Gov. Albert Bryan named longtime attorney and former administrator of Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital Richard Evangelista to the post of commissioner of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, Friday. He will be acting commissioner pending his approval by the Legislature.
Evangelista, who currently serves as an assistant attorney general with the Department of Justice’s Paternity and Child Support Division, brings to the critical revenue-generating agency, almost 25 years of legal and managerial experience within the V.I. government.
In a statement Friday, Bryan said Evangelista’s appointment is part of the administration’s strategy to improve the processes in place at DLCA and make more efficient the licensing process for new and existing businesses in the territory.
“I cannot overstate how important this agency is to our government as a revenue generator. It is also important to our community as a vehicle for businesses to operate and provide jobs and opportunities for our people,” Bryan Said.
“Our pursuit for efficiency in our business licensing process is one part of our administration’s economic development strategy, and I am happy to have attorney Evangelista lead DLCA in that effort,” Bryan added.
Evangelista said as commissioner he is committed to continuing to build on the automated licensing process started by his predecessors and the overall customer service experience for individuals interacting with the department.
“As a native son, born and raised on St. Croix, I have witnessed the progression and regression of our economy. We are on the cusp of a brighter Virgin Islands, and I am committed to making it happen. I look forward to continuing to improve the annual licensing process as well as enhancing the customer experience whenever they interact with the DLCA,” he said.
Attorney Evangelista is a graduate of American University, in Washington D.C., and Howard University School of Law. Before his post at DOJ, Evangelista served for part of 2016 and 2017 as acting chief executive officer at JFL Hospital. Before that, he was JFL’s legal counsel and, for a time, director of human resources.
