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Legislature Approves Board Nominations and Commendations

The V.I. Legislature approved a bundle of volunteer board and commission nominees and two bills honoring notable U.S. Virgin Islanders during its meeting in session Wednesday.

It approved the renominations of Dr. Frank Odlum to the V.I. Board of Medical Examiners; Dr. Susan Anderson to the Board of Dental Examiners; and Elizabeth Masiello to the Board of Chiropractic Examiners. It also approved Lawrence Ramdhansingh and Angie Smith to the V.I. Taxicab Commission; Vernon Araujo to the V.I. Council for the Arts; Leigh Goldman to the V.I. Real Estate Appraisers Board; and Colette Jones to the V.I. Housing Authority Board.

Odlum is chief of surgery at Schneider Regional Medical Center, where he has worked since 1996. He has been on the board since 2003. After graduating from Charlotte Amalie High School, Odlum received a bachelor’s degree in microbiology at the University of Oklahoma and then went on to receive his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine. He is the current chairman of the board.

Anderson received her doctorate of dental medicine from Oregon Health Sciences University in 1991.
She worked at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York to help identify the dead from the Sept. 11, 2011, World Trade Center attacks.

Masiello received a bachelor’s degree in human anatomy from Logan College of Chiropractic in 1990 and a doctorate of chiropractic in 1992. She has worked as a chiropractor since 1993 and has been at Absolutely Chiropractic in Anna’s Retreat since 2000.

Trinidad native Ramdhansingh has been a V.I. resident for 45 years and self-employed as a taxi driver as president of Singh’s Taxi and Tours since 1987. Ramdhansingh is a member of several community organizations and a past president of the Independent Taxi Association and vice president of the V.I. Taxi Association. He volunteers at Reichhold Center for the Arts and at church.

Smith moved to the territory 25 years ago with her family, graduating high school on St. Thomas, then getting a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business from the University of the Virgin Islands. She owns three St. John businesses: VIVAQ Villas, Sunshine’s Jeep Rental and Grunwald Cottages. She is also a real estate agent.

Jones is currently attending UVI. She is a manager of Claire’s Boutique in Tutu Park Mall.

Goldman received his law degree from Georgia State University College of Law in 2001. He is currently in private practice and is a former associate in the BoltNagi and Smock and Moorehead law firms.

Araujo received a bachelor’s degree in communication from Boston College. He currently works as development director at the Family Resource Center and manages media accounts for 104.3 FM The Buzz and Melee Media.

The committee also approved a resolution to recognize, honor and commend Bianca Eugenie Maduro Andre for her dedication and commitment to the education of Virgin Islands youth.

They also approved a bill sponsored by Sen. Myron Jackson directing the commissioner of Sports, Parks and Recreation and the V.I. Council on the Arts to erect a life-size statue of the boxer Emile Griffith at the Emile Griffith ballpark.

The bill calls for a statue of Griffith in a fighting pose with boxing gloves and a plaque with historical details of Griffith’s life. It puts Griffith’s childhood home – at No. 6 Princesse Gade, Crown Prince Quarter – in the V.I. Registry of Historic Places. It also creates a special fund for donations and government appropriations for the upkeep of the Griffith ballpark. The legislation was amended in committee to appropriate $30,000 for the statue.

The Senate approved these nominations and bills unanimously.

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