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Albert Bryan Jr. (born February 21, 1968) is an American politician serving since 2019 as the ninth governor of the United States Virgin Islands. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Commissioner for Department of Labor from 2007 to 2015.
In 2007, Governor John de Jongh appointed Bryan as Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Labor. When de Jongh's term ended in 2015, he returned to the private sector. Bryan was CEO and President of Aabra Group, a consulting firm, and Master Strategies, a recruiting firm. He also was executive director of the Virgin Islands chapter of Junior Achievement.[1]
2018 gubernatorial election
In April 2018, Bryan officially announced his candidacy for governor and chose Tregenza Roach as his running mate.[2] They won the August 4 Democratic primary with 39.23% of the vote, defeating former Finance commissioner Angel E. Dawson Jr. and former Senator Allison "Allie" Petrus.[3] The team campaigned on restoring trust to government, stabilizing the economy, modernizing infrastructure, education, healthcare, reducing crime and poverty, affordable housing, and attracting rum distilleries to rescue GERS. Bryan led the 2018 general election with 38% of the vote and defeated incumbent governor Kenneth Mapp in a runoff with over 55% of the vote. He is the second Democrat to unseat a sitting governor since Charles W. Turnbull in 1998.[4]
2022 gubernatorial election
Bryan launched his reelection bid on May 11, 2022.[5] In the August 6 primary, he defeated Kent Bernier Sr. with 65.04% of the vote. He won the November 8 general election, defeating Senator Kurt Vialet and two other candidates with 56% of the vote.[6]
Political career
Bryan was sworn in as the 9th governor of the United States Virgin Islands by Rhys Hodge, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands on January 7, 2019, at the David Monsanto Bandstand, which was built by his grandfather Ulric “Sappy” Pilgrim in Emancipation Gardens on St. Thomas. Before the ceremony, Bryan and his family attended an inaugural mass at Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral. The inauguration proceed with military parades and inaugural balls held on all three islands.[7]
First 100 days
Upon assuming office, Bryan announced his senior staff.[8] During the announcement of several cabinet members,[9] Bryan assured the public that his cabinet would be filled within 90 days, after concerns that he was moving too slowly.[10] Ahead of a January 31 deadline, Bryan requested an extension to the Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) program, which was approved by FEMA.[11] Bryan ordered the removal of reserved parking signs from Queen Cross Street, which overturned a 20 years-long practice at Government House on St. Croix.[12] Due to a shortage of psychiatrists, he issued an executive order declaring a mental healthcare state of emergency in the territory.[13] In March 2019, Bryan and his family moved into Government House on St. Croix.[14] Bryan proclaimed April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month.[15]
Bryan supports legalizing medicinal cannabis based on the proven health benefits in the relief of pain and treatment of symptoms for many serious illnesses including cancer. During a 2018 interview with the Source, he stated “I believe a properly regulated medicinal cannabis industry can provide relief to those seeking alternatives to conventional medicine and can also be an economic driver attracting new revenues for the Virgin Islands.”[16] On January 19, 2019, Bryan signed the Virgin Islands Medicinal Cannabis Patient Care Act into law.[17] He later called the legislature into special session to include an amendment to the enacted bill to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana in a controlled market while his administration intended to use generating revenue to secure a bond for GERS but his request was denied as senators needed further vetting.[18] In May 2020, Bryan resubmitted his proposal to the legislature.[19]
WAPA
In 2019, Bryan paid off all outstanding debt to the Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority for that year and prior years, making the government up to date on payments.[20] In August 2019, Bryan announced the purchase of four new generators aimed at lowering electricity bills to 5 cents per kilowatt in wake of rolling blackouts.[21] On August 27, 2021, he filed a suit to prevent the implementation of Act 8472, which reduces WAPA board from nine members to seven.[22] In April 2024, Bryan declared a state of emergency for WAPA following outages.[23]
COVID-19 pandemic
On March 13, 2020, Bryan declared a state of emergency with the arrival of coronavirus.[24] On March 19, Bryan lowered gatherings to 10. Effective March 25, Bryan ordered all non-essential businesses to close and residents stay at home. On April 8, Bryan postponed in-person public school classes for remainder of the 2019–2020 school year.[25] A month after transitioning from "Safer at Home" to the "Open Doors" phase, Bryan required travelers entering the territory from several states such as Arizona, Texas, Florida to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours. He also moved to close beaches early at 4pm starting July 3 to July 5, ahead of the holiday weekend while bars and nightclubs closed at midnight until further notice. On August 4, Bryan requested the legislature to extend the current State of Emergency order through October 9. Amid a COVID-19 surge, Bryan reinstated his "Stay at Home" phase which shuttered non-essential businesses including churches and school campuses for two weeks. On September 8, he said that all inbound travelers must provide a negative PCR test upon arrival or face a mandatory 14-day quarantine. On November 24, Bryan ordered a soft two-week shutdown for government agencies. On February 1, 2021, he requested from the legislature a 30-day extension of the State of Emergency to March 8. In June 2021, Bryan announced his Vax-to-Win lottery incentive. On July 26, 2021, he expressed frustration with the territory's low vaccination rate as he aimed to get 15,000 residents vaccinated by September. On March 14, 2022, Bryan lifted the indoor mask mandate but left it in place at ports of entry, medical facilities, nursing homes and schools. In June 2022, he issued an executive order extending the COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency until June 30, 2022.
