Discussions on the state of territory’s economy, rising crime levels and tourism industry will be at the forefront of a one-day economic summit hosted by the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce.
The summit kicks off at 8 a.m. Friday at the Marriot Frenchman’s Reef Resort on St. Thomas. It’s open to the public and will feature a number of speakers and panelists, including Gov. John deJongh Jr., Senate President Louis P. Hill and Labor Commissioner Albert Bryan Jr., along with Sens. Neville James, Shawn-Michael Malone and other local business leaders.
The guest speaker is Warren Jestin, Scotiabank’s senior vice president and chief economist. Jestin, who has been with the bank for 31 years, has also worked at Bank of Canada, taught at several Canadian universities and serves on the advisory boards for the University of Guelph Heritage Fund and the Sobey School of Business at Mary’s University.
“We understand that there are many factors impacting the state of the economy globally, but we would like to take this opportunity to discuss the three critical areas that impact the survival of our local businesses,” said St. Thomas-St. John Chamber President Tom Brunt Sr.
Summit panelists and participants will explore how the business community can join forces to face new challenges that have come up during the current economic downturn, and determine how the territory’s tourism product can be improved and whether it can compete with other neighboring islands, he said.
“The purpose of the summit is to go beyond rehashing what we know is not working,” said summit chairwoman Janette Millin Young. “That’s why we are pleased that not only is the business community gearing up to make suggestions as to how we can go about emerging successfully from this recession, but also to ensure there is follow through from our partners in government.”
Tickets to the summit are $10 per person and $25 for lunch if bought by Wednesday. After Wednesday, tickets will be $15 per person and $30 for lunch. For tickets or more information on the event, contact the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce at 776-0100, or any board member.
Summit sponsors include Innovative Telephone Directory, Marriott Frenchman’s Reef, Scotiabank, the V.I. Labor Department, MSI Building Supplies, Tutu Park Mall, the V.I. Daily News, West Indian Co. Ltd., Theodore Tunick & Company, West Indies Corp., McDonalds and Windward Passage Hotel.