15 Jul 2013

Marshall Islander appointed head of SPC's Northern office

7:25 pm on 15 July 2013

A former Marshall Islands foreign minister has been appointed Director of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community's North Pacific Regional Office based in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.

The Marianas Variety reports that Gerald Zackios will take up this position in SPC's management team at the end of this month.

With this appointment, Zackios becomes the first Marshall Islander to be named to head a regional office in the Pacific area.

He was nominated earlier this year by the Marshall Islands for the Forum Fisheries Agency Director General position and was shortlisted as a finalist for the job, which ultimately went to Federated States of Micronesia's James Movick.

Mr Zackios holds dual citizenship from Marshall Islands and Palau and has a master's degree in international maritime law and a bachelor's degree in law from the University of Papua New Guinea.