Vance Pinney
Members of the Senate Committee on Rules and Judiciary expressed confidence on Thursday that Vance Pinney is a suitable candidate to represent St. Thomas on the Coastal Zone Management Commission, and therefore his nomination was approved.
Mr. Pinney told lawmakers he possesses a “wealth of experience as a registered architect and a licensed general contractor, coupled with a robust history of service with the Virgin Islands government.” His lengthy resume includes roles in the Department of Public Works as an capital improvement project engineering administrator, and as the director of Facilities at the Department of Education. He also worked as an architect in the V.I. Housing Authority. There, Mr. Pinney oversaw several housing projects located in coastal areas, and noted that the experience offered him a “first-hand understanding of the challenges and the opportunities inherent in coastal development.”
His experience also includes working as an engineering instructor at the University of the Virgin Islands. Mr. Pinney’s combined experience, he said, “kept me abreast of the latest developments in engineering and architecture, but also underscored the importance of educating the next generation about sustainable practices and coastal zone management.”
“I am guided by a commitment to sustainable development and a deep respect for our natural environment,” Mr. Pinney testified. He emphasized the need for a “collaborative approach, engaging with community stakeholders, environmental experts and industry leaders to create policies that are both forward-thinking and grounded in practical realities.” If confirmed by the full body at an upcoming session, Mr. Pinney intends to bring his “multifaceted expertise” to the commission, along with his skills in “project management, budgeting, scheduling and resource allocation.”
“Throughout my career, I have been guided by a commitment to sustainable development and a deep respect for our natural environment,” stated Mr. Pinney. He has promised to leverage his background to “ensure that we continue to protect and enhance these precious resources.” He also told lawmakers that he has already met with current commission members in anticipation of a positive outcome at the end of the Senate confirmation process.
Mr. Pinney was able to outline what he has identified as pressing issues, including clogged ghuts during periods of intense rainfall with little done to prevent refuse and green waste from traveling down to the ocean. “Do we have money to protect those natural flows?” he wondered.
Impressed by Mr. Pinney’s experience and buoyed by his passion, committee chairperson Senator Diane Capehart declared that he “knocked it out of the park for me.” Senator Angel Bolques was pleased to learn of Mr. Pinney’s proactive nature. “I have no doubt that you will apply a different dynamic in the sense of what you come with,” he said. “It's great that you have great strengths in some areas.”
Senator Carla Joseph, who worked with Mr. Pinney at the Housing Authority, attested to the “caliber of the man and the human being that you are, how detail-oriented you are.…You are a man of true integrity.” Senator Franklin Johnson, noting Mr. Pinney’s qualifications and experience, believed he would have been a good fit as the executive director of the Bureau of School Construction and Maintenance.
