Press Release

New Single Audit Specialist at the Main Office

Ms. Christina Elnei (Chris) has been promoted to the Single Audit Specialist position, which is a newly established position at the ONPA. From the State of Pohnpei , Chris has been on the frontline serving as an Administrative Officer I since December, 2004. She has been a crucial mover in the Administration Unit, ensuring that the essential support services are always available to facilitate the main core activities in the areas of audit and investigation. She has been an asset in the formulation of the Office annual budgets, training budgets, single audit budgets; accounting and tracking of operational budgets, expenditures, and funds allotted to the office; staff matters; recruitment of new employees; maintenance of the internet website; training and maintenance of employees' Continuing Professional Education (CPE) hours; procurement of supplies and essential needs; and many more which are too numerous to count.

Her employment career included stint at the law firms of Hill Law Offices in Saipan , CNMI; at the Law Office of Sipos and Berman in Kolonia, Pohnpei; and at various financial institutions including Bank of Hawaii, Bank of Guam, and Bank of the Federated States of Micronesia . Chris' professional career has been further enriched through the successful completion of various on-the-job training courses and by earning over 60 CPE hours in attending audit courses on Guam and the US mainland.

At her new desk, her new duties and responsibilities will require her to prepare, issue, and manage single audit contracts and to facilitate the work of the FSM Audit Committee to obtain and review audit proposals and in selecting independent auditors to perform the FSM wide annual single audits as required by the Amended Compact. According to Chris, her new job requires a lot of learning and offers challenging opportunities. “The job is going to be very interesting but challenging,” Chris stated in a recent interview. She will also provide assistance in facilitating FSM's performance in resolving questioned costs and audit findings. Importantly, her duties are central to the achievement of the various goals and objectives for ONPA as outlined in its Strategic Plan.

It's a new position which the incumbent must report directly to the National Public Auditor. This is a welcome change which complements Management's desire to ‘promote from within' particularly for positions where the incumbents have demonstrated competency in their current jobs and offered firm potential to upgrade to higher and more responsible positions.