2009 Board of Directors

EDGAR BENGOA (Treasurer)

is President/CEO of Bengoa International, Inc., which specializes in both commercial and residential air conditioning and refrigeration services. He has been an active member of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce since 1994, previously serving on the Board of Directors from 2000 - 2006 and as Treasurer from 2004 - 2006. He moved to the Virgin Islands with his parents in 1972 at the age of five. He graduated from St. Peter and Paul in St. Thomas in 1985. He then earned a degree in Computer Engineering in 1988 from DeVry Institute of Technology. In 1993, he relocated to St. Croix to open the island’s first true air conditioning and refrigeration supply store. Bengoa International, Inc. was voted by the Virgin Islands Daily News as the best air conditioning and refrigeration business in the Virgin Islands in 2007. The company has provided air conditioning and refrigeration services to Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital, the University of the Virgin Islands, the Almerick Christian Federal Building, the United States Post Office and the U. S. Customs Border and Protection Service, among others. Mr. Bengoa was named the best Hispanic business person in the Virgin Islands by the University of the Virgin Islands and Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2007.

KEVIN BRANDT

has been involved in the Hedge Fund industry for 25 years. He is a Founder and currently serves as Principal of the James River Capital group of companies. He also serves as President of James River Capital Corp. and James River Financial Corp. From 1987 until January 2005, he was the Senior Vice President of Kidder, Peabody, and Co. Mr. Brandt joined Kidder in 1983 and was Assistant Director of Kidder’s Managed Accounts and Commodity Funds from 1987 through December 1994. Prior to joining Kidder, he had been the co-founder of a legal research firm and had managed family real estate interests.

LINDA BRUTON

is the Publisher of the relocation guide, The Settler’s Handbook for the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as Sales Manager for SkyMed/Virgin Islands Air Ambulance. She has been an active member of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce since 1992, serving as a volunteer for numerous Chamber projects and activities. She moved to St. Croix in 1991 to work for Travelhost magazine. She previously worked for a Chicago telephone company and prior to that lived in San Diego, where she obtained a BA degree in marketing and worked for San Diego Gas Co. A native of Toronto, Canada, she developed an early interest in diving and created the publication Dive Canada. Since arriving on St. Croix, she has worked in sales, advertising and marketing for Bohlke Airways, Tutu Park Mall, Divi Resorts and VisitStCroix.com. In 2002, she purchased the rights to The Settler’s Handbook for the U. S. Virgin Islands and has published three revisions to date. She also has developed a DVD entitled “St. Croix’s Hidden Secrets” and recently produced a short and long version of the DVD “Get Hooked on St. Croix.” She currently is a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Croix Hotel Association and is a member of the St. Croix Yacht Club. She is a past member of the Advertising Club of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix Chapter.

DR. RALPH DeCHABERT

comes from a well-known native Virgin Islands family. He is a retired pediatric physician and a long-time businessman and civic leader. He and other members of the DeChabert family established and owned Sunny Isle Shopping Center until it was sold two years ago. He has been an active member and generous supporter of numerous St. Croix civic, charitable and educational organizations and institutions, including the University of the Virgin Islands.

OMER ErSELCUK (Chair/President)

is President/CEO of Seaborne Airlines and Vice Chairman of the Governor’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Committee. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce for the past four years. He previously served as Vice Chairman of Internal Affairs and has been a member of the Executive Committee, Economic Affairs Committee and Tourism/Marketing Committee. He also previously served as chair of the Chamber’s Economic Affairs-Macroeconomic Policy & Development Committee. Mr. ErSelcuk joined Seaborne Virgin Islands, Inc. in 2000 as Chief Marketing Officer. He was named Vice President of Sales and Service in 2006 and was elevated to President/CEO in early 2007. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Seaborne Virgin Islands, Inc. Prior to joining Seaborne, he was Sales and Marketing Manager from 1995 to 1999 for British Airways, Plc and Manager of Route Planning and Development from 1994 to 1995 for Dolphin Express Airlines. Mr. ErSelcuk holds a BS degree in Aeronautical Science from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Missouri. He also holds FAA licenses as a Commercial Pilot, Flight Instructor and Flight Engineer. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Association.

ROSE FREY

is an Assistant Vice President of First Bank and Manager of its Sunny Isle Branch. She is a native of St. Croix and graduated from St. Croix Country Day School. She holds an associates degree in Financial Services from Hillsborough Community College and a BA degree in Business Administration from the University of the Virgin Islands. She has 22 years of experience in banking. She spent 15 years in the Tampa, FL area, working with Commercial Bank of St. Petersburg, Savings and Loan in Tampa, Hillsborough County Credit Union, Central Bank of Tampa and Solomon Brothers Brokerage Firm. She returned to St. Croix in 1997, joining Chase Manhattan Bank, which was later purchased by First Bank. She is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society and is an active participant in all of First Bank’s community programs, including Relay for Life, Student First and seminars for AARP members.

