Lolo Matalasi Moliga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lolo Matalasi Moliga
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Moliga in 2012
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| 7th Governor of American Samoa | |
| In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Lieutenant | Peleti Mauga |
| Preceded by | Togiola Tulafono |
| Succeeded by | Peleti Mauga |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 12, 1947 Taʻū, American Samoa, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (before 2011, 2016–present) Independent (2011–2015) |
| Spouse | Cynthia Malala |
| Education | Chadron State College (BA) San Diego State University (MPA) |
| Signature |  |
Lolo Letalu Matalasi, born on August 12, 1947, is a well-known person from American Samoa. He has worked as a teacher, a businessman, and a leader in government. He was the seventh governor of American Samoa, serving from 2013 to 2021. A governor is the main leader of a state or territory.
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Early Life and Education
Lolo Moliga was born in a place called Taʻū in the Manu'a Islands of American Samoa. His father was a respected leader known as High Chief Moliga Sa'ena Aunuua Moliga. His mother, Soali’i Galea’i, came from two villages, Fitiuta and Olosega.
He went to Papatea Junior Elementary School and then to Samoana High School. He finished his high school education at Manu'a High School. Later, he earned a bachelor's degree in education from Chadron State College in Nebraska, USA. He also earned a master's degree in public administration from San Diego State University in 2012. This degree helps people learn how to manage public services and government.
Career Highlights
Mr. Moliga started his career as a teacher. He then became a principal, which is the head of a school, first at an elementary school and later at Manu'a High School. He also worked for the American Samoan Department of Education, helping to manage schools.
Beyond education, he held important government jobs. He was the director of the ASG Budget Office, which manages the government's money. He also served as American Samoa's chief procurement officer for two terms. This role means he was in charge of buying goods and services for the government. Outside of his government work, Mr. Moliga owns his own construction company.
Entering Politics
Lolo Moliga became involved in politics by being elected to the American Samoa House of Representatives. He served four terms there. Later, he became a Senator in the American Samoa Senate. A Senator is a member of a group that makes laws. He was even the Senate President from 2005 to 2008, which means he led the Senate.
In 2008, he thought about running for governor but decided not to at that time. Later, the governor at the time, Togiola Tulafono, appointed him as the president of the Development Bank of American Samoa. The Senate approved this appointment.
Running for Governor in 2012
In October 2011, Lolo Moliga announced he would run for governor in the 2012 American Samoa gubernatorial election. He chose Senator Lemanu Peleti Mauga to be his running mate. A running mate is the person who runs for Lieutenant Governor alongside the candidate for governor. Mr. Mauga was a retired U.S. Army member and a leader in the Senate.
To focus on his campaign, Mr. Moliga left his job as president of the Development Bank of American Samoa. In the election on November 6, 2012, he received the most votes. However, he did not get more than 50% of the votes, which was needed to win right away. So, a second election, called a runoff, was held on November 20, 2012. In this runoff, Lolo Moliga won against Lieutenant Governor Faoa Aitofele Sunia.
Re-election in 2016
Lolo Moliga ran for governor again in the 2016 American Samoa gubernatorial election. He won re-election on November 8, 2016, with 60.2% of the votes. He defeated his opponents, Faoa Aitofele Sunia and Tuika Tuika.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic
In March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, Governor Moliga decided to stay home and avoid contact with others. This is called self-isolation. He did this because he had recently traveled to places like Seattle and Hawaii, where cases of COVID-19 had been found.
Democratic National Convention Event
In 2020, Governor Moliga appeared online during the 2020 Democratic National Convention. This is a large meeting where a political party chooses its candidate for president. Two soldiers in uniform were with him during his appearance. The United States Department of Defense looked into this because soldiers in uniform are usually not allowed to take part in political events.
See also
In Spanish: Lolo Matalasi Moliga para niños
