Governor Albert Bryan Jr. at Monday's Gov't House press briefing. Photo Credit: V.I. CONSORTIUM
Governor Albert Bryan revealed a new addition to his Cabinet during Monday’s Government House press briefing: Finance Commissioner Nominee Kevin McCurdy.
Hailing from the territory, McCurdy is a respected former Associate Vice President of Finance and Planning at Chicago's Adler University, according to the governor.
"Kevin is deeply committed to our community," stated Mr. Bryan, underscoring that McCurdy's family also resides in the territory. "Today, I'm proud to introduce him as our designee for the Commissioner of Finance role."
McCurdy, boasting a solid track record in the financial field, previously held multiple positions at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), including Senior Budget Analysis and Revenue Control Officer. He holds a master’s degree in economics and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Roosevelt University in Chicago.
In health news, the first USVI Cancer Summit was announced by Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion. Slated for July 18-19 on St. Croix, the summit aims to strengthen cancer prevention through early detection. Encarnacion encouraged residents to participate in the summit, which will be streamed live on the Department of Health’s Facebook page.
Additionally, Encarnacion declared dates for the Second Annual Children’s Mental Health Summit, set for July 26-29 on St. Croix. Alongside Governor Bryan, she urged the community to address the recent increase in local suicides by communicating and reaching out to national and local crisis numbers for support.
In the realm of land and water use, Mr. Bryan praised Dept. of Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Jean-Pierre Oriol's initiative to seek public opinion on a proposed USVI Land and Water Use Plan via upcoming town hall meetings on St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix.
On a sportier note, the governor revealed that he recently met with WNBA rookie Aaliyah Boston and her family in Las Vegas. Bryan proclaimed Boston, a Virgin Islander, the official brand ambassador of the territory. A new sign featuring Boston is set to be displayed at Cyril E. King Airport, as announced by Bryan, who was joined in Las Vegas for the announcement by Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte and Housing, Parks, and Recreation Commissioner Calvert White.
The governor also expressed gratitude towards legislators for what he hopes will be their support of the exchange of Whistling Cay on St. John for an Estate Catherineberg parcel. This land swap, aimed to establish a new K-12 school on St. John, will be voted upon by the 35th Legislature during a Committee of the Whole meeting on July 20.
