Jan. 9, 2007 — Gov. John deJongh Jr. today announced the appointment of several persons to fill key positions in the Office of the Governor, according to a Government House release issued Tuesday. Serving as deJongh's chief of staff will be Louis Penn Sr., while Pamela Berkowsky will be deputy chief of staff.
According to the release, Penn brings a wealth of government experience, having held senior management positions at the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs and its predecessor, the Consumer Services Administration.
Penn also served as deputy and acting commissioner of the then Department of Conservation and Cultural Affairs. Penn was also a secondary school teacher in the Education Department for a period of time in 1971.
Penn received a bachelor's degree — a double major in Economics and Political Science — from West Virginia State College in 1971 and in 1980; a master's in Public Affairs from State University of New York.
He is married to Susan Penn; together they have three adult children: Louis Jr.; Lucien and Lorne.
Berkowsky previously served as an assistant chief of staff to Defense Secretary William Cohen. In that capacity, Berkowsky advised the secretary and his chief of staff on significant policy and personnel matters, chaired working groups on issues of special interest to the Defense Department senior leadership (including the Navy’s role in Vieques). Berkowsky has also held key positions in the Department of the Navy.
Berkowsky earned a master’s in 1988 from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in 1985 from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
Berkowsky is married to St. Thomas physician Adam Shapiro; they have two children, Benjamin and Zara.
DeJongh also named Adam G. Christian as counsel to the governor. Christian, son of the late District Court Chief Judge Almeric Christian, comes to Government House having practiced law as an associate attorney in the law firm of Hodge & Francois.
He obtained a B.A. degree in government from the University of the Virginia in 1987, and his J.D. from Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary in 1990.
Christian is also a trustee for the V.I. Montessori School and chairs the Almeric L. Christian Scholarship Golf Tournament Committee of the V.I Bar Association.
He is married to Maria Victoria Gomez Christian and is father to two sons: Gregory and Gabriel.
Named to the position of Government House communications director is longtime broadcast journalist Jean Greaux Jr.
Greaux brings almost 20 years of journalism experience to the position at a time when the de Jongh/Francis administration has committed itself to improving and expanding communications to and from the V.I. community.
Greaux, a 1986 graduate of All Saints Cathedral School, was most recently news director and network operations coordinator at Ackley Media Group. He is married to the former Joanne D. Berry and is stepfather to three children: Melanie, Kelcie and Lauren Bengoa.
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