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P.O. Box 7019 , St. Thomas, USVI 00801 DAVID’S MANAGEMENT & omas, USVI 00801 CONSULTING SERVICES / REAL ESTATE 340-775-0815 rooseveltstcdavid@gmail.com January 21, 2026. Senator Avery Lewis, Capitol Building, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Dear Senator Lewis; In response to your request for my testimony on bill # 36-0220, renaming the Hull Bay Road, in honor of the late, great senator, Lorraine L. Berry, my response is contained within. Good morning to chairman, Senator Avery Lewis, other ESTEEMED and HONORABLE senators on this committee, and all others in the august body of the 36th legislature. My name is Roosevelt St. C. David, who served five consecutive terms in this distinguished law- making body, giving my all in service to the general public. | served with senator Lorraine Berry for five unbroken terms, during which time | learned a lot from her, but more importantly witnessed the love and caring she demonstrated for the people of the Virgin Islands, while simultaneously creating, developing and passing impactful legislation, enhancing the quality of living for the majority of the populace. Senator Berry knew that the task at hand was heavy and the journey was rough and torrid, so she prepared herself appropriately, by first employing staff that was loyal, competent and efficient; the likes of Franchesa Greaves, who was a prolific political writer, James Francis, a great researcher and office manager at the highest degree of competence and professionalism. There was nothing left to be desired and nothing left to chance. Joyce Ann Harrigan, Lisa Melchior and others augmented the team. She chose her allies wisely; colleagues, who she did not think would leave her holding on to thin air. Senator Berry took her job seriously, she came to work and she produced exponentially. | can vividly recall when the government was in financial distress, during the 22nd legislature, the determined senator created a measure, called the "Financial Accountability Act". Contained within that proposal, was a measure called two for one(2 for 1). Personnel costs were going through the roof, literally and figuratively. it was mandated that if two people left the government for whatever reason, only one could be hired to replace those two. !f 20 people left government service, no more than 10 could have been hired or re-hired, without the central government coming back to the legislature for approval. Checks and balances were the order of the day. Personnel costs were significantly reduced and government got some breathing room. The veteran senator knew that to concentrate only on the expenditure side of the ledger, there would still be imbalances with the greater financial picture, and so senator Berry joined forces with Senator David Jones and me, in sponsoring an economic summit, held over a two- day period on St. Croix and St. Thomas. Professionals from off island and our own local professionals were invited to give presentations. It was a tremendous success. Over 200 proposals were collected and meaningful legislation was created out of that big batch. As a result of this, over $200 million came into the Virgin Islands treasury the following year. Truth that cannot be refuted nor condemned. The people of the Virgin Islands benefitted in a huge way. Senator Lorraine L. Berry was as shrewd as she was strategic. A direct replica of Former Prime Minister of England, Margaret Thatcher. She was as courageous, strong and undaunted as Dame, Eugenia Charles of Dominica and would have been considered as the modern- day leader as Prime Minister, Mia Mottley of Barbados. These leaders had nothing over senator Lorraine Berry. She planned well and her decisions and votes were well calculated and meaningful. 1 can recall during an election period for governorship and other elected officials, a Governor, whose name | would not mention, sent down a proposal to the then legislature to pay union contracts and retroactive monies for teachers and others, without identifying a funding source. Senator Berry objected to the measure, calling it an election ploy, intended to fool the people. She took to the airwaves on her own radio program; with the theme being " Shed light and the people would find their way". She got the attention of the electorate, voted against the measure and came number one in that election. Some who voted for the measure lost their seats. She was a deep thinker and a visionary. The Garvee Bonds(Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle) legislation, which | spearheaded, came to fruition for the first time ever, in the Virgin Istands, causing the Enighed Pond development to materialize and the expansion of the Red Hook terminal facility. | discussed the measure with the experienced Senator, which she immediately supported. The set back at that time, legal counsel did not have the expertise nor the adequate resources at the time, so senator Berry directed me to an outside counsel by the name Bernard Van Slytman, who drafted the legislation, which was sent to bond counsel! in New York, who immediately advised us that the draft was perfect. It just had to be placed on the legislature's letter head. This is solid history for posterity. The senator was adventurous and decisive. Senator Lorraine L. Berry was the first in many things. She was the first senator who ran for Governor in the Democratic Primary in 1986; lost her bid and then registered to run for the senate, as an independent, and won. Never happened before and it never happened again, because the law was changed after that. That was Ingenuity of the highest caliber. She was the only senator, whoever became President twice in the same term. In the first year of the 26th legislature, she was President with Senator Celestino A. White, Sr. as the majority leader, and with the reorganization of the 26th legislature, the following year, Senator Berry remained President in the second yea,r with Roosevelt St. C. David becoming the majority leader. It was a master piece, orchestrated by this consummate, proactive politician, and whose superior attributes fittingly proclaim her as one of the most powerful senators of her era. Senator Berry's decades of fantastic service to the people of the territory, were all encompassing, embracing, productive and extraordinary. Notwithstanding the fact that the legislature's annex is named in her honor, | am totally convinced that Senator Avery L. Lewis made an excellent choice with this bill, for which | applaud him. Senator, you need to take several bows. To this end, | want to make it emphatically and abundantly clear, that to this measure, Roosevelt St. Clair David has absolutely no reservation, no hesitation and there is no equivocation for my unfettered support in having the Hull Bay Road renamed in the honor of an outstanding public servant, Lorraine L. Berry. i thank you for your time. | am prepared for any questions you may have.