Mattlan Zackhras (January 13, 1970 – August 8, 2017) was a Marshallese politician and government minister. He was a member of the Nitijeļā for

Namdrik Atoll Namdrik Atoll or Namorik Atoll ( Marshallese: , ) is a coral atoll of two islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands. Its total land area is only , but it encloses a lagoon with an ...

since 2004 and was serving as

Minister in Assistance to the President of Marshall Islands Minister of Assistance to the President of the Marshall Islands is a member in the cabinet of Marshall Islands. The person is appointed by the President from among the members of the Nitijela. The person acts as a substitute for the President of th ...

under President

Hilda Heine Hilda Cathy Heine (born April 6, 1951) is a Marshallese educator and politician, who served as the eighth President of the Marshall Islands. Prior to assuming office, she served as the Minister of Education. She was the first individual from the ...

from January 2016 until his death.

Life

Zackhras was the son of the later acting President

Ruben Zackhras Ruben R. Zackhras (4 December 1947 – 1 January 2019) was a Marshallese politician. He was acting President of the Marshall Islands from 21 October 2009 to 26 October 2009. He previously served as Minister of Finance from 1992 to 1998. Zackh ...

. Zackhras graduated from the

Marshall Islands High School Marshall Islands High School (also known as Majol Island or MIHS) is the main public high school located in Rita,McMurray, Christine and Roy Smith. ''Diseases of Globalization: Socioeconomic Transition and Health''. Routledge, October 11, 2013. ...

in 1989. He then received his bachelor's degree in businessman administration and management from

Urbana University Urbana University was a private university specializing in liberal arts education and located in Urbana, Ohio. In its final few years, it was purchased by Franklin University and was a branch campus of that university. History Urbana Universit ...

. He was deputy chief of mission in the Marshall Islands Embassy in Washington DC, United States, for around seven years. Zackhras was elected as a member of

Nitijela The Legislature of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Nitijeļā ) has 33 members, elected for a four-year term in single-seat and five multi-seat constituencies. The last election was November 18, 2019. Elections in the Marshall Islands are officially ...

for

in the 2003 Marshallese general election and assumed office in January 2004. In his first term Zackhras was appointed Minister of Public Works under President

Kessai Note Kessai Hesa Note (born August 7, 1950 in Ailinglaplap Ailinglaplap or Ailinglapalap ( Marshallese: , ) is a coral atoll of 56 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain in the Marshall Islands. It is locat ...

. He was re-elected for his constituency in the

2007 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2007. * Electoral calendar 2007 * Elections in 2007 * 2007 United Nations Security Council election Africa * 52nd National Conference of the African National Congress * 2007 Algerian legislative elec ...

and served as Minister of Resources and Development from 2008 to 2012. Zackhras was once again elected in the

2011 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2011. * Local electoral calendar 2011 * National electoral calendar 2011 * 2011 United Nations Security Council election Africa * 2011 Beninese presidential election * 2011 Beninese parliamentary ele ...

and finally the

2015 Marshallese general election General elections were held in the Marshall Islands on 16 November 2015. Electoral system The 33 members of the Legislature were elected in 19 single-member constituencies and five multi-member constituencies of between two and five seats. The vo ...

. In January 2016 he was appointed as

by President

. In this position, Zackhras acted as a substitute for the President of Marshall Islands. Zackhras died of heart failure in the Shuang Ho Hospital in

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...

, Taiwan, on August 8, 2017, aged 47. He was survived by his spouse, Angela J Zackhras, and three children.

References

1970 births 2017 deaths Children of national leaders Government ministers of the Marshall Islands Members of the Legislature of the Marshall Islands Ministers in Assistance to the President of Marshall Islands People from the Ralik Chain Urbana University alumni {{Marshalls-politician-stub