Gov. Roy L. Schneider and his top lieutenants have been removed from the West Indian Co. Ltd. board and replaced by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull and five other people, St. Thomas Source has learned.
The action was taken by the Public Finance Authority earlier this month but has not been announced.
Removed from the nine-member board were Schneider, former Finance Commissioner Juan Centeno, former Attorney General Julio Brady, former Budget Director Nellon Bowry, PFA executive director Amadeo I.D. Francis and Lincoln Oliver.
Appointed in their place were Turnbull, gubernatorial assistant Rudolph Krigger, St. Thomas attorney Arturo Watlington Jr., St. Croix businesswoman Frandelle Gerard, former St. Croix Sen. Bent Lawaetz and Leona Smith of St. John.
The only three board members who retained their positions were WICO President Edward E. Thomas, WICO spokesman Calvin Wheatley and Banco Popular Vice President Gwendolyn Adams, a former Finance commissioner.
Francis could not be reached for comment on the PFA's actions and the terms for the new members.
Wheatley said he had not been notified of any changes and thus could not comment on the new members or their terms.
WICO board members don't require Senate confirmation and serve at the PFA's pleasure, though for continuity's sake, members' terms are set at three years.
The PFA is a five-member board controlled by three government officials: the governor, the Finance commissioner and the director of the Office of Management and Budget. This means that the governor effectively controls not only PFA actions but WICO appointments.
Here is the list of former WICO board members, with the dates of their appointment or reappointment and the date their terms were supposed to expire:
Edward E. Thomas, February 1997, February 2000
Lincoln I. Oliver, February 1997, February 2000
Amadeo I.D. Francis, February 1998, February 2001
Gwendolyn Adams, February 1997, February 2000
Nellon Bowry, February 1996, February 1999
Julio A. Brady, February 1996, February 1999
Juan Centeno, February 1998, February 2001
Gov. Roy L. Schneider, February 1998, February 2001
Calvin H. Wheatley, February 1996, February 1999