[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 134 (Thursday, October 20, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2149-E2150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             MOURNING THE LOSS OF ANTHONY A. LEON GUERRERO

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 20, 2005

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deepest 
sympathies and condolences to the family of Mr. Anthony A. Leon 
Guerrero who passed away on October 10, 2005. He was born on Guam on 
June 19, 1952 Throughout his life, Mr. Leon Guerrero made numerous 
contributions to the island of Guam, most notably serving as the 
president, the chief executive officer, CEO, and chairman of the Bank 
of Guam. He attended the London School of Economics at the University 
of London, majoring in Monetary Economics in 1976. He earned his 
masters of Business Administration at Stanford University's Sloan 
Program in 1985. At the Bank of Guam, which was founded by his father, 
the late Jesus S. Leon Guerrero, Tony served with a professionalism 
that sets a standard for senior executives on our island. Mr. Leon 
Guerrero served in various positions at the Bank of Guam, rising from 
commercial loan officer in 1974 to chairman of the board, president and 
CEO in 2002. Under his stewardship, the Bank of Guam and its 14 
branches strengthened its position as the leading financial institution 
in the Western Pacific region. He was a true visionary in Guam's 
business community, launching online banking services for the island. 
Through his leadership, the Bank of Guam became the first local company 
to go public when its stock was offered for trading on the Pacific 
Exchange in August of 2000.
  Mr. Leon Guerrero's public service includes tenures as chairman of 
the Guam Economic Development Authority and the Guam Council on the 
Humanities. He served on various government boards and commissions 
including the University of Guam Board of Regents, the Guam Political 
Status Commission, the Guam Waterworks Authority, the Hagatna 
Restoration and Redevelopment Authority, the Pacific Islands 
Development Bank Board of Governors and the Micronesian Regional 
Tourism Council. He served on civic boards and organizations including 
the Guam Chamber of Commerce, the Guam Bankers' Association, the 
Catholic Education Council Board of Trustees, the American Cancer 
Society, Goodwill

[[Page E2150]]

Industries, the Agana Restoration and Redevelopment Corporation, the 
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Pacific Islanders in 
Communication, the Young Presidents' Organization and the Financial 
Services and Information Technology Committee, Saipan.
  Tony Leon Guerrero was truly a leader in the business community. 
Although he was an innovator and consummate entrepreneur, the island 
spirit in him never changed. Despite his many accomplishments, he was 
still just ``Tony'' to those who knew him best. The respect that people 
felt for him in his professional life was equaled only by the love they 
felt for him in his personal life. He was dedicated to the island in 
which he lived and worked. The Bank of Guam is often referred to as 
``The People's Bank,'' and Tony was a leader in the business community 
and a conscience for social activism. He understood that with great 
talent comes great expectations, and he exceeded the expectations of 
his father and his business associates as the Bank of Guam grew and 
prospered under his watch. Tony was an advocate in the community for 
the revival of pride in the Chamorro culture and the cultures of the 
indigenous peoples throughout Micronesia. His bank invested in 
indigenous arts and crafts and the bank's branches are themselves 
centers for the display of Pacific cultures. As chairman of the board 
and CEO, Tony ensured that the Bank of Guam lived up to its commitment 
to our island's development and steered the bank through the difficult 
years of an economic recession. The bank's solid performance and 
success is a testament to his business acumen and his vision. The sense 
of loss in our island and throughout our Pacific region is a testament 
to a great humanitarian and community leader.

  I am deeply saddened by this loss and know that the many people on 
Guam and throughout the Pacific are mourning as well. My thoughts and 
prayers are with his mother Eugenia A. Leon Guerrero, his wife Mari 
Flor Herrero, and his three children, Maria Eugenia, Alexandra and 
Jesus. My condolences also go to his brother Jesse A. Leon Guerrero and 
his wife Deirdre, his sister Senator Lou Leon Guerrero and her husband 
Jeff Cook, their families, and the entire Leon Guerrero extended 
family. Although he will be missed by his family, friends and business 
associates throughout the Pacific, his legacy of service will live on 
in our community.

                          ____________________