Dec. 19, 2002 – The Port Authority board reached into its own back pocket on Wednesday at its monthly meeting and unanimously named chief planner Darlan Brin to take over as executive director when Gordon Finch retires at the end of the year.
Brin, a 20-year veteran of the authority, is uniquely qualified for the task. He has been instrumental in almost all of VIPA's major projects over the years, and in one that was minor in terms of capital outlay but major in providing a safe and fun environment for youngsters — the Lindbergh Bay playground and its colorful water park.
After earning bachelor's and master's degrees in business and economics and another master's in city planning, Brin worked at the then-V. I. Planning Office, where he was assistant director of planning from 1973 to 1979. He was commissioner of the Conservation and Cultural Affairs Department (now Planning and Natural Resources) from 1979 to 1982 before joining the Port Authority.
Working closely with Finch, Brin has been the driving force behind many initiatives and capital improvement projects, notably Crown Bay development plans and the Red Hook marine facility on St. Thomas, and the Enighed Pond commercial port development on St. John.
A native St. Thomian, Brin gained national attention for an unrelated reason recently — when his Over-50 baseball team won the league championship. To anyone taking a look at his office, this comes as no surprise. While the desks and tables overflow with drawings and reports on plans in progress, the walls are decorated with baseball memorabilia.
When Brin assumes his new duties on Jan. 1, he will face a fistful of problems, not the least of which is VIPA's financial status. The authority's financial statement for Aug. 31 showed a $5.3 million deficit. The plan had been to raise the airport fees charged airlines. However, after vehement objections from the airlines, the board decided to delay any increase for six months.
The Crown Bay development project faces a hurdle on Jan. 10, when the Board of Land Use Appeals is scheduled to hear objections of the League of Women Voters to the project's Coastal Zone Management permit and the adequacy of the project's environmental assessment.
Brin could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
Finch said in a release issued Thursday: "The board has made a good choice. Brin is certainly capable of performing the job."
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