Governor de Jongh Issues Executive Order Creating V.I. Territorial Commission on National and Community Service

Promoting the Capability of the Virgin Islands People, Communities and Enterprises to Work Collaboratively is Vital to the Long-term Prosperity of the Territory

Citing a compelling need for more civic participation to solve community problems and address many of the territory’s unmet social, environmental, educational and public safety needs, Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. has signed an Executive Order establishing the Virgin Islands Territorial Commission on National and Community Service. 

“This commission is established to encourage community service and volunteer participation as a means of community and island problem-solving,” de Jongh said Tuesday. The commission will set out to promote and support voluntary citizen involvement in government and private service programs throughout the territory while developing a long-term, comprehensive vision and plan of action for community service initiatives in the Virgin Islands. According to the governor, the commission will also serve as the territory’s liaison to national and state organizations which support its mission.

“Not more than 50 percent of the commission plus one member may be from the same political party. The governor will appoint one-third of the initial members for a term of one year; one-third for a term of two years and one-third for a term of three years,” de Jongh wrote in the Executive Order, adding, “Following expiration of the initial terms, all appointments will be for three-year terms. Members may not serve two consecutive terms and any legislator member may serve only as long as they remain members of the Legislature.”

The commission, which will meet at least semi-annually, will elect a Chairman and Vice-Chair and serve for a term of one year. The commission will consist of sixteen members appointed by the governor on a bipartisan basis. The membership will include persons with expertise in the educational training and developmental needs of youth, particularly disadvantaged youth as well as individuals with experience in promoting involvement of older adults in service and volunteerism, a representative of a community based agency or organization, the Education Commissioner, representative of local labor organizations, a member of the business sector, a person between the age of 16 and 25 who is either a participant or a supervisor in a volunteer or service program. Membership will also include the commissioner of Human Services and a representative of a national service program and may include local educators, experts in the delivery of human, educational, environmental or public safety services, out of school or at risk youth as well as representatives of entities who receive assistance under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973. 

Not more than 25 percent of the members may be employees of the government however, the executive order spells out specific non-voting ex-officio roles for the following persons: chairperson of the Governor’s Children and Family Council; Labor Commissioner; Health Commissioner; Sports, Parks and Recreation Commissioner; Police Commissioner; Director of DOH Division of Mental Health; Administrator of Human Services’ Children and Family Services, President of the University of the Virgin Islands. 

de Jongh said that the commission will have duties and responsibilities that include: serving as a territory-wide advocate for community service, facilitate and encourage communication and collaboration among and between individuals, communities and public and private organizations, serve as a liaison and voice to appropriate national and state organizations which support its mission, prepare a three-year national service plan for the territory as called for under federal law, submit the appropriate annual financial assistance applications of the territory under the National and Community Services Trust Act of 1993, make technical assistance available to enable applicants of assistance to plan and implement service programs to apply for applicable assistance, assist in the provision of health care and child care benefits to participate in national service programs, develop a territory-wide recruitment and placement system for individuals interested in community service organizations, administer the Virgin Islands grant programs in support of national service programs using assistance provided to the territory from the Corporation of National and Community Service including selection, monitoring and evaluation of grant recipients and coordinate the functions with any division of the federal ACTION program or the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The Department of Human Services will provide administrative and staff support for the commission. Executive Order 447-2009 was signed on October 30, 2009.

Executive Order 447-2009

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