What is your overall opinion on Governor Albert Bryan’s handling of COVID-19?
On January 19, 2023, Bryan signed Equality Act which prohibits discrimination against a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.
[26] In June 2024, Bryan declared June as LBGTQIA+ Pride Month. He introduced legislation allowing individuals to change their gender on identifying documents.[27]
Homeownership
In October 2022, Bryan announced the V.I. Slice homeownership program.[28]
Cabinet
Agency
Commissioner/Director
Department of Finance
Kevin McCurdy Clarina Modeste-Elliott (2023–2024) Bosede Bruce (2021–2023) Kirk Callwood (2019–2020)
OMB
Julio Rhymer Kimika Woods (acting) Jenifer O’Neal (2019–2024)
Gordon Rhea Ariel Smith (2023–2024) Carol Thomas-Jacobs (acting) Denise George (2019–2023)
Department of Labor
Gary Molloy
Bureau of Internal Revenue
Joel Lee
Department of Property & Procurement
Lisa Alejandro Anthony Thomas (2019–2023)
Virgin Islands Police Department
Mario Brooks Ray Martinez (2021–2024) Trevor Velinor (2019–2021)
Department of Tourism
Joseph Boschulte
Department of Human Services
Averil George Kimberley Causey-Gomez (2019–2023)
Department of Health
Justa Encarnacion
Department of Personnel
Cindy Richardson Dayna Clendinen (2019–2021)
Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Barbara McIntosh
Virgin Islands Fire Department
Antonio Stevens Darryl George (2019–2023)
Office of Veteran Affairs
Patrick Farrell
Bureau of Corrections
Wynnie Testamark
Department of Agriculture
Dr. Louis Petersen Positive Nelson (2019–2023)
Department of Planning & Natural Resources
Jean Pierre Oriol
Virgin Islands Energy Office
Kyle Fleming
Bureau of Information Technology
Rupert Ross
Office of Collective Bargaining
Joss Springette
VITEMA
Daryl Jaschen
Department of Licensing & Consumer Affairs
Nathalie Hodge Richard Evangelista (2019–2023)
Law Enforcement Planning Commission
Moleto Smith Angela Campbell (2021-2024) Ray Martinez (2019–2021)
Virgin Islands National Guard
Col. Kodjo Knox-Limbacker
Proposed legislation
January 28, 2019: A bill allowing the attorney general to serve for six-year terms.
October 25, 2019: The Virgin Islands Emergency Medical Services System Act to merge Fire Services with EMS.
December 2, 2019: An amendment called “Virgin Islands Cannabis Use Act” to the enacted Medicinal Cannabis Patient Care Act
January 16, 2020: The Virgin Islands Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Act
May 19, 2020: Virgin Islands Cannabis Use Act[29] (resubmitted amended version to 33rd Legislature)
August 11, 2020: Matching Fund Securitization Act
August 15, 2022: A bill to increase the amount of funding for retroactive wages from $25 million to $40 million to repay government employees. (Senate approved: 08/30/2022; enacted by governor: 09/16/2022)
Attended the inaugural sail of Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas at the invitation of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.
Residence
Bryan lives in Government House in Christiansted on St. Croix. In March 2019, the West Indian Company authorized monthly rent payments of $3,500 for a condo where Bryan would stay while on St. Thomas on behalf of his request.[37]
Epstein scandal
In May 2023, court filings by JPMorgan revealed Bryan allegedly suggested Jeffrey Epstein donate $50,000 to certain local schools, $30,000 to the VI Little League and a $25,000 private gift to his inaugural committee in 2018. He was deposed on June 6 in New York.[38]
He fired Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George, who had vigorously prosecuted Epstein-related cases, in December 2022. In July 2023, "George testified under oath that Bryan had personally lobbied her in 2019 to issue a special waiver to the territory’s sex offender law so that Epstein could travel freely, without special notifications or restrictions."[39]
Personal life
The FBI arrested both of Bryan's parents on charges of stealing various expensive items after Hurricane Hugo devastated St. Croix.[40]
Bryan was widely criticized for defending his administration's efforts to funnel a no-bid contract to Avera Tech, a company co-founded by Bryan's daughter after Bryan took office. Despite having no experience in contact tracing or healthcare, Bryan's daughter was set to receive nearly 1 million dollars before the contract was pulled after receiving negative press coverage. [41]
Bryan and his wife, Yolanda Cabodevilla, have been married since 1998. They have two daughters, Aliyah and Sumuyah.[1] In November 2023, Bryan filed for divorce from Yolanda and requested that the United States Virgin Islands Superior Court seal the case in its entirety. The sitting judge, who will be up for reappointment to the bench by Bryan in 2024, granted the request and sealed all proceedings.[42]
References
^ abc"Governor Bryan". Government of the United States Virgin Islands. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
