March 22, 2007 –- The Senate Rules and Judiciary Committee gave its seal of approval to four of Gov. John deJongh’s nominees Thursday at Frederiksted’s Fritz E. Lawaetz Legislative Conference Room.
The nominations were: Albert Bryan Jr. for commissioner of Labor, Victor Browne for director of Fire Services, and Hector Peguero and Gordon Finch for the V.I. Port Authority Board.
All four were voted out for consideration by the whole Senate with a favorable recommendation. Senate President Usie Richards said the nominees would be considered by the full body on April 16.
A certified public accountant who cut his teeth at Merrill Lynch in the early '80s and a former St. Croix math teacher, Victor Browne has no fire service background, making him an untraditional choice for director of Fire Services.
Browne reported on the state of the fire department, its financial needs and its objectives, which included filling 43 empty jobs, continued and expanded training, new and better equipment and renovations. To do this, Browne wants more funding.
“Nintey to 95 percent of the allotment of $17.6 million for this fiscal period goes to personnel costs, and this leave a very small, and dare I say, inadequate amount actually available for the day-to-day running of the division,” said Browne.
Richards told Browne that there were not enough inspectors in the field, to which Browne agreed. “On St. Croix we need four inspectors right now,” said Browne.
Although Browne received some pointed questioning about his lack of fire service experience, the senators ultimately rallied behind the nominee. After noting Browne's inexperience, Sen. Carmen Wesselhoft dismissed those concerns. "We have had good directors in the past without such experience and your answers have reassured me,” she said.
`“On the flip side of the coin we’ve had some who were firefighters, and I put it to you mildly they were not always the best directors we had. At the end of the day it is the ability of the people to manage people and take care of business,” said Committee Chairman Carlton Dowe.
Bryan’s segment of the hearing was the longest, although several senators expressed their intention to vote in favor before beginning questions. During his opening testimony, Bryan laid out in detail both the challenges facing Labor and a plan of action aimed toward reaching those objectives.
Bryan presented a two-tiered plan of attack: First, recapture federal funds lost in past years. Bryan reported that federal funding for Labor has dropped dramatically due to Labor not meeting performance tests and not supplying proper information to the grantors. Second, but simultaneously, Bryan would focus Labor’s efforts on educating the workforce.
“How can we assure that businesses will stay once established? The answer is in the development of a workforce that provides a superior level of goods and services. Businesses will stay because our workforce is not only employed but employable. They will be employable because our people would have attained a base level of education and adaptability that allows them to have multiple career paths,” said Bryan.
On the drier subject of federal grant management, Bryan proposed identifying and putting into place software to efficiently manage federal reporting, ensure staff input the needed data and start giving the federal government a higher level of reporting than the minimum requirement.
Bryan went through most of Labor’s functions, outlining where they each stand and what they need. He proposed consolidating Labor’s eight offices on St. Croix into one office and creating a new office on St. John. Bryan also proposed revamping the Summer Youth Employment Program into a yearlong program to both better match the federal programs funding it and to make it more of a training program, rather than simply work.
“This program will utilize various training and after-school programs to produce “work-ready” graduates,” said Bryan.
Sen. Alvin Williams asked Bryan about enforcement of child labor laws in local stores and about programs for convicts.
“If a person is convicted of a felony and serves time in jail, they still live here when they get out, and if they cannot find work, they will be a problem for the system one way or another. What can be done or is being done about jobs for people transitioning from jail?” Williams asked.
Bryan readily gave a detailed answer, saying nonviolent offenders should have their records expunged and that there is a million-dollar federal grant already in place to train convicts and workers facing barriers to entry into the workforce.
Several senators said they were impressed at the grasp of detail and the comprehensive vision Bryan laid out, noting he had no prior experience at Labor and only began preparing six weeks ago.
Bryan worked in management at Innovative Communications until his nomination for Labor Commissioner. Born on St. Thomas, he has lived on St. Croix for a number of years now. He is also well-known for his work with the progressive community organization, Generation NOW.
Peguero and Finch, both nominees to the VIPA board, appeared before the committee together.
An engineer educated at Howard University and Carnegie Mellon, Finch has previously been commissioner of Public Works, an interim commissioner of the Water and Power Authority, and ironically, executive director of the Port Authority.
When Richards asked Finch why he resigned, Finch said it was both in protest of the previous administration’s actions with the Crown Bay marina project and to take care of his parents.
“I’ve got to praise you for leaving the Port Authority as a matter of conscience,” said Sen. Celestino White, then joked about the two of them running for office together.
Peguero, owner of St. Croix Gas and a longtime private businessman and entrepreneur, was renominated by deJongh to serve a third consecutive term on the board.
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