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OIA Island Fellow will work on Island Link
Tuesday,
May 6, 2008
The Office of Insular Affairs, Island fellow for American Samoa will help introduce an new business development tool, Island Link, a system designed to match up island businesses with businesses anywhere in the world.
The Office of Insular Affairs has selected David Fedlam, an MBA candidate at Georgetown University as the 2008 Island Fellow for American Samoa. The Island Fellows Program takes MBA students to the insular areas to work on strategies to improve economic development. Fedlam will be here from June 17 to July 3. Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Affairs Nikolao Pula has informed Governor Togiola that Fedlam will meet with local businesses and government leaders to identify local priorities for the types of businesses that should be invited to the next Business Opportunities conference, planned for Honolulu in April of next year.
While here, Fedlam will conduct workshops for government and business leaders on how Island Link works. Mr. Pula said ideally the workshops would be followed up with one on one meeting between the island fellow and individuals to answer questions and actually post some business opportunities in American Samoa to the system. Previous island fellows issued a comprehensive list of recommendations on how to make the business licensing system more business friendly and what the government can do to foster a better climate for doing business here.
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