Academy of Our Lady of Guam

Mildred Maniago Gabriel

Mildred Maniago Gabriel was born on January 23, 1955, to Mr. and Mrs. Albino S. Gabriel.  Mildred, her sister Grace and brothers, Edwin and Gilbert, grew up in a close, community-minded family.  In 1968, Mildred completed her elementary school years at St. Anthony’s as their first valedictorian.  She continued to succeed at the Academy of Our Lady of Guam, where she was Vice-President of the Class of 1972.

She and her husband, Earl Miller, live in Tamuning, where together with Mildred’s siblings, are caring for her elderly parents.  Daughter, Melissa, AOLG Class of 2005, is currently attending her mother’s collegiate Alma Mater and will carry on the family tradition as a third-generation pharmacist.

Faithful to the Academy, Mildred co-chaired the 35th reunion of the Class of 1972.  Since her graduation, Mildred has contributed funds and donated merchandise in support of many events of the Academy of Our Lady of Guam and is a regular speaker and participant in the school’s career day activities.

Elaine Cruz Jones

Elaine Cruz Jones is the oldest of Academy daughters in her family of 11 children.  Her sisters, who are all Academy of Our Lady of Guam graduates, are: Marilyn Cruz Roberts (Class of 1961); Bertha Cruz Hayden (Class of 1964); Martha Cruz Ruth (Class of 1966); Shawn C. Cruz (Class of 1972); and, Pauline Cruz Camacho (Class of 1976).  Her parents, both deceased, were Augusto Pangelinan and Dolores Sablan Cruz of Agana Heights.

Elaine was a devoted wife of Mr. Kenneth Jones, Jr., President of J&G Enterprises, who passed away almost a year ago, and a loving mother to Ramona L.E. Jones Benitez, married to Attorney Juan Carlos Benitez, and Donna Marie Jones.  She cherishes the blessings of being a grandmother to 3-year old Reina Isabella Benitez.  Not long before her marriage in 1972, she was a familiar name in journalism having worked as a reporter, columnist and editor of such publications as the Stars and Stripes, the Guam Daily News (now known as Pacific Daily News) and the Pacific Journal.  She also served as press secretary to Guam’s first elected governor, the late Governor Carlos G. Camacho.  Today, Elaine is at the helm of the multi-divisional J&G Enterprises that encompasses from ownership and investments in real estate development and property management to retail, wholesale and service industries. 

The 1956 graduate devotedly upholds the tenets of her Catholic upbringing and the lessons learned from her Christian education at the Academy.  She stays on the course of everlasting peace in one’s self and maintains a spiritual unity with others.  In quiet fashion and without fanfare, Elaine’s philanthropic endeavors through the years have helped to fund construction facilities and implementation of services to enable upward mobility to many of Guam’s children and for those most in need especially those disabled, the homeless and abused spouses, children and elderly.

Elaine Cruz Jones is the epitome of an Academian.  The Halls of the Academy ring not only of the happiness and contentment she shared with the religious and students, but they also echo of the peace and unity she holds in her daily life.

Lou Leon Guerrero

Lou is the middle child and the only daughter born on November 8, 1950, to Jesus S. and Eugenia A. Leon Guerrero.  She attended Cathedral Grade School and St. Jude Thaddeus School before completing her secondary education at the Academy of Our Lady of Guam in 1968.  She then attended Viterbo College in Wisconsin before relocating to Los Angeles to join her two brothers, Jesse and Tony. 

Lou received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing at California State University, Los Angeles. and her Master Degree in Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) in 1980.  Her nursing career began at GMH and in 1982 became the Assistant Director of Nursing. In 1984, she joined FHP, Inc. as a Nursing Supervisor and quickly excelled to Associate Operations Manager and then Director of Operations from 1987 to 1994.

Lou entered the arena of politics and was elected to the 23rd Guam Legislature as Senator, and served as Chairperson of the Committee on Health, Welfare and Senior Citizens and Assistant Majority Leader for the Legislature.  Senator Lou Leon Guerrero was successfully re-elected to the 24th, 25th, 27th and 28th Guam Legislatures.  Lou also was a member of the Board of Directors for the Bank of Guam from 1991 through 1998 and from 2001 through the present, taking only a brief respite to run for higher office under the gubernatorial team of “Tom and Lou”.  The untimely passing of her father, Jesus S. Leon Guerrero, founder of the Bank of Guam, and her brother, Anthony A. Leon Guerrero, the former President, CEO and Chairman of the Bank of Guam led Lou to maintain continuity in the management of the Bank and now assumes the position of Chairperson of the Board, President and CEO since 2006.  Aside from her banking duties, Lou is also a member of Mercy Action of the Marianas, Guam Humanities Council, DMHSA Peace Council, Board of Trustees - Guam Memorial Hospital, Guam Nurses Association and Guam Telephone Authority. 

