ST. CROIX — The governing board of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority appointed Ashley Bryan as WAPA’s interim executive director and chief executive officer during an emergency meeting today.
The governing board is expected to announce the Authority’s new executive director/CEO on Monday after selecting a candidate in executive session during a meeting Thursday, according to Shanell Petersen, WAPA spokesperson.
Bryan, a 10-year WAPA employee who was appointed as interim chief operating officer for the electric system in January 2023, previously served as the Authority’s director of Transmission and Distribution for the electric system. She joined WAPA in May 2014 as an electrical engineer.
Juanita Young, board secretary, reported out of today’s executive session that the board voted 5 to 0 to appoint Bryan as interim CEO. She said Lionel Selwood Jr. was unavailable to vote.
In addition to Young and Selwood, the other board members are Hubert Turnbull, newly-elected chair; Maurice Muia, newly-elected vice chair; Cheryl Boynes-Jackson, and Kyle Fleming, director of the Virgin Islands Energy Office.
WAPA’s outgoing executive director/CEO, Andrew Smith, resigned after leading the Authority for two and a half years since January 2022. In a June 3 statement announcing Smith’s resignation, Fleming, in his capacity as board chair at the time, noted WAPA recruited Smith to develop a strategic plan to improve the Authority’s financial and operational performance. His last day will be Sunday, per the terms of his contract.
Following executive session during a board meeting Thursday, the board reported out that it approved two personnel matters but didn’t provide any details. One of those personnel matters was the selection of a new executive director/CEO.
Petersen said the board has not released who the next CEO will be, but it is expected to make the announcement Monday.
“After executive session they reported out that they did approve two personnel matters, but they didn’t give any details on those personnel matters,” she said.
There has been no official announcement of who’s going to be the next CEO at this time, Petersen said.
“My understanding is there’s been no contract,” she said, adding that she doesn’t know if the designated CEO has even accepted the offer. “I think all that has to happen, hence why they noted that no specific details were shared on the personnel matter.”
Petersen could not confirm a published report from The Virgin Islands Consortium that the board voted to hire Karl Knight, chief of staff to Governor Albert Bryan Jr., as the Authority’s next CEO.
