RT Park Executive Director Foregoes Renewal Of Contractor, Moves To Private Sector

ST. CROIX — The Board of Directors of the RTPark Corporation has announced that Dr. Gillian Marcelle, the current executive director, whose three-year term ended on Dec. 31, 2017, will not accept the offer to renew her contract for another three-year term. Above, the damaged RT Park facility at the University of the Virgin Islands after Hurricane Maria.

The RTPark is a specialist economic development agency, which is an autonomous component unit of the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, operating under policy guidance from the University of the Virgin Islands.

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Edward Thomas thanked Dr. Marcelle for steering the agency through its RTPark 2.0 strategy; one that resulted in significant growth, commercial success and stabilization, according a release issued late Wednesday. He said that she provided exactly the type of leadership required at a particular time in the life of the program.

Dr. Gillian Marcelle

Dr. Marcelle thanked the board for the support she received over her term, indicating that after reflecting upon what would be best for her career and family, she decided to move in a new direction. She will be increasing her focus on private sector opportunities and was therefore no longer available for a full time position leading the agency, the release said.

The board will lead a national search working with professional bodies and other experts to identify a successor. The incoming executive director will have a strong foundation on which to build, a network consisting of more than 50 active clients, up from 27 in 2014; streamlined application processes; strengthened compliance systems and a reputation of being a business-friendly and responsive economic development agency.

UVI President David Hall who worked closely with Dr. Marcelle, in all aspects of the relationship between the RTPark and UVI, offered the outgoing executive director his heartfelt congratulations for the achievements at the RTPark under her leadership and offered his best wishes. He said, “We accepted the decision, and look forward to maintaining a relationship with Dr. Marcelle through her scholarly and research activities. To this end, we at the University of the Virgin Islands, look forward to making a courtesy appointment so she can continue her affiliation with the School of Business, and involve the university in research projects and grant applications, and connect UVI to her academic and policy networks in the areas of innovation, resilience and economic development.”

Dr. Marcelle has also agreed to lead the RTPark team for an extended transition period so that the agency can execute a professional and seamless transition between administrations, the release said. There will be a thorough handover between the outgoing executive director and her successor, as well as, ample opportunity for engagement with key stakeholders, according to the release.

When announcing Dr. Marcelle as executive director in 2015, Edward Thomas, chairman of the RTPark Board of Directors, said, “The UVI RT Park Board of Directors welcomes Dr. Gillian Marcelle. We look forward to her knowledge, commercial and global experience, and leadership of the Park as it continues to make contributions to the social and economic development in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The RTPark program is open for business, according to the release. Look for information on application processes, operations and governance at www.uvirtpark.net. The core team is available at our new temporary offices in Christiansted.

Feature Image Credit: Irene Ali Photography.