Albert Bryan and Tregenza Roach, who will take office as governor and lieutenant governor on Jan. 6, named a two-person transition team Wednesday and encouraged residents to apply for managerial positions in the new administration.
Bryan introduced Dayna Clendenin, former human resources director at the V.I. Port Authority, and Karl Knight, former director of the V.I. Energy Office, as co-captains of the transition team. They will gather recommendations from 10 assessment teams and interview candidates as potential cabinet members and managers.
Richard Motta, of the Delegate to Congress’s office, will serve as the transition press secretary and Nykole Tyson, previously public information officer with the V.I. Health Department, is also serving on the transition team.
The assessment teams will comprise experts from the private sector including education, workforce development, justice, human services, economic development, energy, housing, health, economic regulation and housing, Bryan said.
There will also be a team dealing with hurricane recovery efforts. Bryan said they hope they “don’t skip a beat in recovery.”
The teams assess functions and eventually will recommend four or five people for positions within the departments, including current employees in some cases. Knight and Clendenin will review and pass qualified applicants on to Bryan and Roach, who promised to “ask the right questions and listen.”
Bryan made the point of saying current government employees will not be asked for resignations letters, as is frequently the practice, but need to submit their resumes on the transition website. Because they already know the work, they will be considered along with other applicants. Residents who are interested in working for the incoming administration should also send electronic resumes or drop them off at an address to be determined.
“If you really want change you have to start in changing the process by which we hire these cabinet members and top managerial positions,” Bryan said.
Resumes must be submitted between Dec. 3 and Dec. 19.
The inauguration will take place from Jan. 6 to Jan. 8 and Bryan’s wife will plan events. Some events have been eliminated and the balls will be less formal to save money. One ball will be held on St. Croix and one on St. Thomas, both funded with private money.
Bryan said it is likely he and his family will move into Government House on St. Croix and decide later about where to live while he’s on St. Thomas. The official residence on St. Thomas has fallen into disrepair. The last governor to reside there was Charles Turnbull.
