Joseph Boschulte officially returned to the boardroom this week, presiding over his first meeting as President and Chief Executive Officer of the West Indian Company Ltd. since reassuming the role. The WICO Board of Directors met Friday at the company’s headquarters on the West Indian Company Dock, where Boschulte outlined priorities for the year ahead and presented an optimistic outlook for the port operator.
Opening the meeting, Boschulte acknowledged WICO staff for their work during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. According to a company press release, he reported increased revenues, reduced expenses, and a projected 30 percent increase in cruise ship calls, with roughly 360 additional calls expected across fiscal years 2026 and 2027 compared to FY 2025.
Boschulte said the company is focused on both short- and long-term strategies to address operational challenges while identifying opportunities to strengthen profitability. Among the most significant priorities is the long-discussed dredging of Charlotte Amalie Harbor, a project WICO is advancing as a co-applicant alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other partners, the release said.
Newly appointed board member and Tourism Commissioner Jennifer Matarangas-King emphasized the importance of increasing passenger volume in ways that benefit tourism and the broader community, from the WICO Dock through downtown Charlotte Amalie and over to Crown Bay. The board also elected officers for the next two years, naming Hugo V. Hodge Jr. as chairman, Vincent Richards as vice chairman, and retaining Roosevelt St. C. David as secretary. Boschulte publicly thanked outgoing chairman Jason P. Charles for guiding the board through the prolonged pandemic-related downturn in cruise traffic and helping position the company for recovery.
In executive session, board members discussed pending and potential litigation, trade secrets and proprietary information, personnel matters, and other issues protected under attorney-client privilege.
