ST. CROIX — After seven years leading the Division of Festivals, Ian Turnbull has returned to Reichhold Center for the Arts in a new role focused on fundraising as the venue plans a fuller 2027 season and continues efforts to recover from hurricane damage.
Turnbull joined the University of the Virgin Islands’ Institutional Advancement division on Oct. 15 as director of Marketing & Development for Reichhold Center, according to Tamika Thomas Williams, UVI’s director of Public Relations.
The theater on UVI’s St. Thomas campus has been closed since Hurricane Irma damaged it on Sept. 6, 2017. In the meantime, the center has presented performances and programs at UVI’s Elridge W. Blake Sports & Fitness Center, where Director Denise Humphrey said the 2027 season is planned to take place.
The VI Department of Tourism confirmed Turnbull’s departure from the Division of Festivals in mid-October in an email response to WTJX through Ayana Young, of Development Counsellors International, a marketing firm.
“Commissioner Jennifer Matarangas-King extends her appreciation to Mr. Turnbull for his service and contributions to the preservation and celebration of Virgin Islands culture,” according to the statement.
Asked whether an interim or permanent replacement for Turnbull had been identified, Young did not directly address the question. However, she said the department remains focused on ensuring continuity in planning and executing upcoming festivals and cultural events through the efforts of its leadership and staff.
The Division of Festivals is finalizing the details of its schedule for the 74th Crucian Christmas Festival, which begins December 5 with the Prince & Princess Pageant.
Governor Albert Bryan Jr. appointed Turnbull in October 2019 to lead the Division of Festivals, then a new part of the Department of Tourism. Before that, Turnbull spent six years as Reichhold Center’s marketing manager.
Humphrey, who served as the center’s director when Turnbull previously worked there, said she is “ecstatic” about his return. She said she encouraged him to take the job at the Division of Festivals.
“I told him that was a unique opportunity, and I wanted him to take that position because it was a position for him to grow and to learn a little bit more,” she said. “For him to come back to us, I think it’s a fantastic opportunity for us to be able to see what he’s learned and be able to see how he could apply it to help the Reichhold Center grow.”
Now that Turnbull has returned to Reichhold Center, Humphrey said his responsibilities have expanded beyond his previous role as marketing manager to include fundraising to support the center’s programming and disaster recovery efforts.
Humphrey said fundraising is a priority as the center plans its 2027 season, which it hopes to present at the Sports & Fitness Center while its own theater remains closed. Plans include bringing back larger acts such as UB40 and Ky-Mani Marley, who have performed in recent years. Without the center’s own building, she said, producing those events costs more.
“One of the things about having the Reichhold Center is that we were a one-stop shop,” she said. “We had all of our resources right there, but now it’s a little bit more expensive for us to produce these events.”
The center’s 2025-2026 season of its “Sessions on the Floor” concert series featured various musicians. Reichhold Center, which has established classroom space inside the Sports & Fitness Center, also held a Youth Movie-Making Workshop over the summer, giving youths ages 11 to 16 experience in front of and behind the camera. Humphrey said this year’s workshop added instruction on artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality in filmmaking. She said the center has also worked with the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts and helped restore the Dorsch Center in Frederiksted.
Ivo Philbert, UVI’s vice president of Institutional Advancement, said Reichhold Center is one of several areas under his supervision. He declined to discuss rebuilding costs or a reopening timeline before a meeting of the Foundation for the Reichhold Center’s board, which he said is expected to be scheduled within the next couple of weeks.
“We’re doing work every day to get back to Reichhold being open,” he said. “So, a lot of work is being done behind the scenes to sort of get us there.”
