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1 PREPARED STATEMENT OF WINSTON M. A. WILLIAMS, JR, TO THE COMMITTEE ON RULES AND JUDICIARY 36TH LEGISLATURE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS May 8, 2025 Good day Honorable Carla J. Joseph, Chairwoman of the 36th Legislature’s Committee on Rules and Judiciary, Honorable Senator Kenneth L. Gittens, Vice-Chairman. Members of the Committee on Rules and Judiciary, Honorable Milton E. Potter, Honorable Avery L. Lewis, Honorable Angel L. Bolques Jr., Honorable Alma Francis Heyliger, Honorable Clifford A. Joseph. Good day to the other members of the 36th Legislature present, testifiers, and the listening and viewing audience. My name is Winston M. A. Williams, Jr. a proud son of the Virgin Islands’. I am honored to appear before you today regarding my nomination to the Virgin Islands Board of Contractors, Trades, and Crafts. I would like to thank Governor Albert Bryan Jr. for my nomination to the board and to this Committee for the opportunity to present my testimony today. Honorable Senators, please be assured that I take this nomination with the utmost seriousness. I have thoroughly reviewed Title 27, Chapter 10, Sections 330 and 331 of the Virgin Islands Code and related statutes. I am confident that my education, professional experience, and commitment to excellence will allow me to serve the Board with integrity and effectiveness. 2 ​ A brief background about myself. I am a native son of the Virgin Islands and a proud graduate of Antilles High School. I began my journey in the construction industry here at home, working various jobs such as surveyor’s assistant and laborer for several local contractors. After completing my Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at Howard University I returned back home in 1995 in the wake of Hurricane Marilyn and worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), started my own construction company and worked for the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) in the Division of Environmental Protection. In 1999 I moved back to the mainland and have worked in a myriad of construction management roles, to include but not limited to Estimator, Scheduler, Project Engineer, Project Manager, Director of Construction, Project Executive, Sr. Vice President and Business Owner. While abroad I also obtained my Master of Business Administration from Emory University with a focus in entrepreneurship. Over the past 30+ years I have managed over one million square feet of construction projects ranging from $1.5 million to $950 million. The project types have included a 30 story high-end condominium, a LEED Gold Certified CDC Laboratory Building, a 334,000 square-foot, 20,000 seat soccer stadium and a 500 acre 120 MW solar plant. I am a licensed General Contractor in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Oregon, Cheyenne Wyoming and the US Virgin Islands. Beyond my professional roles, I have been deeply committed to mentorship and professional development. While in Atlanta, I served as a mentor and Co-Chair of the ACE Mentor Program of America, which exposes high school students to careers in architecture, construction, and engineering. I also developed and taught a Leadership in 3 Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate prep course while working for an ENR Top 5 Contractor, helping more than 100 colleagues worldwide prepare for and pass the LEED Green Associate exam. ​ If I’m afforded the honor of serving on the Virgin Islands Board of Contractors, Trades, and Crafts, I would like to pursue the following short-term and long-term goals to help strengthen the Board’s mission, particularly as the Territory prepares for an estimated $20 billion in construction projects over the next decade: Short Term Goals: 1.​ Participate in a Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis (SWOT) to develop a more informed and effective strategy to meet the needs of the public and the contracting community. 2.​ Review current fees and fines to determine if they are aligned with industry standards for a similar sized community. 3.​ Partner with other government agencies to improve and grow the contractor and subcontractor base within the Territory. Long Term Goals: 1.​ Develop and implement an action plan to address the strategy from the SWOT analysis listed in my short term goals. 2.​ Develop a scorecard to evaluate the Contractor community. 3.​ Facilitate access to educational resources that help individuals pass the various contracting exams required by the Virgin Islands Code. 4 It is imperative that we not only create pathways for Virgin Islanders to participate actively and successfully in this lucrative industry but also provide mechanisms for the public to objectively assess the contracting community when seeking services. In summary, I believe my education, professional experience and passion for the industry along with my strong desire to give back to my community would make me a valuable asset to the Board, I would be honored to serve. Once again, I thank Governor Bryan for his confidence in nominating me, and I respectfully remain available to answer any questions you may have. Thank You Winston M. A. Williams Jr. PE, PMP, MBA, LEED AP