Dec. 24, 2008 — Former V.I. Port Authority property manager Denise Mills has officially moved into her new position as the agency's director of property management — a promotion that was approved last week by VIPA's board of directors.
Mills' promotion became effective Sunday. In her new position, Mills will oversee the leasing and management of all of VIPA's properties on all three islands — except for the Crown Bay Center on St. Thomas — and supervise a staff of five employees. Starting salary for the position is $77,373, according to a recent VIPA news release.
Moving forward, Mills says she has two "major tasks" on her agenda.
"My priority is to focus on better revenue generation and increased revenue collections," she said in a statement Wednesday. "I have a great property management team, and with the recent transfer of a collector to our department, I will work diligently on enforcing lease terms so that we collect the revenues due to the authority as well as collect all outstanding debts. Proper management of our leaseholds will play a critical role in reducing the deficit experienced in fiscal year 2008, and can better ensure our financial solvency for FY 2009.
Mills started working at the Port Authority in 1988 as a payroll bookkeeper in the accounting department and kept moving forward, being promoted to management trainee in 1989, performing special projects in the aviation and property management departments. Mills took on the title of property management officer 1991, and was tasked with overseeing several projects, including the revitalization of the airport advertising concession after Hurricane Marilyn and the implementation of the parking lot implementation for both of the territory's airports in 1998.
Mills also began leasing spaces at the new Crown Bay Commercial Center on St. Thomas before a property manager was hired for the mall in 2006. She has also served as acting director of property management, supervising up to 14 employees, according to the VIPA release.
In addition to holding a bachelor's degree in business administration, Mills also has a master's degree in business administration from the University of the Virgin Islands and brings 16 years worth of experience in commercial and industrial property management to her new position. She is also a certified property manager.
