Committee forwards Winston M. A. Williams Jr. for Board of Contractors, Trades and Crafts

The Committee on Rules and Judiciary on May 8 voted to forward Winston M. A. Williams Jr., governor's nominee for the Virgin Islands Board of Contractors, Trades and Crafts, to the full legislature for further action.

Williams, a licensed general contractor with a degree in civil engineering and an MBA, outlined short- and long-term goals in his prepared testimony, including conducting a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis, reviewing licensing fees and fines, developing a contractor scorecard and facilitating access to training and exam preparation for local firms. He told the committee the territory faces a long-term construction pipeline and cited an estimated $20,000,000,000 in projects over the next decade.

Senators questioned Williams on contractor accountability, remedies for construction disputes, workforce development and partnerships with other agencies and mentors. Williams proposed a publicly available contractor scorecard based on cost control, timeliness and quality metrics and described the board’s role as a facilitator for workforce pipelines and partnerships with schools and trade programs. Several senators urged the board to help address certification and bonding gaps for local firms and recommended partnerships with banks and small-business agencies to improve contractors’ financial readiness.

The committee recorded a motion to forward the nomination with a favorable recommendation; roll call returned seven affirmative votes. The nomination will proceed to the full legislature for consideration.