June 29, 2007 — While Gov. John deJongh Jr. continues the search for the territory's next commissioner of Education, Donna Frett-Gregory has been tapped to fill the position in the interim.
Frett-Gregory will replace Lauren Larsen, who has served as the acting head of the Department of Education over the past six months — the maximum time allowed by V.I. law.
Frett-Gregory's experience as the department's chief financial officer makes her qualified to fill the slot and tackle issues such as summer maintenance, purchasing supplies for the upcoming school year and working with the territory's third-party fiduciary, according to a Government House news release.
"Donna has been involved in these and many of the challenges of the Education Department as its chief financial officer, and I expect that she will continue to guide these projects along from her position as acting commissioner," deJongh said in the release.
Several obstacles have held up the selection of a new education commissioner, he added, explaining that recruitment efforts have now been extended outside the territory.
"I assure the people of the Virgin Islands of my administration's best efforts to have a commissioner in place to lead the department before the start of the … school year in August," the governor said.
Adding that his administration is committed to improving the structure of the department and local public-school system, deJongh also said that the selection of a new commissioner is a process that "cannot be rushed and will not be rushed."
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