The Agriculture, Community and Natural Resources (ACNR) Division of the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) or Land Grant has a new director.
Aufa’i Apulu Ropeti Areta takes over from Tapaau Dr. Daniel Aga who heads the new office in ASG called Political Status, Constitutional Review and Federal Relations.
The college held a fiafia last Friday to farewell Tapaau and welcome the new ACNR leader.
Aufa’i was confirmed as the new Director of ACNR in a May 2nd memorandum from ASCC President Dr. Seth Galea’I who congratulated Aufa’i on his appointment and asked the ASCC faculty and staff to support him in his new role.
Aufa’i began at the Land Grant Division of ASCC in October 1985, as a Research Assistant and in the ensuing years accumulated a wide range of experience in ACNR leadership positions.
He ‘s a graduate of Alofau Elementary School and Leone High School, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis as an Agricultural Science major, followed by a Master of Agriculture degree from Colorado State University.
He retired from ACNR in 2015 after 31 years of service, with his last five years spent in the second-in-command position of Assistant Director.
He decided to come out of retirement when the ACNR directorship became open .
Aufa’i also serves as a lay preacher with the Methodist Church of Samoa, is president of the Sunday School, and a youth fellowship advisor at the Tafuna (Ave-ole-Fetuao) Methodist Church Parish.
He holds the orator chief titles of Aufa’i and Apulu, and has done English/Samoan translations for numerous projects involving the University of Hawaii, East Tennessee University, Tripler Army Medical Center, Brown University and many others.
He was Lead Site co-principal Investigator with the ACNR-affiliated Children’s Healthy Living Project, a study of childhood obesity, its causes, and ways to address it in American Samoa and throughout the United States.
Aufa’i said,“I envision ACNR being a community leader in addressing societal challenges.”
