76.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesDawson Sworn In as Head of Finance

Dawson Sworn In as Head of Finance

May 27, 2009 — Amid smiles, laughter and hearty congratulations, Angel E Dawson, Jr. was sworn in as new head of the V.I. Finance Department Wednesday.
Dawson mixed humor with serious vows for the future at the ceremony, held Wednesday morning at Government House in Charlotte Amalie.
“I must admit to you, I am not into the pomp and circumstance, but I can get used to it,” he joked to the crowd. “As you can see, it clearly hasn’t gone to my head yet.”
But he also said he takes the responsibility that comes with his new position very seriously.
“I am essentially a trustee of the people’s money,” he said, noting that that money represents the blood, sweat and tears of citizens of the territories.
He said that under his leadership, the Department of Finance would continue on the path toward a credible financial reporting system.
“As a trustee of the Department of Finance, my solemn pledge to you … I will leave the department in even better shape than I found it.”
Gov. John deJongh Jr. and Lt. Gov. Gregory R. Francis both had high words of praise for the new commissioner of Finance.
“I have been impressed with his knowledge of financial matters,” Francis said. He also praised Dawson’s “quick-thinking, tact and professionalism.”
DeJongh said it didn’t take him long to realize that Dawson was the one he wanted for the job, but also noted that he planned to hold Dawson to the pledges he made last month when he went before the Senate’s Rules and Judiciary Committee for approval.
“On April 8, 2009, Angel Dawson made a lot of promises,” he said. DeJongh then presented Dawson with a copy of his confirmation statement, noting that every year he would remind Dawson of those promises, and use them to judge his success in the position.
Dawson’s nomination sailed through the Senate Rules Committee on a four-to-one vote last month, and picked up 14 votes during a subsequent Senate session (See “Senate Committee Approves New Finance Director.”)
Dawson is a native of St. Thomas and graduate of Charlotte Amalie High School.
He is credited with helping jump-start the Direct Payroll Deposit Program for V.I. government employees and retirees. He also oversaw the development of a Merchant Credit Card Program for the V.I. government, implementation of the federal Cash Management Improvement Act, and introduction of online banking to the Department of Finance.
He most recently served as vice president of commercial loans on St. Thomas at Banco Popular de Puerto Rico.

Back Talk

Share your reaction to this news with other Source readers. Please include headline, your name and city and state/country or island where you reside.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.