Falling Ceiling Tiles, Wet Floors, Greet Caribbean Travelers At Cyril E. King Airport, Sen. Francis Reveals As He Calls For Immediate Improvements

Senator Novelle Francis was grieved after photos were sent to him showing a location at the Cyril E. King Airport with falling ceiling tiles and wet floors that recently greeted Caribbean visitors to the territory.

Mr. Francis made his grievance known and called for change during a Committee on Rules and Judiciary hearing Thursday where the nominations of Leona Smith to serve on the territory’s Port Authority board, along with Dayna Clendinen for the Division of Personnel were being examined.

While both Ms. Clendinen’s and Ms. Smith’s nominations were approved by the committee and will be forwarded to the full body with a favorable recommendation, the senators had a number of questions, especially for the Port Authority board nominee, on plans to develop and enhance the territory’s ports.

“I am troubled today because just yesterday I received a whole bunch of photographs from the Cyril E. King airport where individuals that were coming from other Caribbean islands [disembarked at] our facilities at the King Airport where they were placed in deplorable location and facilities there. I am talking about a room where there is no ceiling tiles, water on the floor in the bathroom, like we [are] coming to some third world country,” the senator said.

Ms. Smith agreed with the senator that improvements were urgently needed. “I agree. The airport needs major, major renovations, and I know the long-term goal is to have [a] state of the art facility, but right now we have to think outside of the box because these islands are very competitive, and it is the first impression and the last impression when you are leaving the Virgin Islands,” she said.

She went on to express agreement that minor maintenance issues were in need of immediate attention, especially the leaking restroom and the other area that [Mr. Francis] mentioned. “We need to upgrade all of the facilities,” she said.

On her qualifications to serve on the VIPA board, Ms. Smith shared that she is a native of the island of St. John who strives to make a positive difference in her home and the entire territory. She explained that former Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. appointed her as the administrator of St. John in 2007 where she served with until 2014. She earned an associate of applied science in legal research from Elizabeth Seton College, and graduated from John Jay College four years later with a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice. Ms. Smith worked for the Customs and Border Protection as a part-time Customs Inspector/CBP officer from 1987 to 2006. For 17 years she worked for the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs. 

Governor Albert Bryan appointed Ms. Clendinen as the director of the Virgin Islands Division of Personnel in March. According to a previous article in The Consortium, she was a co-chair of Mr. Bryan’s transition team, and was the assistant commissioner of the Department of Public Works. As the director of D.O.P. she is charged with the professional development of the territory’s public-sector workforce, said the governor. 

Relative to her role as director of the Division of Personnel, Ms. Clendinen testified that she was born and raised on St. Thomas, is the daughter of a retired police officer and a retired deputy commissioner for fiscal and administrative services for the Department of Education. She described her professional experience as being multi-faceted and extensive, and includes “executive leadership positions in the administrative and human resources field, within semi-auto semi-autonomous agencies, central government, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations,” she said.

Senator Wayne F. DeGraff asked Ms. Clendinen, “What if all of the H.R. directors from the departments were assigned to D.O.P., what is your take on that?” Ms. Clendinen replied, “It would require more discussion because it is difficult. The Bible tells us that you can’t serve two masters, so therefore, they work for me or they work for the commissioner, and then how are they really going to be strategic partners to their commissioners? I really believe that this time it is my job to develop them, so they are better for their commissioners. They are a better resource for their commissioners and their agencies.”

In closing, both nominees thanked the chair and the rest of the committee and vowed to be productive during their tenure.