On behalf of the board members and staff of the Elections System of the Virgin Islands, Board of Elections Chairwoman Alecia M. Wells congratulates Theron Thomas and Timothy Thomas, recording industry celebrities known professionally as ‘Rock City,’ and Virgin Islands Elections System Supervisor Caroline F. Fawkes, an aviation trailblazer. These pioneering, native Virgin Islanders are receiving honorary degrees during the University of the Virgin Islands’ 60th Commencement Ceremonies on May 9 and 10, at its St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses, respectively.
Caroline F. Fawkes was selected as the second female Supervisor of Elections of the Elections System of the Virgin Islands in August 2013 and renewed for another eight-year term on Oct. 15, 2021. Fawkes will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, honoring her trailblazing accomplishments as an aviator and the role she plays as a mentor and inspiration to the territory’s youth.
Fawkes made history as the first female to pilot the U.S. Army’s C23 Sherpa airplane and the first female state aviation officer in the Army National Guard. Col. Fawkes retired after more than three decades of military service, 4,400 hours of accident-free flight time and 24 consecutive months of deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Her highest military awards are the Legion of Merit and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal signed by President Barack Obama. Her achievements were lauded by the 19th Legislature of the Virgin Islands through a bill introduced by Senator Adelbert M. Bryan in 1993, establishing a scholarship in her name for individuals interested in pursuing an aviation degree.
Chairwoman Wells said, “Supervisor Fawkes continues to uphold the standards of the Elections System of the Virgin Islands and demonstrates that the board of elections selected the right person to lead the Elections System of the Virgin Islands. I share the sentiments of the board members and staff of the Elections System of the Virgin Islands on this well-deserved recognition for our supervisor of elections. I thank the members and staff of the ESVI for ensuring that every eligible voter has every opportunity to register to vote and cast their ballot in a fair, accessible, secure and transparent manner.”
