NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Federated States of Micronesia
Speaker Wesley W. Simina
COMMITTEES
- Judiciary & Governmental Operations
- Education
SUMMARY
At-Large, four-year Representative
State of Chuuk
DOB: September 10, 1961
J.D., University of Hawaii - Manoa
First entered the FSM Congress in 2011
Senator Wesley W. Simina is the Speaker of the Nineteenth Congress of
the Federated States of Micronesia as elected on May 11, 2015. He is the sixth person
seated for the Speakership of the National Legislative Body. Simina is the four-year or
at-large representative of the State of Chuuk and has been a Member of the Congress
since his election to the Seventeenth Congress in 2011.
As a fairly new member of the national Body, Speaker Simina has already earned the
respect of his colleagues by his staunch promotion of sensitive national issues that are
tempered by his practical solutions. This practical approach is a reflection of a
background extensive in public service as it is varied in the private sector.
During the FSM’s formative nation building stages, Simina was in the formative stages
of his future by first completing high school years at Chuuk High and then his pursuit
of tertiary education abroad. He first enrolled at Jackson State University in Mississippi
then later transferred closer to the Pacific Ocean through his enrollment at the San
Diego campus of the United States International University where he graduated in 1982
with a Bachelor of Arts.
Upon graduation, Speaker Simina returned to his island state of Chuuk and worked for
the next four years as an intern at the Chuuk Public Defender’s Office and also
moonlighted as a part time instructor at the state campus of the College of Micronesia.
Experience being the best teacher, Simina’s four years allowed him reassessment of his
future goals. He redirected his educational pursuit to focus on law and in 1986 enrolled
at the University of Hawaii - William S. Richardson School of Law School of Law,
Manoa Campus. In 1988 he graduated with a Juris Doctorate from the University of
Hawaii - William S. Richardson School of Law.
While studying at UH, Simina spent his summers back in Chuuk as an intern at the
Office of the FSM Public Defenders and the FSM Supreme Court. Upon graduation, he
was immediately hired as the Directing Attorney for the FSM Public Defender Office for
the states of Kosrae and Chuuk from 1988 thru 1991.
In 1991 he was hired as the Legislative Counsel for the Chuuk State Legislature and two
years later was confirmed for the position of Attorney General for the Chuuk State
Government from 1993 until 1997. Upon completion of his term at the state
government, Simina went into Private Practice where for the next seven years he served
as Legal Counsel for various private and public corporations including the Chuuk
Public Utility Corporation (1997 – 2001) with regular stints as Staff Attorney for the FSM
Congress from 1997 thru 2003.
In 2001, Simina was elected as the State of Chuuk’ at-Large representative to the 3rd
FSM Constitutional Convention.
In 2005, Simina was elected as the Governor of the State of Chuuk and served for four
years. In 2009, he was re-elected to the Governorship for another four years, but his
term was shy 2 year as he successfully ran for the 2011 Special Election for the At-Large
or four-year representative of the State of Chuuk to the National Legislative Body.
On the 25th of July 2011, Simina was seated as a Member of the Seventeenth Congress of
the FSM and served the public for four years as a member of the Congressional
Standing Committee on Education; the Committee on External Affairs and the
Committee on Transportation and Communications.
During the organization of the 18th Congress in 2013, Simina was elected Chairman of
the Congressional Standing Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations
with membership on Committees of Transportation and Communications and also on
the Education.
In March 2015, Simina was re-elected to the national body as the State of Chuuk’s atlarge representative or four-year Member. On May 11, 2015, Simina was elected to head
the Legislative Branch of the FSM National Government as Speaker of the 19th
Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia.
Speaker Simina is married to Ancelly and they have eight children.