Statement on the Passing of GVB Board Vice Chairman Paul Shimizu

Guam Visitors Bureau mourns

Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) Board of Directors Chairman Milton Morinaga and President & CEO Carl T.C. Gutierrez issue the following statements on the passing of GVB Board Vice Chairman Paul Shimizu:

“We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of GVB Board Vice Chairman Paul Shimizu,” said GVB Board Chairman Morinaga. “We appreciated his leadership and will greatly miss his presence. On behalf of the GVB board, management, and staff, we thank him for his service to the tourism industry and to our island.”

“Paul is family.”

“He and my wife, former First Lady Geri Gutierrez, are second cousins, and his wife Jeni is also my niece,” said GVB President & CEO Gutierrez. “He was one of the kindest men you would ever meet and a talented pioneer in the sports and business communities on-island. He had a heart of gold that passionately supported music, athletes, and our tourism industry. His untimely passing is felt by us all. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jeni and the kids. May he rest in peace.”

The mission of the Guam Visitors Bureau is to efficiently and effectively promote and develop Guam as a safe and satisfying destination for visitors and to derive maximum benefits for the people of Guam.

Guam’s development of tourism was first acknowledged by local government officials in 1952 with the enactment of Public Law 67. The law implemented a plan to establish a travel industry on Guam. The measure was passed by the First Guam Legislature and signed into law by then Governor Carlton Skinner. Unfortunately, the territory was blanketed with a security restriction on travel imposed by the formal naval administration. It was not until 1962, when President John F. Kennedy lifted the security restriction, that Guam’s tourism development would move closer to realization.

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