Energy Office Hires Three New Staff
     June 13, 2007 -- V.I. Energy Office lost four staff members in the last year. Three new members joined the staff in May. They don't specifically replace the outgoing staff, but they are a welcome addition.
     Director Bevan R. Smith Jr. said, "These people are key to the future of the Energy Office, actually, to the future of the Virgin Islands. They will bring strength in technical skills beyond anything the office has had before. This is extremely important as more and more residents are seeking technical information about alternative energy and energy efficiency."
     Two of the new staff members will work out of the St. Thomas office. Kendall Sanderson is a new Program Specialist. Idita Matthew Peters is the new Administrative Aid.
Radclyffe Percy is a Supervisor of Engineering at the St. Croix office. He says he has been interested in energy issues for a number of years. He explains, "I believe energy concerns are one of the most important issues we face. As the cost of energy continues to rise we could face dire economic consequences. We have to find solutions."
Percy graduated from the University of Detroit with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering. His focus was on automotive mechanics.
     At the Energy Office he will oversee the net metering program. Percy, who worked for Vitelco for a dozen years, will also provide technical assistance in other areas at the office.
Kendall Sanderson brings with her to the St. Thomas office experience in Florida obtaining and adhering to required permits and grants.
     She has also been a Water and Sanitation Extension Agent in Kenya. This was when she was a member of the Peace Corp, 1998 to 2000.
     She also brings many communication skills. She has taught French and English as a Second Language.
     Her duties at the Energy Office will include overseeing the enforcement of building codes as they relate to energy. She will also be involved in enforcing energy efficiency standards that are already on the books.
     She says, "I am very interested in renewable energy and its contribution to our future."
     Mathew Peters brings a half dozen years of experience performing administrative chores to her new position at the Energy Office. She most recently worked at Smith Real Estate Services in St. Thomas. Before that she was working in the V.I Housing Authority Community Service. She also has experience in the marketing division at Tutu Park Mall. She has been involved with community organizations such as the Weed & Seed Program and the Bovoni Resident Council and the Head Start Policy Council.
     She says that she has enjoyed working at the Energy Office so far. She explains, "The people I have been working with are great. They are nice, courteous, friendly and kind."

Energy Office Employee Recognized
     Don Buchanan was selected to be the Department of Planning and Natural Resources St. Croix 2007 Employee of the Year. Buchanan came to work in the Energy Office, a division of DPNR, in February of 2006 as the Media Information Specialist.
     His responsibilities include writing press releases, organizing outreaches, maintaining the web site, and publishing brochures and newsletters.
     The V.I. Department of Personnel recognized the Employees of the Year in a series of events during the third week of May.
     The events culminated with an award ceremony at the Divi Carina Bay Resort on May 25.
     Buchanan said, as he received his award, “I feel blessed to be working at the Energy Office. There is a great group of people working there."
     Bevan R. Smith Jr., director of the Energy Office, said, "Don's overt professionalism is recognized and consistent with the values of the Energy Office, the department, and the government of the Virgin Islands."
     Before coming to the Energy Office, Buchanan worked two years as the editor of the St. Croix Source. When he lived on the continent, he published and edited various publications in New England, Ohio, and West Virginia.
In his time away from the Energy Office, he dives the reefs around the Virgin Islands.
     His wife Carol works for the St. Croix Source and his daughter Megan attends the University of the Virgin Islands. He has a son Sean attending Akron Law School.

Employee Earns Honor

Leila D. Muller, Program Monitor II, was selected as the V.I. Energy Office Employee of the Year for 2006. She was recognized by Department of Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Dean C. Plaskett and awarded a certificate at the Department’s Christmas party on Dec. 23.
In announcing the selection Bevan R. Smith Jr., director of the Energy Office, noted that Leila has been employed at the VIEO for four years.
He continued, “In this short time, her contributions have been monumental. Leila is responsible for spearheading outreach activities that educate elementary school students as well as government agencies, community organizations, and the general population on the offerings of our educational/outreach program efforts.   Additionally, she is responsible for our most stellar program, the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Rebate Program, which affords residents rebates on e-star appliances, photovoltaic panels, solar water heaters, water heater timers, wind turbine generators, inverters, and compact fluorescent lighting purchases that equates to energy saving on electricity bills.

He added, “The selection of Employee of the Year  is not an easy task, and did not come easily.  Leila met all of the very difficult criteria that included: professionalism, customer focus, quality of work, teamwork, and innovation.  She has displayed diligence and patience in the manner in which she has approached her duties and responsibilities.  Additionally, her attendance record is exemplary, she is very meticulous in the organization of her work output, and is forever offering ideas or suggestions for the improvement of her programs.”  

Leila has received certificate of appreciations from over a half dozen community organizations and businesses including the St. Croix Rotary Club and Divi Bay Casino and Resort.

Staff Preaches Wise Energy Use

Energy Awareness Mont, October 2006, in the Virgin Islands was an overwhelming success with staff attending 18 outreach events across the three islands and discussing energy efficiency and alternative energy sources with several hundred residents. The events attracted the attention of TV stations, newspapers and an internet publication further spreading the word about energy issues. (In the photograph on right, staff members Don Buchanan and Kasim Andrews helped the St. John Elaine Ione Sprauve Library convert to energy efficient lighting during one outreach.)

One measure of the success was increased traffic on this web site. The web site has had about 2,000 visits. This is up from 747 visits last October. This increase was not totally from outreach. Since the Energy Office’s web site was revamped in July, it has been averaging about 1,500 visits a month.The web site is an in-house production that has benefited from the University of Virgin Islands and resident input. Readers are encouraged to e-mail any technical advice they may have on improving the page.

The Energy Awareness outreaches were conducted at parks on St. Thomas and St. John, at a church on St. Croix, at a couple of post offices, both university campuses, and many cooperating businesses. Residents and students with a curiosity about energy issues were able to talk to Energy Office staff about energy efficiency and alternative energy resources.Residents also benefited from the Change a Light Campaign.

Residents who brought an incandescent light bulb to the outreaches were able to exchange it for an energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulb. During the month, over half a dozen newspaper articles were published about the Energy Office.  The office also arranged to have energy efficiency tips running on five radio stations and a TV commercial ran periodically on NBC. The theme of the month was Choose Wisely, Use Wisely.

Residents Plan to Retire and Be Energy Efficient Aug. 15, 2006 -- Joseph Daniel, Energy Operations Coordinator, gave a presentation at a Government Employees' Retirement System workshop in August in St. Thomas. About two dozen people attended the sessions which were geared to help government employees prepare for retirement.

Daniel focused his talk and slides on how people can save money through energy efficiency. He encouraged his audience to become energy aware because conserving energy can be a challenge, and when it is accomplished, it can be personally satisfying.

He began his presentation quoting from a Daily News article about impending hikes in gasoline prices. He ended his talk with basic tips concerning the conservation of gasoline – properly inflated tires, regular tune ups, and driving smoothly.

The major proportion of his talk concerned energy saving techniques in the home. He pointed out the savings involved for a home that had solar water heating. He said the savings on a Virgin Islands resident's WAPA bill paid for the solar water heater in just a couple years and then it was just pure profit for the home owner.

He also pointed out that savings that one can make by replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. He said although the compact fluorescents were a little more expensive at the initial purchase, they lasted 10 times as long as incandescent. He calculated that a resident who replaces a 100 watt incandescent bulb with a comparable compact fluorescent saves $242 over the lifetime of that bulb.

Daniel, who has been working at the Energy Office since the end of last year, says he looks forward to making many more presentations to a wide variety of audiences. To contact Daniel, click here.