Davis, Gumbs Carty, Willocks And Griffiths Confirmed By Full Senate

ST. THOMAS — The full Senate on Thursday approved four of governor Kenneth Mapp’s nominees to lead important functions in the territory. The nominees were vetted in Senate committees prior to yesterday’s approval.

Assistant Attorney General Renee Gumbs Carty was approved for a six-year term as a judge in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas district.

Ms. Gumbs Carty was born and raised here and lived in the territory all her life, except during her years of law school at the Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas. Upon her return back home in 1990, she began clerking at the then-Territorial Court of the Virgin Islands. She has since served at the Department of Justice in several capacities.

As assistant A.G., Ms. Gumbs Carty said she has written opinions, prosecuted several high-profile cases and appeared before almost every judge in the St. Thomas-St. John district — including those now retired.

The Senate also approved the reappointment of Judge Harold Willocks for a six-year term to the Superior Court in the St. Croix district.

In a transmittal letter to Senate President Neville James, Mr. Mapp spoke highly of Judge Willocks, stating that the judge had served the territory honorably.

Dr. Michelle Davis, now officially the Commissioner of the Department of Health, was given the nod of approval from the Senate as well.

Dr. Davis has worked as a public health professional in a variety of positions at the federal, state and municipal levels.  This included the deputy secretary for Health for the Pennsylvania Department of Health.  Before working with Pennsylvania, she held positions as deputy Health commissioner for Policy and Planning with the city of Philadelphia and senior epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Davis has also held positions with the states of South Carolina, Indiana and New York and at the local level with the City of Detroit and with the District of Columbia as a C.D.C. federal assignee.

Dr. Davis completed her undergraduate studies in biology at the University of Michigan. She continued her education at the University of South Carolina, Johns Hopkins and the University of North Carolina where she majored in epidemiology for her graduate degrees.

And the Senate approved the nomination of Terri Griffiths as a member of the Magens Bay Authority.

Ms. Griffiths was appointed attorney general following the abrupt resignation of Soraya Diase Coffelt. She was later removed and replaced with Judge James S. Carroll, who was himself replaced with current A.G. Claude Walker.

Ms. Griffiths’ nomination to the Magens Bay authority was not without controversy. The authority had decided to reappointed a sitting member following Mr. Mapp’s appointment of Ms. Griffiths; but the situation was swiftly settled following an opinion by Mr. Walker, contending that the governor’s appointment was in order.

Feature Image: Beginning from top, from left to right: Dr. Michelle Davis, Renee Gumbs Carty, Judge Harold Willocks and Terri Griffiths (Credit: VI Legislature, Government House).