SHRM, founded in 1948 to serve the professional development needs of HR professionals, represents more than 275,000 members in over 140 countries.

The Executive Members of SHRM Virgin Islands (SHRMVI) were installed on August 24, 2022, in the conference room of BVI Finance in Cutlass Tower, in Road Town, Tortola.

Ms Kendra C. Roach of the US Virgin Islands (USVI) and Mrs Shondria N. Turnbull of the VI were installed as President and President-Elect respectively.

Others on the team are Ms Sabrina King-Leone, Mr Ruben Jennings, Ms Kelly Rothwell-Simon, Ms Rochelle Lawrence, Mr Stedman Hodge, Mr Gabriel Knight, Mr Rick Grant, Ms Deborah Leslie and Ms Reba Thomas.

Executive Support will come from Ms Quianna E. E. Christian, who is a Student Member and Ms Tracy E. Callwood as Strategic Partnership and Workforce Readiness Advocate.

Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Honourable Melvin M. Turnbull (R2), in his feature address, underscored the timeliness of the organisation as he sees the government partnering with it to assist with the reform of his ministry, especially the Department of Labour.

Some of the persons present at the installation ceremony for SHRM Virgin Islands (SHRMVI) on August 24, 2022.

‘You are going to help us fix Labour Department’- Hon Turnbull

"What I believe is important is not recreating the wheel. There is an issue that we know in this territory with labour, with workforce development. As Labour Minister here is what I decided to do: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour, the Ministry of Education, the Premier's Office, through the Department of Trade and Economic Development, together with SHRMVI, together with partners of all HR companies in this Virgin Islands, you are going to help us fix the Labour Department, because we and what we do affect how we do business in this territory."

He added, "So I believe it is for us to join in that public-private partnership to develop not only the workforce of the Virgin Islands [but] to change the trajectory of where we are in this territory and the development of our people so that we could continue to be leaders in our territory."

Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has welcomed the Virgin Islands chapter of Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM).

‘Very difficult time for workforce in VI’- Premier Wheatley

This push to tap in on the expertise of SHRMVI was further solidified by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) who, while greeting and congratulating the new board and its members, said: "As [has] been said before it’s a very difficult time in the Virgin Islands for the workforce and persons in the workplace but we see a brighter future ahead and to be able to navigate all of the challenges that we have in the workforce it would certainly require leadership.

"And it will certainly require cooperation and collaboration and, along with the Minister for Labour and of course with the Acting Governor and substantive Deputy Governor and the rest of the government, we really pledge our cooperation and our support to make this initiative and this collaboration really a successful one," Premier Wheatley said.

President-Elect of SHRMVI Mrs Shondria N. Turnbull.