Carmelo Rivera has been appointed assistant commissioner of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources.
Rivera replaces Alicia Barnes who resigned to accept a position within the Economic Development Authority.
“Mr. Rivera’s professional experiences span both the public and private sectors," Gov. John deJongh Jr. said in his official announcement of the move Wednesday. "He has most recently held the position of director of employee relations and public affairs for a major Hovensa sub-contractor, where he led the overall human resources management and legal and government affairs of the company.”
Rivera is also a former commissioner of the Department of Labor, deJongh noted.
Prior to returning to the Virgin Islands, Rivera served for seven years as a senior manager in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. He has taught business courses at the University of the Virgin Islands and served as a consultant and advisor to various businesses and organizations, according to Government House.
Rivera has served on the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, the Country Day School Board of Trustees, and in other leadership and governance positions. He is currently chairman of the St. Croix District Governing Board of Directors of the Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center and of the V.I. Government Hospital and Health and Facilities Corporation.
A graduate of St. Joseph’s High School on St. Croix, Rivera has two master’s degrees from the State University of New York at Albany and a bachelor’s from the University of the Virgin Islands.
