Thank you for attending this year's Annual General Meeting at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas on May 4. Over 75 members attended, enjoying a continental breakfast on behalf of our co-sponsors, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas and Oriental Bank. At the meeting, the new USVIHTA Board of Directors was elected uncontested (view election slate), members heard updates from the association and committees, and Gov. Albert Bryan, Jr. gave an update on tourism and government initiatives, taking questions at the end of his address - click here to watch a video of his address. The USVIHTA Board of Directors is honored to welcome back Scott Derrickson as Chairman of the Board, and to welcome our new and returning board members. It was truly a pleasure to see our members coming together to share a message of positivity and progress, and we look forward to more in-person meetings in the future. Click here to view more photos from the meeting.

More local and regional news:

Office of Disaster Recovery Releases Five Year Timeline for Recovery Projects - 2021 Summit Report

The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas is hosting Legendary Service Training on June 29 at 8:30 a.m. To register, please email Brandi Charles at Brandi.Charles@ritzcarlton.com or call The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas's Human Resources Department at 340-775-3333. Please provide the attendee’s name, company, phone number and email address.

Mark your calendars and get ready for the tastiest fundraiser of the summer! The 11th annual King of the Wing (KOW) competition will take place on June 11 at Magens Bay. Teams consisting of the top local restaurants, businesses, organizations and chicken wing enthusiasts will set up their grills and cooking stations right on the beach from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. in order to cook up mouthwatering chicken wings for the crowd of over 5000 people. Event sponsors Coors Light and Captain Morgan (distributed in the USVI by Bellows International) will provide support and beverages. The event features some of the best DJ talent on the island and a surprise celebrity music performance! In addition to being the island's most celebrated and anticipated family-friendly culinary and community event, King of the Wing has grown every year in attendance and number of competitors, and serves as a crucial fundraising platform for local charities. Proceeds from this year's event will be donated to the Virgin Islands Children's Museum (VICM), a 501 (c) 3 organization. VICM creates an environment that fosters explorative learning and creates a lifelong passion for seeking knowledge. Should you have questions or want to participate, please contact Vernon Araujo at 340-714-2020 or email kingofthewingvi@gmail.com. For more information, check us out at facebook.com/kowvi, twitter.com/kowvi and follow our Instagram account @kowvi.

True service is about the people. The people who care deeply about their roles, and the privilege they have to serve others in a memorable way. True service is about having an uncompromising commitment to excellence and valuing the worth of others. When done well, service is honorable, uplifting and rejuvenating. Deep down, you will KNOW when you are giving it, and you will KNOW when you are receiving it. Service is not specific to an industry or an occupation. It is knowing, in your heart, that someone else’s day is brighter because of something you did. That is service.

For more information, contact Omar Andres Haedo directly at omar.a.haedo@elan.insure.