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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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| Name | John P. de Jongh, Jr. |
| Address |
, U. S. Virgin Islands , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
November 13, 1957
(66 years)
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| Contributor | U Ole Polecat |
| Last Modifed | IndyGeorgia
Nov 13, 2016 09:54pm |
| Tags |
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| Info | John P. DeJongh, Jr. was inaugurated as the seventh Governor of the United States Virgin Islands on January 1, 2007.
John Percy de Jongh, Jr., was born on November 13, 1957, is the eldest of three sons of John P. de Jongh, Sr., and Delores Webb de Jongh. John also has two sisters, Judy McCoy and Mary Frate.
John attended Sts. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas until his parents divorced. As a single parent, his mother, Delores, raised John and his brothers, Stanley and Sydney, while working as a social worker with the Detroit Public Schools. John graduated from Catholic Central High School in 1977 and went on to Antioch College where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1981. While at Antioch, John held work-study jobs in Houston, Philadelphia, Detroit and St. Thomas, and he also completed an urban study program in the United Kingdom, the former Yugoslavia and Holland.
Immediately after college, John returned home to the Virgin Islands. His first job was with Tri-Island Economic Development Council. While at Tri-Island, John developed and successfully obtained grant funding for the re-development of historic structures in Savan and Frederiksted. Subsequently, John was hired by Chase Manhattan Bank and selected to attend its Credit Development Program in Puerto Rico. During his six years at Chase, John became the first Country Consumer Manager responsible for all consumer banking products in the U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands (BVI) and St. Maarten. Under John’s leadership, Chase installed the first off-site ATMs, increased home mortgage lending, as well as personal loans, and changed the bank’s focus to consumer lending in the BVI.
In 1986, John married Cecile René Galiber of St. Croix, daughter of the late Dr. Andre Galiber and Edith Rose Lewis Galiber. They are the proud parents of one daughter and two sons.
Though John’s time at Chase was extremely positive, he was drawn to public service. Governor Juan Luis appointed him to the Industrial Development Commission in 1984, and later reappointed him. John was the youngest Commissioner of Finance when appointed to the position by Governor Alexander A. Farrelly, a position once held by his grandfather, Percy de Jongh. As Commissioner from 1987 to 1990, John was central in drafting legislation establishing the Virgin Islands Public Finance Authority and serving as its first Executive Director. He also helped draft legislation establishing and funding the Capital Improvement Program, and the Affordable Housing Program. He also oversaw the completion of the Leroy Quinn Building on St. Croix and wrote the GAAP Conversion, the work plan for the Government’s financial reporting.
As Chairman of the Governing Board of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (1988-1992), John oversaw the execution of bond offerings that were essential in providing funding for new power generating units on St. Croix and St. Thomas and for the underground power cable servicing St. John. He ensured the smooth transition when the water system was transferred from the Department of Public Works to WAPA, and initiated the Alva MacFarlane Scholarship Program, which has allowed numerous Virgin Islanders to further their education in engineering and related fields.
From 1990 to 1992, John also served as Executive Assistant to Governor Farrelly, a position that his father, John de Jongh, Sr., had once held during earlier Administrations. As Executive Assistant to the Governor, John coordinated and implemented gubernatorial policy throughout executive branch departments and agencies. While serving as Executive Assistant to the Governor, he also held the position of Director of Finance and Administration of the V.I. Public Finance Authority.
In 1993, John reentered the private sector, as a Senior Managing Consultant for Public Financial Management, Inc., the largest public finance advisory firm in the United States. As Co-Manager of the firm’s Strategic Municipal Consulting practice, John helped develop and implement Five-Year Plans for the cities of Philadelphia; New Haven, Connecticut; and Washington, D.C., all of which dramatically improved their financial standing.
Most recently, John served as President and Chief Operating Officer and Director of Lockhart Companies Incorporated. He oversaw its expansion of the real estate portfolio and negotiated its purchase of two property and casualty insurance companies and a premium finance business. During this time, John also served as President of the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, where he worked to ensure private sector competitiveness for small businesses and employee stability and growth in the job market. John also served as President of the Karen Ingeborg Lockhart Foundation and as a trustee of the Government Employees Retirement System. He recently served as Chairman of the Virgin Islands Economic Recovery Task Force, which produced The Five Year Strategic and Operating Plan, as well as Co-Chair of the Cruise Ship Task Force, which negotiated the Long Term Operating Agreement with members of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association. In March of 2000, John was chosen Rotary II’s Person of the Year.
In 2003, John along with his good friend Desmond Skeete, established Chilmark Partners, LLC to do financial advisory work in the Eastern Caribbean. They have undertaken engagements in the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Saint Lucia, and Barbados involving real estate, banking, and insurance.
John continued his active public service as a member of the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands. He served as Foundation President for three terms, during which time the agency substantially increased its mini-grants program and scholarship awards to Virgin Islands students, and initiated an annual study that highlights the economic conditions of children and families in our community. John also served as the first Executive Director of the V.I. Democratic Party. He currently also serves as a trustee of Antilles School.
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