SAIPAN — The Northern Marianas Bar Association installed a new slate of officers and directors during its Annual Membership Meeting on Feb. 26 at the Judiciary Assembly Hall in the Guma’ Hustisia, Iimwal Aweewe. The new board will serve one-year terms for 2026.
Gretchen A. Smith takes over as president. She previously served as Bar Association secretary and is one of two in-house counsels for the NMI Settlement Fund. Smith clerked for Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the U.S. District Court for the NMI and Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro of the NMI Supreme Court. She earned her law degree from UC Davis in 2018 and also serves as chair of the NMI Humanities Council and as a coach for the Marianas Pacific Paddlers outrigger team.
Sean E. Frink, a Bar Association member for more than 30 years and founder of Marianas Legal Strategy Group, was elected vice president. He previously served as deputy attorney general under former Attorney General Maya B. Kara.
Rellani Ogumoro was elected secretary. She is an assistant attorney general in the Civil Division of the Office of the Attorney General and serves as chair of the Bar Association’s Continuing Legal Education Committee.
Rachel Blue, also an assistant attorney general in the Civil Division, was elected treasurer. Before joining the CNMI bar she clerked for a Colorado Court of Appeals judge and previously worked in consumer advocacy. She also coaches and plays for Paire FC.
Returning for a third year as director is Carmen V. Borja, who serves as executive director of the Commonwealth Law Revision Commission. Charity R. Hodson, a former Bar Association president of seven years who maintains a private practice, was also elected director, as was Hyun Jae Lee, in-house counsel for the NMI Judiciary and also a third-year director.
The Bar Association also announced a new executive director, Mercilia “Iya” Teigita.
