Friends of the Mariana Trench Honors Chair Sheila Babauta's Service, Announces Board Leadership Transition

SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — Friends of the Mariana Trench today announced a leadership transition on its Board of Directors, recognizing the extraordinary service of Board Chair Sheila Babauta, who is stepping down and will continue serving the organization as a Director.

Reflecting on the transition, Babauta said, "It has been a tremendous honor to serve as Chair of Friends of the Mariana Trench. I am proud of how the organization has grown and grateful to the many community members, partners, youth leaders, scientists, cultural practitioners, advocates, staff and fellow board members who have contributed to our shared mission. I remain deeply committed to the organization and look forward to supporting its continued success as a member of the Board.”

During Babauta’s tenure as Chair, Friends of the Mariana Trench reached several important milestones. She brought a strong commitment to Indigenous leadership and environmental justice as chair and helped ensure that the voices and interests of the Mariana Islands remained visible in national and international ocean policy conversations.

Babauta represented Friends of the Mariana Trench in continued advocacy for the 2024 publication of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument Management Plan, a federal process which took nearly 15 years to complete. Through her public advocacy and engagement with federal partners like the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and NOAA, local CNMI leaders, and partners in Washington, DC she helped maintain attention on the need for a strategic framework for the monument's conservation and research.

In 2025, Babauta represented the Friends at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Mariana Trench Visitor Contact Station in Saipan, another project which took nearly two decades to complete. This facility stands as a landmark for community connection, providing an interactive space for residents, youth, and visitors to engage with the biodiversity and cultural heritage of the trench.

In recent years, Babauta became a prominent public voice in opposition to deep-sea mining threats in the Pacific. By framing the issue through the interconnected lenses of environmental justice, she amplified Indigenous perspectives and built a global network of partners dedicated to protecting ocean ecosystems from industrial exploitation. She led the Friends and their partners to gather over 60,000 comments during a federal process this year to oppose deep sea mining near the Mariana Trench.

As a public representative of Friends of the Mariana Trench, Babauta helped expand the organization’s visibility nationally and internationally.. She represented the Mariana Islands and the organization at several global gatherings, speaking at the Our Ocean conferences in Palau and Greece, and famously introducing former President Barack Obama before his address to global climate leaders at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. Through these speaking engagements and representing our islands at coalitions such as the National Ocean Protection Coalition and the America the Beautiful for All Coalition, Babauta helped elevate the voices of the Mariana Islands in conversations on ocean conservation, Indigenous stewardship, climate justice, and environmental protection while building partnerships that strengthened the organization's impact at home.

Babauta’s relationship with Friends of the Mariana Trench began as a volunteer with Project HOPE, a community-centered ocean-conservation initiative. That experience led to her service on the Board of Directors and, ultimately, as Board Chair. Her journey from volunteer to organizational leader reflects the Friends’ commitment to creating pathways through which community members can deepen their participation and take on greater leadership in ocean stewardship.

During Babauta’s tenure as Chair, the Friends continued evolving from an organization centered principally on monument advocacy into one that also builds long-term community capacity for ocean stewardship. Through its intergenerational volunteer pathways, the organization connects young people, cultural practitioners, educators, scientists, advocates, and other community members with opportunities to learn, contribute, lead, and influence decisions affecting the ocean.

Her advocacy with the Friends and beyond was formally recognized in 2023, when she was named the Environmental Champion by the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance and Environmentalist of the Year by the Marianas Terrestrial Conservation Conference.

The Board has elected Ignacio "Ike" V. Cabrera as its new Chair and Angelo Villagomez as Vice Chair.

"Sheila's leadership has been really helpful," said Ignacio “Ike” V. Cabrera, incoming Chair of Friends of the Mariana Trench. "She brought us her energy, helped us to be seen, and her deep love for our islands to our group. Under her guidance, Friends of the Mariana Trench was able to reach farther, help us feel more confident, and inspired more people to become involved in protecting one of the world's most remarkable ocean places. We are grateful that she will continue serving on the Board."

As Chair, Cabrera will guide the organization's next chapter, while Villagomez will support the Board's leadership and strategic priorities. Together with the Board of Directors, they will continue the organization's work to protect the ecological and cultural significance of the Mariana Trench and provide governance and strategic oversight as the Friends’ staff, volunteers, community members, and partners continue building pathways for people across the Mariana Islands to participate in ocean stewardship and help shape the decisions that affect their ocean future.