FRAN GEOCARIS

is Marketing Manager at Divi Carina Bay Casino and a third-year member of the Board of Directors of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce. She has actively served on several Chamber committees, including the Education and Marketing Committees and most recently chaired the Membership Committee, which is responsible for updating and printing the Who’s Who in Business Membership Directory. Fran also assists at Chamber luncheons and Business After Hour events. Originally from Chicago, IL Fran has traveled parts of the world and most of the United States as a meeting planner. She has a BS degree in Marketing and moved to St. Croix in 1997. As a member of the Advertising Club of the Virgin Islands, she produced (music and video) for the ADVI Awards (presented in St. Thomas) in 2003. Fran’s ties with St. Croix have offered her numerous opportunities, including judging the Guavaberry Competition at Estate Whim this past November. She also was featured in a television spot on TV2. You can meet Fran at the casino or while she’s working at Chamber functions, but she says you’ll get a better laugh if you watch her compete in her Tuesday night bowling league!

TARA NICOLE LEE

is an independent business consultant and a former financial advisor for Stanford Financial Group. She joined Stanford Financial from UBS Financial Services, Inc. on St. Croix. Prior to joining UBS Financial Services, Inc. in 2006, she was a Fund Service Associate with Denali Asset Management, LLP, a hedge fund company on St. Croix. Tara moved to St. Croix in early 2006. She was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA and previously was a Service Consultant with Delaware Investments, a mutual fund company in Philadelphia. She earned a BA degree in International Relations with a minor in Economics from Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA, where she also was a student intern in the Office of Donor Resources. While born and raised on the mainland, Tara has always considered St. Croix a second home, traveling twice a year to visit her family here. Her mother, Graciela Cabret Lee, was born and raised on St. Croix. She is a member of the Rotary Club of St. Croix and has also served as a volunteer for the Frederiksted Animal Clinic, the St. Croix Foundation Kiddie Carnival, the St. George Botanical Garden and the Good Hope School. She is fluent in both English and Spanish.

MATTHEW LEONARD

currently is the St. Croix Island Manager for Deliver It Inc. oversees all day to day operations. Deliver It serves the USVI as largest cruise ship and mega yacht agent, also provides LCL and FCL cargo shipping from US, Canada, and PR. Prior to St. Croix he lived in St. Thomas serving in the same capacity. Matthew is a board member-elect for Rotary Club of St. Croix - Mid Isle, member of the Governors’ St. Croix cruise ship taskforce, and volunteers his time in projects at the St. Croix Boys and Girls Club. Matthew received his B.S. in Economic and Business Management from University of North Carolina at Wilmington, he also has an M.B.A. in International Business from Butler University.

NOEL LOFTUS

is the President of Floor Specialists, Inc. currently serves on the WAPA Board of Directors. He has lived on St. Croix for the past 34 years. He is a past member of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and served as President of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce in 1990, 1998 and 1999. Active politically, he ran unsuccessful campaigns as a candidate for the Virgin Islands Legislature on three occasions. He has been a member of the Virgin Islands Cruise Ship Task Force and the Virgin Islands Five Year Economic Recovery Team. He has a BS degree in marketing from Northern Illinois University and completed 24 hours of graduate work in finance at Loyola University. He has two adult children living on the United States mainland.

STUART LOGAN (Chair-Elect)

is the Manager of Contractor Services and a member of the senior management team of Pinnacle Services, LLC, which employs approximately 120 people. In his position, he manages 50 professionals who provide Administrative Support Services, Logistics Services, Safety Training, Medical Testing, First Aid Services, and Transportation Services to HOVENSA and its subcontractors. He also is the Managing Director of Pinnacle Sales and Services, which sells safety supplies and rents portable office space. He is a 23-year resident of St. Croix.

SCOT McCHAIN (Vice Chair)

is a partner in the McChain Nissman Law Group. He was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 9, 1967. He lived in Ohio, Illinois, and Texas before moving to the Virgin Islands in1997. McChain received his law degree from the University of Houston in 1997. He was admitted to the Virgin Islands bar in 1997. He was admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in 1998. He was Treasurer of the Virgin Islands Bar Association for the 2004 fiscal year, and is a member of the Board of Governors and Ethics & Grievance Committee for 2005. His areas of practice include insurance defense, business/transactional, landlord-tenant, construction, and general civil practice. McChain went to college at the University of Texas where he graduated with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting in 1990. He received his CPA license in 1993 also in the state of Texas. He practiced accountancy for three year in the areas of auditing and mortgage banking before attending law school.

