Josie Fitial

Josepina "Josie" Padiermos Fitial (born November 25, 1962) is the former First Lady of the Northern Mariana Islands and the wife of former Governor Benigno Fitial. She became First Lady upon the inauguration of her husband as the 7th Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands on January 9, 2006.

Biography

Early life Fitial, who is nicknamed Josie, was born Josepina Padiermos, in 1962 in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, the Philippines. The couple later married and had two children, Patrick and Christina, in addition to Benigno Fitial's four children from a previous marriage, Jason, Cathy, Junella and Julie. Among Fitial's contributions through her organization has been the contribution of more than 500 books to the Dandan Elementary School and Japanese-language books to Saipan-Marianas High School.

Additionally, Fitial has pushed recycling programs, as waste disposal is a major problem afflicting the CNMI. She has also promoted the role of the Filipino community within the Northern Mariana Islands as First Lady.

On November 12, 2008, Fitial issued a letter to the First Lady of the United States Laura Bush. In her letter, Fitial appealed to Bush to ask President George W. Bush and the federal government to halt the designation of the proposed Marianas Trench Marine National Monument in the Northern Mariana Islands. The designation was opposed by Fitial, the government of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Carolinian Affairs Advisory Committee and the Guam Legislature. Both First Lady Fitial and the Governor were present for the ceremony.

In a 2009 interview with the Marianas Variety, Fitial noted that she had risen from an immigrant and waitress to having now met three U.S. Presidents - George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.