77.8 F
Cruz Bay
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesJewels of the Virgin Isles: Rhodni Skelton

Jewels of the Virgin Isles: Rhodni Skelton

Jewels of the Virgin Isles is a feature series profiling Virgin Islanders in the diaspora who are excelling in their respective fields and/or positively representing the USVI abroad.

He is a man of the Virgin Islands – both U.S. and British – who attributes much of his success to the foundation he received as a little league baseball player and the example set by his parents.

Born on St. Thomas, raised primarily on St. Croix, and spending most of his summers in Tortola, Rhodni Skelton has had a rare opportunity to be educated in multiple cultural environments, an experience that he says helps him to be a well-rounded individual today.

Skelton attended seven different schools from kindergarten to 12th grade, including the British Virgin Islands High School following Hurricane Hugo and Windsor High School in Connecticut, but he returned to the U.S. Virgin Islands to graduate from St. Croix Central High School in 1993. He later earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Northwood University in 1997 and an MBA degree in human resources and finance from Wright State University in 2006.

Having traveled throughout Latin America during his youth playing ball, Skelton was exposed to different cultures at a young age, but says he also saw that not everyone was fortunate to receive the bare necessities in life, like running water or sanitation. This exposure helped to instill a deeper sense of appreciation in him for his life in the territory.

“We live in a blessed place and we need to do more to keep it that way,” he says.

Today this universal Virgin Islander serves as the film commissioner for the BVI Tourist Board, where he is responsible for bringing film crews to the British Virgin Islands for television and movie shoots. He also has managed the BVI Events Marketing portfolio in this capacity.

Though he says he did not have prior experience in this field, Skelton sought out the technical knowledge to ensure he did the best possible job in his position, including becoming a certified international film commissioner. “My undergraduate degree was in marketing and I wanted to enter a field where I could best use my knowledge and skills in a meaningful way,” says Skelton, who jumped at the opportunity to enter the agency with the Film Commission.

Outside of work, Skelton is a devoted father of two, and attributes his drive and determination to his children, Taajah, 12, and Rhonni, 6, calling them his backbone and his heart, because they inspire him to never give up. “They are a constant reminder that I have much more to live for and they make me want to achieve my full potential, which is exactly what I want from them,” he reveals.

In addition to his offspring, Skelton says his success also stems from the unconditional love and support he receives, even today, from his mother, St. Croix educator Janis Esannason; as well as the living legacy of his father, the Honorable Ronnie Skelton, the current minister of Health and Welfare in the BVI.

Skelton admittedly comes from a long line of proud, yet humble people who strive to be the best they can be and this keeps him striving for more in his own life. His path has been anything but predictable, and most certainly has not been easy, but it has positioned and prepared him for all that he has accomplished thus far, he says. “I grew up in the USVI, but would spend every summer and some Christmases in the BVI with my father and his side of the family. Not having any brothers, I looked forward to and relished my time romping around the islands with my male cousins,” recalls Skelton. “In fact, my mother knew that if I was not heading to Tortola the day after school closed, she would have a miserable son on her hands.”

After completing college, Skelton stayed on the U.S. mainland for several years, but he would not really call the British Virgin Islands his home until much later, when he almost lost his father to illness and returned there for a “short stay” to reunite with him. “That two-week vacation has led to over 15 years of being a resident in the BVI,” he says. “I left everything I owned in Georgia and moved here to stay.”

Skelton embraces both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands as home and considers the entire Virgin Islands to be a beautiful place filled with family, friends and a rich culture that he says provides a great foundation for children to grow and learn in. He especially appreciates the “good dose of common sense” that keeps Virgin Islanders grounded and not swept up in the glitter of life.

He says it is this sense of self and desire to make his home a better place for future generations that has Skelton looking toward his own legacy. He is making plans to pursue his second MBA degree in tourism and project management in 2015 but also envisions a greater partnership between the USVI and BVI – beyond the current Friendship Day celebrations.

“We need more than ceremonial collaboration. There should be more leniency for travelers between both territories, especially with entertainment traveling for carnival or festival activities,” he shares.

Skelton says he is proud to call the Virgin Islands home and is committed to being a catalyst for change. Though he wouldn’t categorize himself as a politician, he has some interest in one day becoming a hands-on legislator. “I am a true Virgin Islander, and the V.I., both U.S. and British, is my home.”

“I am not interested in kissing babies and shaking hands only for the camera and for votes, but if that’s what it takes to leave a legacy for my kids and get things done, I will do it.”

A Nugget for V.I. Youth: “The sun will come up tomorrow. You might be down but never out, so keep on pushing and striving to be the best you can be at whatever you want to be. Never sit back and allow yourself to be a victim of your surroundings or circumstances. In the words of Nick Daddy Friday, "Rise Up!”

Little Known Fact(s): “I was once practically homeless. I begged lodging and slept on a friend’s empty living room floor, wrapped up in an old reversible sleeping bag. My roommate was a huge smelly dog who also shared the living room with me. This was in my early 20s and in the dead of winter. The heater barely worked and the dog could not go outside and had to do most of his ‘business’ in the living room. That was probably the low point of my life and will probably come as a surprise to both of my parents when they read this. During this time, I only let one close friend in St. Croix know what I was going through and refused to ask my parents for help. I could have stayed in that state and remained destitute. However, I did not and continued to fight, again proving that we do not have to remain victims of our circumstances. The words of my Cruzan Grandmother, Enid Forbes and my ‘Tolian Grandmother Ellen Skelton resonates with me to this day: ‘God will never give us more than we can bear!’”
__
Loán Sewer is a marketing and tourism consultant and proud Virgin Islander who resides in Washington, D.C. She is also a founding member of the USVI Alliance Inc., an organization focused on reconnecting the Virgin Islands diaspora with the local community and host of the USVI Economic Development Summit on the U.S. mainland. Follow her on Twitter @LoTalksTourism or e-mail her at info@Lotalkstourism.com.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.