Gov. Charles W. Turnbull has appointed Monique Sibilly-Hodge of St. Thomas to serve as acting Tourism commissioner just one day after the Legislature rejected the nomination of Clement "Cain" Magras to fill the post.
Turnbull on Friday thanked the senators for approving 12 of 13 Cabinet nominees the day before. He voiced regret that Magras would not have the opportunity to serve as commissioner of Tourism but said he served well as acting commissioner.
Sibilly-Hodge has been assistant commissioner since March. She was the assistant executive director at the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce for eight years before leaving the chamber to join Tourism in January.
Magras was engulfed in controversy in April when a longtime Tourism employee filed charges of sexual harassment against him.
But the vote to reject his nomination fell along island lines. All seven St. Croix senators and At-large Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd voted against him, saying that he hadn't effectively promoted St. Croix.
Turnbull said Sibilly-Hodge will serve as acting Tourism commissioner until further notice.