Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture

The Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture has scheduled a hearing for Friday, April 10, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. in the Frits E. Lawaetz Conference Room on St. Croix, Virgin Islands to provide testimony on the following:

BLOCK I                                                                                                                              10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.

The Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture will convene a hearing focused on Sustainable Economic Development to receive testimony from government agencies, authorities, and institutional partners regarding policies, programs, and initiatives that support long-term economic growth in the Virgin Islands. In light of the approximately $25 billion in federal awards secured by the Territory, the hearing will examine how these resources are being translated into meaningful opportunity and measurable outcomes. The Committee will assess cross-sector coordination related to land use and planning, workforce development, housing availability, infrastructure financing, innovation and research, disaster recovery, agriculture, tourism, and data-driven economic analysis, with particular attention to actions being taken to maximize the impact of these investments across communities, government agencies, for-profit enterprises, and nonprofit organizations.

Invited Testifiers:
Honorable Jennifer Matarangas-King, Commissioner, VI Department of Tourism
Wayne L. Biggs, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, VI Economic Development Authority
Dr. Haldane Davies, Director, Bureau of Economic Research
Eric Sonnier, Director, UVI Research & Technology Park
Dwayne Alexander, Director, VI Housing Authority

LUNCH                                                                                                                                       12:00 P.M. – 1:00 P.M.

BLOCK II                                                                                                                                    1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M.

Continuation of testimony from government agencies, authorities, and institutional partners regarding sustainable economic development initiatives in the Virgin Islands. Testimony will further examine implementation and execution of programs supported by federal funding, including how approximately $25 billion in federal awards are being coordinated, deployed, and leveraged to maximize impact across communities, government agencies, for-profit enterprises, and nonprofit organizations. Discussion will also address cross-sector collaboration related to land use and planning, workforce development, housing availability, infrastructure financing, innovation and research, disaster recovery, agriculture, tourism, and data-driven economic analysis.

Invited Testifiers:
Honorable Jean-Pierre L. Oriol, Commissioner, VI Department of Planning & Natural Resources
Honorable Dr. Louis E. Petersen, Jr., Commissioner, VI Department of Agriculture
Honorable Gary A. Molloy, Commissioner, VI Department of Labor
Dr. Safiya George, President, University of the Virgin Islands