At Government House, A Swearing-In Ceremony For Three Mapp Administration Officials

ST. CROIX — On  Tuesday during a ceremony at 10:00 a.m. at Government House here, Governor Kenneth Mapp officially welcomed three new members to his administration.

Associate Justice Maria Cabret of the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands, administered the oath of office to Clifford A. Joseph, Randolph N. Bennett, and Rick T. Mullgrav.

Following the swearing in, Governor Mapp said he was proud of the cabinet he had assembled. “It is what the lieutenant governor appropriately called an all-star team,” he said. “Each member has been tasked with an objective and we have given them the responsibility and authority to run their agencies.” Mr. Mapp told the nominees, “We want you to commit that your agency will be left better than you found it.”

The Director of the Virgin Islands Fire Service, Clifford Adrian Joseph pledged, “I will strive to be the best I can be as Director of the Fire Service.” The territory’s leader praised Mr. Joseph for doing an excellent job thus far and for having already raised the standards of his agency.

Governor Mapp said he met Randolph Nathaniel Bennett, now commissioner of the Department of Property Procurement, last year at a National Governors Conference in Maryland and was very impressed with his accomplishments in the U. S. Military and the Department of State. Mr. Mapp said he was committed to bringing talented Virgin Islanders back to the territory and was pleased that Bennett agreed to serve.

And the governor praised Rick Mullgrav, Director of the Bureau of Corrections, whom he commended for having done an excellent job in less than one full year at the Bureau of Corrections. The chief executive said he is confident that the Bureau of Corrections will continue to improve “by leaps and bounds.”

Mr. Mullgrav in turn, expressed his satisfaction with the leadership of Mr. Mapp and Mr. Potter, offering his opinion that, “The governor and the lieutenant governor are working hard, and all his cabinet members are working hard to bring us back to where we belong.”

Feature Image: from left to right: Governor Kenneth Mapp, Randolph Bennett, Rick Mullgrav, Clifford Joseph and Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter.

Image Credit: VIC.