April 12, 2007 — Gov. John deJongh Jr. has announced the appointment of Darryl A. Smalls as Public Works commissioner and Gizette Canegata-Thomas as director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, according to a Government House release issued Wednesday.
“Mr. Smalls brings to the job of commissioner an engineering background that is so crucial to safeguarding the infrastructure of the territory. Additionally, his work at Schneider Regional and within the private sector adds a critical perspective to the need to ensure responsiveness,” deJongh said.
The governor noted the administration's aim of returning Public Works to a primary role in capital projects to ensure enhanced coordination and accountability. “Whatever changes have to be made to the system to achieve this objective will be done in a manner that is in the best interest of the community,” he said.
According to the release, Smalls has served over 15 years in senior operations management, including project leadership in administrative, engineering, and electrical capacities at the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital and the Schneider Regional Medical Center in St. Thomas.
For the past four years, Smalls has been vice president of facility management and capital development at Schneider Regional Medical Center, where he presided over the construction, procurement, and financing of the Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute.
Smalls is licensed as a certified professional engineer, electrical contractor and master electrician and is a past president of the Alvin McBean East Little League.
Canegata-Thomas comes to the directorship of BIR, having served as the bureau’s acting director since January 1, 2007. Prior to this year, Canegata-Thomas served for six years as deputy director of the bureau on St. Croix. In that capacity, she oversaw office operations including management of employees. Canegata-Thomas has also held the position of associate counsel.
Canegata-Thomas also served as a law clerk in the then territorial court and as a dislocated worker unit coordinator in the Department of Labor.
Canegata-Thomas said, "I will ensure that the rights of taxpayers of the Virgin Islands are protected while making certain that all taxes due and owing to the territory’s treasury are collected in an efficient manner.”
Canegata-Thomas is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center where she earned a J.D. in 1993. Three years earlier she graduated from Hampton University Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor's in accounting. She holds bar memberships in both the Virgin Islands and Pennsylvania.
“The Bureau of Internal Revenue is at a critical point in its development, especially as the U.S. Treasury implements rules and regulations without our input and enforces procedures that are contrary to past practice. These are all actions that have a tremendous impact on the residents of this community,” deJongh said. The governor said he said believes Director Canegata-Thomas has the skills and leadership to provide the credibility that is so crucial to the government’s relationship with Treasury, yet take a hard look at the bureau’s operations and make the enhancements necessary to improve its functioning.
Both nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the 27th Legislature.
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