The Board of Directors has announced that Dr. Gillian Marcelle, the current executive director of the RTPark Corporation, whose three-year term ended on Dec. 31, 2017, will not accept the offer to renew her contract for another three-year term. The RTPark is a specialist economic development agency, which is an autonomous component unit of the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, operating under policy guidance from the University of the Virgin Islands.
Chairman of the Board of Directors Edward Thomas thanked Marcelle for steering the agency through its RTPark 2.0 strategy, one that resulted in significant growth, commercial success and stabilization. He said that she provided exactly the type of leadership required at a particular time in the life of the program.
Marcelle thanked the board for the support she received over her term, indicating that after reflecting upon what would be best for her career and family, she decided to move in a new direction. She will be increasing her focus on private sector opportunities and was, therefore, no longer available for a full-time position leading the agency.
The board will lead a national search working with professional bodies and other experts to identify a successor. The incoming executive director will have a strong foundation on which to build: a network consisting of more than 50 active clients, up from 27 in 2014; streamlined application processes; strengthened compliance systems; and a reputation of being a business-friendly and responsive economic development agency.
President David Hall, who has worked closely with Marcelle, in all aspects of the relationship between the RTPark and UVI, offered the outgoing executive director his heartfelt congratulations for the achievements under her leadership, and he offered his best wishes.
He said, “We accepted the decision and look forward to maintaining a relationship with Dr. Marcelle through her scholarly and research activities. To this end, we at the University of the Virgin Islands, look forward to making a courtesy appointment so she can continue her affiliation with the School of Business, and involve the university in research projects and grant applications, and connect UVI to her academic and policy networks in the areas of innovation, resilience and economic development.”
Dr. Marcelle has also agreed to lead the RTPark team for an extended transition period so that the agency can execute a professional and seamless transition between administrations.
Look for information on application processes, operations and governance at www.uvirtpark.net. The core team is available at the new temporary offices in Christiansted.
