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Board of Directors

The U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority is managed by a seven-member board. 

Kevin Rodriquez
Chairman

Kevin A. Rodriquez serves as Governor Albert Bryan, Jr’s Deputy Chief of Staff with the responsibility of the day-to-day management and operations of the Office of the Governor. Serving at one time, as the VI Legislature’s Human Resources Director prepared him for the larger role of the entire central government’s Director of the Virgin Islands Division of Personnel. Those responsibilities included oversight of training and development; group health insurance benefits as well as recruitment and classification of government employees. By providing guidance and support to central government departmental human resources officers, he had the task of creating and executing strategies that conformed with the Administration’s budgetary guidelines. Rodriquez’s community involvement with various organizations in the Virgin Islands and abroad has made him acutely aware of the needs, concerns and promotion of not only business interests but also those of residents.

Gary Molloy
Vice Chairman

Gary Molloy serves as the Commissioner of the Virgin lslands Department of Labor (VIDOL). Commissioner Molloy’s professional experience demonstrates that he is a business savvy educator with thirty (30) plus years of experience. Mr. Molloy is known as a creative, resourceful, out-of-the-box, innovative thinker and a visionary team leader who believes in capacity building. He is data and results-driven and experienced in developing, planning, managing, and effectuating performance and operational changes and achieving stated goals.  Mr. Molloy holds degrees from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education), from the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Croix (Masters of Arts in Administration and Supervision) and from NOVA Southeastern University in Miami, Florida (Educational Specialist in Curriculum, Instruction Management, and Administration). Currently, Mr. Molloy is a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) candidate in the Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change program at the University of the Virgin Islands.  He has dedicated his life to the pursuit of efficient administration, policy and program development, labor relations and employment, negotiations and management of collective bargaining agreements.

Jose' A. Penn
Secretary

José A. Penn represents the island of St. John on the USVIEDA Board and is also Chairman of the Enterprise Zone Commission (EZC). He is chief financial officer of his family's group of businesses: Penn’s Apartment Rental, Inc.; Penn’s Jeep Rental, Inc. and Penn’s Trucking Services, Inc. Mr. Penn obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from the University of the Virgin Islands and serves on the following Boards: Virgin Islands Board of Land Use Appeals; Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park Advisory Board; the Virgin Islands Port Authority; the St. Thomas/St. John Horse Racing Commission; Junior Achievement of the Virgin Islands and the Julius E. Sprauve School Charitable Trust. He is also a member of the St. Thomas - St. John Chamber of Commerce, Inc. and is a charter and honorary member of the Rotary Club of St. John, Inc.

Philip E. Payne
Board Member

Mr. Payne is a long-time resident and business owner in the Virgin Islands and lives on the island of St. Croix. He is the owner and CEO of Dyer & Payne, Inc. which consists of National Parts Virgin Islands, Dyer & Payne Distributing and Global Solutions. He has spent 35 years in the automotive industry and 10 years in the paper and plastics industry. Mr. Payne has served on numerous boards including the Beacon Schools of the V.I., vice chairman of the Automotive Association of the Southeast U.S., National Jobber Council for Parts Plus, Board of Trustees for the Insurance Trust of Alabama and Sponsor of the Governor’s Virgin Islands Youth Games. He was educated at Marietta School of Technology majoring in Automotive Technology and Business Management.

Positive Nelson
Board Member

Positive T.A. Nelson is the current Commissioner of Agriculture. He previously served in the Legislature of the Virgin Islands for seven terms. He notes that his name, “Positive” is not just a name but an attitude towards life. It is that kind of perspective that has earned Mr. Nelson a reputation as an honest, efficient and responsive leader. Commissioner Nelson has a B.S. Degree in Accounting from St. Augustine’s University; leadership training certificates from the Henry Toll Fellowship and Eastern Leadership Academy respectively; a certificate in “Driving Government Performance” from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, a certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Notre Dame University and is a John C. Maxwell Certified Speaker, Teacher, Trainer and Coach. He also holds certificates in mediation, arbitration, and hearing administration Commissioner Nelson is  married to his high school sweetheart, Kimberly (Roper) Nelson since 1993 and together they have three sons and one daughter. They are also very happy grandparents.

Anise Hodge
Board Member

Anise I. Hodge currently serves as the Deputy Executive Director at the Virgin Islands Port Authority. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs of Syracuse University, a Bachelor of Arts from Hampton University, and certificates in Executive Leadership, Project Management, Grant Management and Strategic Planning. For the last 30 plus years she has served in various financial, managerial, and executive capacities within the Government of the United States Virgin Islands. Her experience includes implementation of corrective actions as per financial audit findings and consent decrees, development and revision of various financial and other policies, and fiscal and managerial analysis of various projects. Additionally, she serves as a Disaster Management Specialist and a liaison between Risk Managers, Insurance Brokers and Underwriters, and manages internal insurance and risk processes for insurance claims. Her professional experience also includes federal grant management, governmental budgeting, government oversight and accountability. She serves on the Executive Board of Sigma Theta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and previously served on an International HBCU Taskforce and on the American Red Cross Board.

Title 29 VIC Chapter 21 creates the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority and its board. The law states that the members of the board shall be seven (7) in numbers. Three members shall be appointed by the Governor from amongst the heads of cabinet-level executive departments or agencies or his executive staff. Three shall not be employees of the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands and shall represent each of the Virgin Islands. And one member must be appointed from the Board of Executive Staff of the Government Employee Retirement System, Virgin Islands Port Authority, or the University of the Virgin Islands.