After six years at the helm of SEA, Paul Chakroff has stepped down as the executive director. Since the downturn in the economy in 2008 and with the closing of Hovensa last year, the St. Croix Environmental Association found it difficult to raise funds to support four staff positions.
The SEA board of directors and Chakroff decided that it is in the best interest of the organization for Chakroff to resign and work with SEA on a consultancy basis for special projects and programs as funding allows.
“This arrangement facilitates my continued support of SEA programs and gives me the opportunity to develop consulting work with other clients throughout the territory,” Chakroff said. “This doesn’t mean that I have retired. I hope to be very busy as a consultant in my chosen profession.”
According to Ken Haines, chairman of the board, SEA is cutting back to one full-time, two part-time employees and one contractor to run snorkeling clinics. He added that by shifting responsibilities, SEA can continue to support funded projects while maintaining the delivery of programs and services.
“SEA continues to seek additional funding for its programs, but it is a challenge in this economic environment,” Haines said.
As executive director, Chakroff had a position from which to weigh in on economic development, zoning and planning, coastal zone management, land conservation, public health and welfare, pollution abatement, energy generation, solid waste management and resource recovery, conflict resolution between environmental and business interests, and other areas of concern to residents of the territory.
Chakroff said it was rewarding working with different developers to come to a common ground finding solutions to move forward without destroying the environment. He said he was glad he had the opportunity to work with Bevan Smith Jr., past V.I. Energy Office director, and the current director, Karl Knight, on renewable energy projects and getting off dependency on oil.
Chakroff said he is looking forward to continuing to serve SEA and the community as a consultant in areas of habitat conservation, sustainable natural resource development, environmental impact assessment and mitigation, and environmental mediation.
“I will be able to cast a broader net and continue to work on environmental issues and in renewable energy,” Chakroff said. “For economic and environmental reasons, it is really critical to get off oil.” He said it is important to have a good clean healthy environment and to find a balance to sustain the health and wealth of the community.
Chakroff came to St. Croix from Columbus, Ohio, in 2002 to take the director’s position at the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center. Around 2005 Chakroff, an environmental scientist, moved on to be the director of the Eastern Caribbean Program at the Nature Conservancy. Chakroff said that position was eliminated on St. Croix and it was moved to Jamaica.
Chakroff’s resignation went into effect Aug. 22.
