Yesterday was a sad day for the Governor’s Office.
Mrs. Melesete Haleck, who has worked in the Governor’s Office since the first administration of Governor Aifili Paulo Lutali in the early 1990’s, passed away yesterday morning.
She is reported to have been at her desk performing her duties but became ill in the late morning. She was then rushed to the hospital where she passed away.
Mrs. Haleck or Mele as she was affectionately known was a continuing link between governments and served each governor with loyalty and faith.
She was the Office Manager.
The many people who interacted with her over the years knew her to be always calm, helpful and easy to work with.
Her husband Lauvao Steve Haleck passed away five years ago.
Our condolences to their four children and family.
In other news, the memos appointing directors of departments and agencies did not include a Director for the Amerika Samoa Council in Arts, Culture and Humanities.
Chief of Staff Tuimavave has announced that the Arts Council Directer is Fuata Faasamisamia Male Tiumalu.
Fuata is a former investigator of the Department of Legal Affairs and served on the Board of the Arts Council in previous administrations.
He has been an official and performer in American Samoan delegations to various Pacific Arts Festivals.
The list of key staffers in the Governor’s Office (provided by Chief of Staff Tuimavave Tauapai Laupola at our request and aired in our evening bulletin yesterday) missed two staffers who are in charge of the daily schedules of the new Governor and Lt. Governor as well controlling who has access to the two leaders.
Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga’s Executive Secretary is Sally S.L. Faumuina.
Faumuina whose public service career started with the Department of Education in the mid-1980’s was Secretary to then Director of Education Dr. Claire Poumele when she was picked to be Lemanu’s executive Secretary in 2013 when he became Lt. Governor.
However last year, Faumuina was fired on orders of then-Governor Lolo Moliga over information that was leaked on Facebook about the overtime pay of a daughter of then-Director of Human Resources Eseneiaso Liu; an allegation that Faumuina denied.
The Executive Secretary to Lt. Governor Talauega is Filoi Fuavai Burgess, who was Secretary to the Attorney General when Talauega held the position.
