MARVA TITLEY-SMITH CONFIRMED AS CHIEF PLANNER

Thursday August 12, 2010

His Excellency the Governor acting on the advice of the Public Service Commission (PSC), has confirmed Mrs. Marva Titley-Smith’s appointment as Chief Planner in the Town and Country Planning Department.

Mrs. Titley-Smith whose confirmation is retroactive to March 1, 2010 has been acting in the post since June 15, 2009.

Mrs. Titley-Smith holds a Bachelor of Architecture Degree (summa cum laude) from New York Institute of Technology, New York (1995); a Masters Degree in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University, New York (1996); and a Executive Diploma in Strategic Management from the Chartered Management Institute, United Kingdom.

Mrs. Titley-Smith joined the Public Service in 1986 as a Draughtsman Trainee in the Town & Country Planning Department. She also held the posts of Physical Planner I from 1996 – 1998; Physical Planner II from 1998 – 2001 and Deputy Chief Physical Planning Officer from 2001 to 2004. Mrs. Titley-Smith was transferred to the Chief Minister’s Office (now Premier’s Office) on June 1, 2004 and appointed to the post of Assistant Secretary. Before taking up her post as Acting Chief Planner, she was the Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary, Premier’s Office.

The Chief Planner is responsible for administering the Physical Planning Act 2004, thus ensuring the orderly and progressive development of land in the Virgin Islands by ensuring that proper land use management practices are carried out throughout the Territory, this includes regulating development, enforcing against illegal development and advising the Planning Authority, the Minister and other Government officials on planning related matters. As Chief Planner, Mrs. Titley-Smith is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Planning Authority.

Additionally, Mrs. Titley-Smith will also be required to prepare the department’s operational plan and manage the human, financial and other resources allocated to the department and advise the policy makers and all other agencies and departments as it relates to planning matters.