USVI to Host N.O.B.E.L. Women Conference in 2023, Representing Major Opportunity for Economy and National Influence
The U.S. Virgin Islands will play host to the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative (N.O.B.E.L.) Women in July 2023 on St. Thomas, the Office of Senate President Donna Frett-Gregory made known Wednesday.
2022-08-25 12:29:43 - VI News Staff
The announcement represents a major opportunity for the territory on various levels, including exposure to major economic players who sponsor the event, while providing the USVI with an opportunity to build ties with leaders on the mainland whose goals of positive impact align with local challenges.
The decision was made following a meeting hosted by Ms. Frett-Gregory this week, which also included other members of the 34th Legislature.
Ms. Frett-Gregory's office said the N.O.B.E.L Women, led by President Juandalynn Givan, the state representative from Alabama, were visiting the territory as part of a process to vet locations for their Annual Legislative Conference. Ms. Givan was joined by 2nd Vice President Tonya Anderson, state senator from Georgia, Treasurer Regina Barrow, state senator from Louisiana, and N.O.B.E.L. Historian and President Elect of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL), Laura Hall, state representative from Alabama.
The annual meeting attracts more than 200 Black women legislators along with corporate and community leaders to discuss matters impacting Black communities nationwide. The formal announcement to include naming Ms. Frett-Gregory as the ALC committee chair will be made during the 2022 Annual Legislative Conference in Washington D.C. on October 7.
During an interview with the Consortium Wednesday night, Ms. Givan said opportunities await the territory as a result of the upcoming conference. "I feel that if I'm going to put economic dollars into a community, why not put it into a community that is populated by Black, Caribbean people just as I would put it into areas that are highly represented by other ethnicities," Ms. Givan said as she spoke on the decision to choose the USVI.
"To me it was God's divine purpose for us to be here," she also stated, revealing that once officially announced on Oct. 7, the decision to choose the USVI as the location for the 2023 conference will be her first as chair of the board and president of N.O.B.E.L. Women. Ms. Givan has been in the territory for about a week and has met with local stakeholders both public and private including officials of the V.I. Dept. of Tourism and executives of Frenchman’s Reef.
"We're not only coming as legislative leaders, we're also bringing the influences of major corporations that may have never ever come to the Virgin Islands," said Ms. Givan, who also revealed Coca-Cola, pharmaceutical company Vertex, and AT&T as some of the event's sponsors.