20 days after management served its final notice of adverse action, according to statements made during a Jan. 14 CSC meeting. According to media reports, Fujikawa appealed the dismissal at the Superior Court of Guam.