USVIHTA Update | November 2020
Association Health Plan Surveys - If Your Business Has Employees, Your Feedback is Critical! Take the Survey Today!
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. shared his concern regarding the number of persons who do not have access to private health insurance. He is exploring Association Health Plans to allow small businesses, including self-employed workers, to band together to obtain health insurance coverage as if they were a single large employer.
 
The Office of the Governor is conducting a survey of Virgin Islands residents to better understand how to improve access to affordable health insurance. Please take a few moments to answer the following questions about health insurance coverage. 

The APH Survey should be completed by all association members and their employees. The AHP Employer Survey is only for those business owners who have employees. The deadline to complete the surveys is Dec. 18. Click the links below to begin.
 

Your Feedback is Vital for the Five Year CEDS and Tourism Master Plan and Twenty Year Vision2040 Plan - Take the Surveys Before the Deadline
Thank you to those who were able to participate in the virtual Town Hall Meeting on Nov. 5 in support of the creation of the five-year USVI Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and the Tourism Master Plan (TMP). For those who were unable to attend, we hope you will take the online survey to provide essential feedback for the CEDS and TMP. This survey will help gather data for executing the plan over the next 20 years as these two plans will feed into the Vision2040 plan. This is your opportunity for your voice to be heard and your valuable feedback to be taken into account. Participation is necessary to ensure our vision for the future of our industry is an essential part of the plans.
 
Please click the link to provide feedback via the online survey by Nov. 30 on the CEDS and TMP: https://forms.gle/jYBmELE5E6DLrm4i7

Please visit the Vision2040 site to take a separate survey for the Vision2040 20-year plan: https://www.usvi2040.com/

About CEDS and TMP: The Government of the USVI has engaged the University of the Virgin Islands, Center for Excellence in Leadership and Learning (UVI CELL) in the creation of the CEDS and the TMP. The CEDS is a locally-based, regionally-driven economic development planning process and document that allows regions to identify strengths and weaknesses and brings together a diverse set of partners to generate jobs, diversify the economy and spur economic growth. The TMP will capture and address post-hurricane and post-COVID-19 impacts on the tourism industry and identify ways to make the industry less vulnerable to economic downturns and natural disasters. The goal is to develop a TMP that lays out the path to a more competitive, diversified, sustainable and resilient tourism industry for the territory. Your participation and feedback are critical to the development of the USVI CEDS/TMP.
VIEDA to Host VISION 2040 Town Hall Meeting on Nov. 23
Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority (VIEDA) will host a LIVE Virtual Town Hall meeting on Nov. 23 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Virtual Town Hall meeting will broadcast simultaneously on select local radio stations, television and various online platforms. The purpose of the Town Hall Meeting is to provide details regarding creating a 20-year vision for each island individually - St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John - and the territory as a whole. It will also allow an opportunity for the public to ask questions and provide input regarding Vision 2040. Read more.

Please visit the Vision2040 site to take the survey for the Vision2040 plan: https://www.usvi2040.com/
Frontier Airlines Set to Lift Off for St. Thomas
The U.S. Virgin Islands will welcome new Frontier Airlines service from Orlando, Florida, to St. Thomas beginning early next year. 
USVI Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte announced that Frontier’s new seasonal service will give travelers in central Florida even more options for travel to the territory during the peak winter season. Read more.

More local and regional news:
USVI Small Manufacturers Sought for "Made in the USVI" Pop Up Shop on St. Thomas, St. Croix
The Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority (VIEDA), in partnership with the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources’ (VIDPNR) Virgin Islands Council on the Arts (VICA), is seeking local, licensed small manufacturers in various industries to apply for the 2020-2021 “Made in the USVI” Pop Up Shop on St. Thomas and St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Read more.
Double Your Impact with My Brother's Workshop on Giving Tuesday! And Head to McDonald's Today - Nov. 20 - for Great Day!
GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. This year, Giving Tuesday falls on Dec. 1. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate and celebrate generosity. Learn more about GivingTuesday. And if you support My Brother's Workshop this Giving Tuesday, you can double your impact! All donations (up to $10,000) made on Giving Tuesday will be matched by XO Energy. Click here to donate! And don't forget to support My Brother's Workshop today at McDonald's locations throughout the territory. Click here to view the flyer for Great Day!
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