The First Inter-Virgin Islands Council Meeting during the De Jongh-Francis Administration

By Pamela Berkowsky

The First Inter-Virgin Islands Council Meeting during the De Jongh-Francis Administration

State and Federal government executive Pamela Berkowsky, former chief of staff and deputy chief of staff to U.S. Virgin Islands Governor John de Jongh, Jr., actively participated in a number of high-level government meetings during her work with the administration. On May 12, 2011, she accompanied Governor de Jongh to Tortola, British Virgin Islands, for the Inter-Virgin Islands Council (IVIC) meeting with the British Virgin Islands Government. With primary responsibility for development and implementation of the Governor's foreign policy agenda, Ms. Berkowsky was a key player in the bilateral discussions.

The First Inter-Virgin Islands Council Meeting during the De Jongh-Francis Administration

The meeting focused on defining common goals between the two neighbors. Among the critical topics discussed were the enhancement of law enforcement cooperation including intelligence sharing, and efforts to combat illegal gun, drug and human trafficking. The Cabinet-level IVIC delegates also addressed shared environmental and tourism initiatives such as air travel promotion and recreational licensing. Mutually concerned with disaster preparedness, the British Virgin Islands and United States Virgin Islands delegations also discussed training efforts and public alert procedures for hurricane and tsunami events.