1 Committee on Rules and Judiciary October 23, 2025 Joan Foy Nominee to the Governing Board of the V.I. Water and Power Authority Good day Chairperson, Senator Carla J. Joseph, other members of the Committee on Rules and Judiciary, other members of the 36th Legislature present, and the listening and viewing audience. I am Joan Foy. I would like to thank Governor Albert Bryan and Lt. Governor Tregenza Roach for their confidence in my ability to serve on the Governing Board of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority. I am a United States Virgin Islander born to British Virgin Islands’ parents. As a child I grew up in Savan before relocating to New York City. I returned to the Virgin Islands in 1973 and graduated from Charlotte Amalie High School in 1977. I attended Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia, now Clark Atlanta University. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare. After graduation, I was employed with the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services as a Social Worker in the Protective Service Division. I then attended Case Westin Reserve University, Mandell School of Applied Social Science in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated in 1983 with a Master of Science in Applied Social Science with a concentration in Maternal Health and Health specializing in Planning, Development and Organization. It was at Case Westin Reserve University that my continued love for statistical analyses expanded. I took several PhD courses in statistics. I learned that the Department of Health had positions that could utilize my skill set. I applied for and began my career as a Health Planner. I was instrumental in obtaining funding and physicians for both the St. Thomas East End and Frederiksted Health Centers. I was promoted to the position of Assistant Director of Maternal and Child Health and Children with Special Health Care Needs. In this role, I wrote grant applications and acquired funding for pregnant mothers and children of the Virgin Islands while managing the daily operation of the division. I was disturbed to learn previous data requested from the federal government were submitted as “unavailable.” This encouraged me to create the first database to obtain vital data to document the health status of the people of the Virgin Islands. With the assistance of the Center for Disease Control and the then Medical Director of the Division, Dr. Donna Christian Christiansen, we developed the first Health Status Survey documenting the various illnesses that confront our residents. I was later assigned to develop a database to capture data from all the departments treating patients, i.e., MCH, WIC, and the community 2 clinics. The data captured provided the information needed to apply for much needed funding. In 1989, I decided to pursue another passion, my love for finance. I attended the University of Pittsburg, Katz Graduate school of business. I graduated in 1990 with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Finance and Management Information System. I accepted employment with Broadway and Seymour, a financial services integration company, in Charlotte, North Carolina. There I was trained in the development of “System Development Life Cycle (SDLC), a structured framework used to plan, create, test, and deploy information systems. While on a visit to the Virgin Islands with fellow employees, we proposed a strategy to provide management assistance to the Departments of Health and Planning and Natural Resources, who had obtained a grant to develop a GIS system. I was approached by Mr. Donald Francois to return to the Virgin Islands and work for the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority. I applied and was hired as the Authority’s Financial Analyst. Preparing financial ratios on monthly financial statements, analyzing the benefits of projects, and presenting findings to the Governing Board were just a few of my responsibilities. I collaborated with several consulting firms to prepare rate cases and developed a Five-Year Financial Planning Model. I was later transferred to the position of Manager of Budget and Cash. In that position, I was responsible for the budgetary and cash management functions of the Authority as well as financial reporting and preparing cost-benefit analysis on capital projects. I prepared Official Statements and attended meetings with both bond holders and bond rating agencies in New York City. I was instrumental in obtaining the Authority’s first Line of Credit with First Bank and Banco Popular. I was part of the team when the Authority developed its first Strategic Plan and used the “Management by Objectives (MBO)” strategic management approach to prepare measurable objectives and realistic goals. When Mr. Alberto Bruno-Vega returned to the Authority, he asked me to be his Special Assistant. I was assigned a myriad of assignments; most memorable include identifying financial and production issues and finding workable solutions. My career with the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority spans over 32 years serving in various positions, including Special Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer, as the Acting Chief Financial Officer, and as the Acting Chief Administrative Officer. My tenure at the Authority provided me with a unique and extensive knowledge base in all functionalities of the utility. I have been instrumental in reducing the cost of leases, reducing the use of consultants, and documenting avenues to save money. My last position as Director of Pricing, Rates, and Strategic Planning provided an opportunity to provide much 3 needed guidance in setting manageable goals and objectives for the Authority, while balancing the needs of the community and the Authority as a whole. Given the opportunity to serve on the Board of the Virgin Islands Water and Power will leverage my credibility and allow me to influence positive changes that benefit both the Authority and the Virgin Islands community. My immediate goals for the Authority that I hope I can influence are: -Assist with determining the most efficient use of the limited production power generation equipment available to the Authority until new sources of generation are fully online. -Require that a Cost-Benefit Analysis be prepared for all projects costing over $1 million dollars. -Reduce cost overrun on projects by requiring monthly updates on projects approved by the Board. -Streamline the Authority’s personnel staff to keep pace with declining sales and revenue. -Acquire property for the construction of the Authority's new Administration Building. I would like to thank the 36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands for considering my nomination to the Governing Board of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority. I am ready to respond to any questions you may have as to my qualifications.