DR. RODERICK MOOREHEAD

is a licensed, independent business, management and educational consultant, as well as a trainer and motivational speaker, with 36 years of experience in leading public and private organizations in the Virgin Islands and the mainland. He currently is a Special Advisor to Commissioner of Education Laverne Terry. He has been an active member of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce since 1980 and has been elected to the Board of Directors on three prior occasions (1984, 2001 & 2004). During his tenure on the Board, he led many of the Chamber’s community, educational and outreach activities, including the Chamber’s interactions with the Virgin Islands Department of Education, the Business Awards Program and Dinner and the Speaker’s Program. A native of St. Croix, he completed his elementary and secondary education at local schools. He subsequently earned a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree at the then College of the Virgin Islands. Dr. Moorehead ultimately earned his Doctorate’s degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Moorehead joined the faculty of the University of the Virgin Islands in 1974 and had a distinguished 26-year career as an Academic Administrator and Professor of Higher Education and Public Administration. While at UVI, he was a leading advocate for increased autonomy and finances for the St. Croix campus. He resigned as the Academic Dean of Instruction of UVI’s St. Croix campus in 2000 and entered the private sector.

DAVID NISSMAN

is a former U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Virgin Islands, appointed by then-President George H.W. Bush. His anti-public corruption, money laundering, tax and drug trafficking prosecutions brought him widespread acclaim and, upon his retirement in 2004, the United States Attorney’s Office on St. Croix was named the David Marshall Nissman Justice Center. He is the author of numerous law articles and books. Since retiring from public life, he has focused his energies on business, consulting and publishing interests. He has served as CEO of Bridge Capital, a major development and lending company. He recently started his own financial management company, Hamilton Management, LLC. He also maintains a private legal practice, specializing in commercial transactions, tax matters, extradition cases and as an advisor to law enforcement and government agencies. He and his family have lived on St. Croix for 20 years. He volunteers his time to a variety of education and community institutions and organizations, including the public school system and the Women’s Coalition of St. Croix.

FRED URY

is a Manager with Terminix USVI. He was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Board of Directors of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce in 2006. He has been an active member of the Chamber’s By-Laws Committee, Scholarship Committee, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Liaison Committee and Business After Hours Committee. He has a business degree from Central State University in Oklahoma and held various management positions with Southwestern Bell Telephone from 1973 to 1993. He moved to St. Croix in 1994. He owned and operated the Rainbow Beach Club from 1994 to 2004. He previously has served on the Board of Directors of the Ada Oklahoma Lions Club, the South Central Tourism Council of Oklahoma, the San Antonio North Lions Club and the Fort Worth West Rotary Club. He also previously was assistant director of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Membership Committee and is a graduate of Leadership San Antonio.

LORINE WILLIAMS

is a real estate broker with Coldwell Banker, Land-de Wilde Realty. She began her real estate career in southern New Jersey in 1979. While vacationing in the Caribbean in 1984, Lorine fell in love with St. Croix and moved her family to begin a new adventure. She received her Broker’s license and worked with Pivar Real Estate for 16 years before joining Coldwell Banker Land-de Wilde Realty in 2002. Most recently, Lorine received the prestigious Diamond Award from Coldwell Banker® for outstanding sales volume. Lorine has played an active role with the St. Croix Board of Realtors® and the Territorial Association of Realtors, and has held nearly every board position. She is the past National Director of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) representing the Virgin Islands for six years. She has been awarded the coveted “Realtor of the Year” award from the Virgin Islands. She was also instrumental in creating the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) a Board of Realtors sponsored system, utilizing a computer based system which is still in use today.

JOE ZEPPUHAR

is the Vice-President and Director of Turner St. Croix Maintenance, Inc. (TSCM), a petrochemical and refinery Maintenance Company, incorporated in the USVI.  TSCM is the largest contractor at HOVENSA and one of the top private sector employers on the island of St. Croix. Joe has worked for over 25 years in various leadership capacities in the petrochemical industry. He has headed major projects in Curacao and most recently in Eastern Europe for Turner Industries, LLC of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Prior to joining Turner in 1990, he worked for EXXON in Baton Rouge, LA for over 18 years. Since taking over the reigns of TSMC, Mr. Zeppuhar has immersed the company and himself in the life of our St. Croix community. In 2008, under his leadership, TSMC was selected as Company of the Year by the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce. Joe serves on the Board of the SCGA and was a lead organizer of the recent Eastern Caribbean Golf Association tournament at the Carambola Golf Course which attracted various Eastern Caribbean countries. Joe has represented the Virgin Islands in many competitive Tournaments throughout the Caribbean over the last four years and was the 2008 Carambola Club Champion. Joe and his wife Sarah have decided to make St. Croix a long-term venture and own a home on the island. Their two children, Zane and Slade, are enrolled in Country Day School.