Esther Ada

• Executive Director
• Commonwealth Ports Authority, Northern Mariana Islands
• https://cnmiports.com/

Esther Ada serves as the Executive Director of the Commonwealth Ports Authority (CPA), bringing more than three decades of leadership and management experience across government, finance, human resources, auditing, and public administration.

Ms. Ada earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Development Resource and Consumer Economics from the University of California, Davis. Her professional career includes 17 years with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Department of Finance, where she held several leadership positions, including Director of Revenue and Taxation. She also served for four years with the Northern Mariana Islands Retirement Fund as Chief Internal Auditor and Deputy Administrator.

Before joining CPA, Ms. Ada spent 13 years with DFS Group, a global luxury travel retailer, serving as Human Resources Manager and overseeing a broad range of workforce and organizational initiatives.

Drawing upon her extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, Ms. Ada now leads CPA, overseeing the CNMI’s airports and seaports and advancing initiatives that strengthen transportation infrastructure, economic development, and regional connectivity throughout the CNMI.