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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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New People in Top WAPA Posts

Water and Power Authority Director of Distribution and Transmission Ashley M. Bryan was officially installed to the position this week after serving in an acting capacity since February. (WAPA photo)

The Water and Power Authority has tapped Dionne G. Sinclair as general counsel and Ashley M. Bryan as director of transmission and distribution for the electric system, WAPA announced Wednesday.

Bryan’s predecessor was former Director of Transmission and Distribution Niel Vanterpool. Vanterpool was arrested in late January and charged in relation to allegedly orchestrating a no-bid contract benefiting himself.

“I am elated to make the announcement of these two very competent and dedicated women to key leadership positions within the Authority. Both have been serving as interim leaders, and following their completion of an interview process, we have determined they are the best candidates to lead their respective divisions,” acting Executive Director Noel Hodge said in a release about the changes.

Dionne Sinclair is the Water and Power Authority’s new general counsel. (WAPA photo)

According to WAPA, Sinclair joined the Authority as deputy general counsel in 2020 after years in the public and private sectors. She is a former assistant attorney general at the V.I. Justice Department. While residing in New York she held positions with The Chandler Law Firm, was founder and principal of her own firm, served as a senior associate with White, Fleischner & Fino and as an Assistant District Attorney.

Licensed to practice law in the Virgin Islands, New York and New Jersey, Sinclair holds a Juris Doctor from the University of California at Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and History from the University of Pennsylvania. As general counsel, Sinclair will oversee the Authority’s legal and contracting departments.

Bryan first joined WAPA in 2014 as an electrical engineer and has an impeccable record of achievement and growth within the Authority, according to its release. She was promoted in 2017 to electrical engineer II and later that year to system planning manager. She has served as acting transmission and distribution director since February and has more than 12 years of work experience in electrical engineering. She has held positions with URS Corp in Maryland and Wind Turbine and Energy Cables, in Florida.

In her new position, Bryan will reportedly organize and structure activities of the division, coordinate spending projections, project development, project reporting and activities related to Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster recovery projects. Her position oversees the work of the Line Department in both districts and manages all operations relating to the electric grid including leading system outage restoration efforts.

Bryan holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Criminology from the University of Tampa.

“Over the past few months, Attorney Sinclair and Director Bryan have both demonstrated their ability to lead their respective offices and divisions with a high level of competence. I thank them for their willingness to serve and congratulate them on their appointments,” Hodge added.

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