The organization known as OCOVI, Ocean and Coastal Observing – Virgin Islands Inc. (OCOVI) has announced the appointment of three people to fill seats on its board of Directors. Founded in 2016, OCOVI is registered as a non-profit corporation with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization by the Internal Revenue Service.
OCOVI’s purpose is to facilitate and advance ocean and coastal observing activities that serve the environmental, economic, safety as well as general ocean and coastal-related interests of the people of the Virgin Islands.
Following the board’s special meeting on March 23, OCOVI Chairperson Kemit Amon Lewis expressed his pleasure in welcoming Angel Dawson and Gerald Walters of St. Thomas and Brian Majesty of St. Croix to the board.
Vacancies had been created as the OCOVI Board of Directors expanded its size from five to seven and as two charter members retired. The new appointments will be ratified at the organization’s next annual meeting when nominations for board membership will be entertained.
At the meeting, OCOVI’s board also voted to accept the resignation Luis Sylvester, its long-serving treasurer, and elected Angel Dawson to be the new treasurer. This move freed Sylvester to accept appointment as project director, replacing Roy Watlington, whose resignation from that post was also accepted and who continues as co-principal investigator and acting secretary.
On behalf of continuing board members Vice-chairperson Jennifer Nugent Hill and Scott Hartshorn Ph.D., the chairperson thanked recent retiree Lorraine Buckley Ph.D., as well as Sylvester and Watlington for their meritorious service since OCOVI’s inception.
More can be learned about OCOVI at www.ocovo.org
