Students are provided by: VI Department of Labor as well as Sen. DeGraff, Sen. Blyden and Senate President Donna Frett Gregory’s offices. They begin work on June 28 and will wrap-up the program on Aug. 6. The six-week program requires students to work six four-hour days (totaling 24 hours a week). USVIHTA will hold a Certificate of Completion Ceremony on Aug. 13 with more details to come. Click here to view 2021 program photos.

USVIHTA is surveying both accommodation and allied members to determine whether they offer military discounts and/or senior rates. Please reach out to lisa@usvihta.com to let us know if your business offers such discounts/rates.

Heads of government across the Eastern Caribbean have thrown their support behind calls made last week by U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. to encourage the state of Florida to allow cruise lines to enable vaccination checks for Caribbean-bound passengers. In a letter to the USVI leader, Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica and Chairman of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), expressed the subregional group’s deep appreciation to Bryan for writing to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis seeking special consideration in the Florida legislation to aid the revitalization of the cruise industry in the Caribbean. Read more.

Vanessa Ledesma, Acting CEO and Director General of CHTA, sees great value in the networking opportunity, noting that travel advisors represent a valuable untapped channel for growth: “This is an enormously smart partnership, which gives our members direct access to ASTA, the leading trade association for travel advisors, the travel industry and the traveling public.” Read more.

We cordially invite you to join us on the 1st Annual STT Cross-Island Challenge Ride to be held on July 3. The STT Cross-Island Challenge Ride is a bike challenge for serious bikers and family bikers alike. First of its kind to be held on St. Thomas, we will have a 20-mile “Tip of the Spear” bike ride for adults starting at 6 a.m. But the fun doesn’t stop there! At 8:30 a.m., our serious bike riders will meet our family riders/runners/walkers for a Family 5K parade down the promenade from Port of Sale to Crown Bay where we will meet up with Ella for refreshments, games and more! Registration is available online at www.cyclevi.org where you and the family can register to ride or donate to support Ella’s Hope! Over 300,000 little girls and women are affected by Rett syndrome worldwide. Ella Gaspard, a Virgin Islander was diagnosed with this devastating condition. And, this year, #WeRideForElla! Click here for more information as well as the sponsorship package. Click here to view the event flyer.

The Eljhaie Brathwaite Project played the processional, “Pomp and Circumstance.” Chrystie Payne, MBW Communications Director, served as MC. Julius Jackson and Scott Bradley welcomed the crowd and thanked everyone for their support. Pastor Jeff Neevel of STRC and MBW board member delivered the Invocation, followed by the national anthems, played by the The Eljhaie Brathwaite Project. Keynote Speaker was Sen. Donna Frett-Gregory, who was first elected in 2018 to serve as a senator in the 33rd Legislature and now serves as Senate President in the 34th, making her the third woman in the legislature’s history to hold the title. She is a proud Virgin Islander, born to a Kittian mother and St. Thomian father, and grew up in the Hospital Ground and Donoe communities – addressed the graduates with an encouraging message stating, “Remember, in life, you do not always have to take the well traveled road. It’s okay to be different. You can create a unique path for yourself, but you must work hard and believe in your ability to succeed.” Read more.

Fourteen-year-old Tanner Krygsveld focused on maintaining his lead as he started the third and final day of racing in the 28^th International Optimist Regatta (IOR), hosted at St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC), June 18 to 20. The St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands sailor led the event from the first day, and despite a strong field of fellow competitors representing six nations – Antigua, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S.A. and all three U.S. Virgin Islands – and winds 15- to 18-knots, Krygsveld finished the day’s first race in second and ultimately won the 10-race regatta by 16 points. This makes Krygsveld the third U.S. Virgin Islander in the IOR’s nearly three-decade history to champion the event, with Cy Thompson, Teddy Nicolosi and Mia Nicolosi having done so in 2000, 2015 and 2016, respectively. Read more.

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

Many people believe that you are either a leader or a follower. Before we can discuss leading others, we must first tackle what it means to lead yourself. Do you wait around to see what others will do before you do something? Do you find yourself accepting what everyone else does without doing your own research on the matter? Don't tell me that the reason you are doing something is BECAUSE "everyone else" is doing it. Don't rely on what others are doing to determine what you will do. Lead yourself before you lead others.