Upon graduating from the University of Canterbury in 1975 with a degree in mechanical engineering, Fonoti Perelini Perelini made history as the first mechanical engineer in Samoa, setting himself on a path toward helping shape the island nation's professional and political landscape.
Perelini spent the next three years with the New Zealand Forest Research gaining professional work experience, before passing his Chartered Professional Certification and joining the New Zealand Institute of Professional Engineers. He then transferred to Rotorua to undertake a post with the Forest Research Institute NZ (now Scion), where he spent one year researching and designing a timber drying kiln under various conditions for different timbers to minimise loss from timber spitting at the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
Perelini and his new wife, Malia, a UC English major he'd met in the library on campus, then returned to Samoa to help establish the Institute of Professional Engineers, Samoa, and worked with fellow UC alum Justice Vui Clarence Nelson (LLB 1978) to pass the Professional Engineers (Registrations) Act 1998 to regulate professional practice. Later, he helped establish the South Pacific Engineers Association alongside representatives from many Pacific Island countries, improving collaboration across the region. He also contributed to founding the Pacific Power Association and the Pacific Water and Wastewater Association, both focused on strengthening cooperation and improving utility services across Pacific Island nations and their communities.
Over the course of his highly productive career, Perelini has served on several boards in both Samoa and American Samoa, including as a member of the Council for the National University of Samoa, and Chief Technical Officer for the UN IMPRESS Project, which aims to improve the performance, efficiency, and reliability of the renewable energy power system in Samoa.
With no sign of slowing down, Perelini was appointed by the Government in 2022 as Commissioner of the Samoa Public Service Commission, while continuing consultancy work for ADB and the Samoa Government in various major infrastructure projects. His goal is to see both Samoa and American Samoa achieve 100% renewable energy self-sufficiency by 2032, through solar, hydro, biomass, wind power and geothermal and sustainable developments to combat the impacts of Climate Change.
After completing his 3-year-long appointment as Commissioner of the Samoa Public Service Commission at the end of 2025, Perelini is back to work as Lead Project Implementation Consultant on the biggest single infrastructure project undertaken in Samoa: the planning, design and construction of the 4 million cubic meters Alaoa Multipurpose Dam project in Apia. Once completed, the dam will help to mitigate severe impacts of climate change flooding of the Vaisigano River, provide needed storage to improve water supply for Apia City during dry and wet seasons and add an additional hydro power plant to generate more renewable energy.
“With the gifts of talents granted to me by God I want to make things better to improve the quality of life of our people while I can,” he says. “I won’t retire until the young engineers prove they can outthink me, plus I need to remain busy to stay healthy mentally, physically and spiritually.”
