|
John P. deJongh, Jr. was
inaugurated to his second term as Governor of the United States
Virgin Islands on January 1, 2011.
John Percy deJongh, 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.
|
