David Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia

David Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, delivers the Peter Tali Coleman Lecture on Pacific Public Policy, Tuesday, September, 27, 2022.

The President is introduced by Congresswoman Amata Radewagen of American Samoa.

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) faces challenges on many fronts. From COVID, to climate change, to competition between China and the United States. Leading FSM is President David Panuelo. He and other Pacific Island leaders are here in Washington to meet with President Biden for a two-day summit. President Panuelo has played a leading role in the region, backing efforts to repair the rift in the Pacific Islands Forum, culminating this year in the Suva Agreement. He also penned a letter urging Pacific Island leaders to be wary of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s entreaties for Pacific Island countries to Chinese led security forum. Throughout, President Panuelo has demonstrated exceptional leadership, graciousness and determination for the people of the Pacific.

His Excellency David W. Panuelo is the Ninth President of the Federated States of Micronesia.

Panuelo completed his early education on his home island of Pohnpei and continued his education in the United States earning his bachelor’s degree in political science from Eastern Oregon University in 1987. After returning home and he joined FSM’s foreign service, rising to Assistant Secretary for the Division of American and European Affairs. He also served overseas as deputy ambassador in both Fiji and at the United Nations in New York. Seeking to strengthen FSM’s private sector Panuelo left the public service and over seven years built various businesses in construction and human services, as well as creating the non-profit Care Micronesia Foundation.

On May 11th, 2011 until May 11th, 2019, Panuelo served in the FSM Congress. On May 11th, 2019, Panuelo was elected by the 21st FSM Congress to serve as the Nation’s ninth President.

This lecture is presented as part of the Blue Pacific Futures a collaboration between the Center for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies at Georgetown University and the Center for Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.