Nov. 23, 2001 – Klaus H. Priebe, a 1972 graduate of the College of the Virgin Islands, was recently appointed the first honorary consul of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Barbados.
Priebe graduated from what was then the College of the Virgin Islands in 1972 with an associate of arts in hotel and restaurant management and a bachelor of arts in business administration.
Priebe recently returned to the St. Thomas campus for a visit. He said he was "very impressed with all the new facilities, expansion, and the general condition of the campus," adding that he has "nothing but fond memories" of his college days.
From 1990 to1998, Priebe served as Luxembourg's honorary consul in British Columbia. A small country of some 440,000 residents landlocked by Belgium, France and Germany, Luxembourg is a founding member state in the European Economic Community and, like Barbados, is an important international financial center and tourist destination.
As Luxembourg's diplomatic representative in Barbados and as the owner of an offshore financial consulting firm, Priebe said, he will provide a link between the EEC and the island nation.
"I think the decision by Luxembourg to appoint a consul in Barbados is an important one for Barbados," he said, "because it demonstrates the recognition by an influential member of the EEC of the mutual benefits of developing stronger business, economic and cultural ties with Barbados."