Jacqueline A. Marati

Born in Guam on October 14, 1954, to former Speaker Joaquin C. Arriola and former Senator Elizabeth P. Arriola, Jacqueline (“Jackie”) Arriola Marati is the eldest of eight children. She graduated Salutatorian from the Academy of Our Lady of Guam in 1972. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in political science at Vassar College in 1976, where she was Student Government Secretary from 1975-1976 and Class President from 1977-1986.

Jackie began her career at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City as a Credit Officer & Management Trainee, subsequently becoming Vice-President, Retail Banking Group at Wells Fargo Bank, San Francisco, CA. She was Chief of Administrative Services/Chief of Staff at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority during which time she completed the only certified executive-legal aviation management program and became an Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.), the first in Guam and the Western Pacific. In 1999, she was hired at Bank of Guam and rose from Vice President-Corporate Banking Group Manager to Sr. Vice President-Marketing Administrator. She served as President of the Guam Bankers Association from 2002 to 2005. Jackie also completed the 3-year executive program at the Graduate School of Credit and Financial Management, Amos Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College. She attended human resources and leadership executive programs at Stanford University, the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, and the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business. She received her certificate of completion from the Pacific Coast Banking School in September 2009.

Jackie was Founding Chair, St. Anthony School Advisory Board; Co-Chair, 11th South Pacific Games Protocol Committee; member, Make-A-Wish Foundation Board of Directors; member, Pacific Islanders in Communications Board of Directors; and Past President, Tourism Education Council Board of Directors.

Jackie received the Public Citizen of the Year 2005 Award from the National Association of Social Workers on Guam. On October 2009, she was awarded the Holy Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice by Pope Benedict XVI—the highest medal awarded to the laity by the Papacy for distinguished service to the Catholic Church.

Katherine Calvo Sgro

Katherine Calvo Sgro, fondly called “Kathy”, is the daughter of Paul and Rose Calvo, and a graduate of the Academy, Class of 1977.   She is married to Peter R. Sgro, Jr., and they have four children, two of whom attend the Academy of Our Lady of Guam (Class of 2010 and 2012).  Kathy’s sisters, Vera ‘75, Barbara ‘81, Marie ‘83, Reyna ‘85, and, for a few years before leaving for Atherton, California, Clare, — all hail from the Academy, as well.

Kathy obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and Marketing from Santa Clara University, California, and her M.B.A. from the Golden Gate University and majored in Financial Planning.  Kathy returned to Guam in 1987 and began her career as Marketing Director of Payless Supermarkets.  She serves as Treasurer of Calvo Enterprises, Inc., one of the Board of Directors for the Bank of Saipan and Executive Vice-President and Chairwoman of the Board of Payless Supermarkets.  Today, Kathy is in the middle of huge growth and expansion for Payless as it anticipates the opening of yet another store in Mangilao.

Kathy is a member of the Board of Regents at the University of Guam and a board member of Payless Community Foundation which assists local, non-profit organizations in obtaining funding through federal and corporate grants.  These organizations include Erica’s House of Hope, Big Brothers Big Sisters on Guam, Get Healthy Guam, Sugar Plum Tree, Ayuda Foundation, Island Girl Power, Coalition Against Sexual Assault & Family Violence and KOLG Catholic Educational Radio Station.

Kathy established the Health Smart Campaign at Payless; Get Healthy Guam Coalition and annual Payless “Kick the Fat” 5K run and Fitness Fair.  She organized in 2006 the first Guam Team in Training for Leukemia & Lymphoma, took part in the Gift of Life Charity Auction, and volunteers at the Gentle Refuge Pregnancy Crisis Center and Kamalen Karidat.

Kathy’s efforts have not gone un-noticed as she was the first recipient of the Businesswoman of the Year 2006 by the Guam Business Magazine.