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Deputy Chief Planner Ronald Beard still on job-Titley-Smith

Governor Boyd McCleary appointed Ronald Beard (in pic) last year to the post of Deputy Chief Planner in the Town and Country Planning Department even though he was over the age of the civil service retirement. Mr. Beard, like Mr. McCleary, are both UK nationals. This situation continues to get the attention of one government Minister, Myron V. Wawlyn. Many believe there are locals in the Virgin Islands who can fill this post. According to the current Chief Planner, Mrs. Marva Titley-Smith, grooming has started to fill senior posts in the Department
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- The controversial appointment by Governor Boyd McCleary of Ronald Beard, a United Kingdom (UK) national who has passed the Virgin Islands’ Government retirement age of 60, continues to get the attention of at least one Government Minister.

This is according to the report on the deliberations of the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) of 2012 appointed by the House of Assembly to examine the draft estimates for 2013.

It was at the time when the Chief Planner of the Town and Country Planning Department Mrs. Marva Titley-Smith appeared before the committee to defend her department’s budgetary allocation.

The Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn enquired of the Chief Planner whether the Deputy Mr. Beard was still on the job. The Chief Planner responded “he was.”

The Minister then asked the Chief Planner if she knew when his contract would expire. Mrs. Titley-Smith stated that she believed it was around June or July 2013.

Minister Walwyn enquired whether the Town and Country Planning was looking for any locals who could possibly fill that position.

Mrs. Titley-Smith, according to the SFC report, claimed that her “department is always looking for locals to fill planning posts, including the Deputy Chief Planner post.”

In his cross examination of the Chief Planner (CP), the Minister for Education and Culture asked the CP whether she had been successful in highlighting anybody who could fill that post when the time comes, to which Mrs. Titley-Smith responded that there are persons within the Department who could be groomed to fill senior posts in the future.

To this, Minister Walwyn asked whether they were being groomed to fill that position and the CP stated that they have specifically identified two potential officers who could be groomed to fill that particular post.

However, many in the community have interpreted Mrs. Titley-Smith’s statement to mean there are currently no locals in the Virgin Islands to fill the post therefore she is grooming from inside the Department.  But information reaching this news site is that the Public Service Commission had indentified a local qualified Virgin Islander, who was a former employee of the Town and Country Planning Department who could have filled the post, however, the officer had been transferred to the Survey Department.

It was on June 1, 2011 when Mr. Beard took up his post as the Deputy Chief Planner via a contract recruited from the UK.

According to a Government Information Department press release last year, Mr. Beard completed a Bachelor of Science Degree (Hons.) in Urban and Regional Planning from Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh in 1970 and a Master’s in Philosophy Degree in Regional and Economic Development Planning from the Edinburgh University in 1974.

He was a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute from 1974–2009.

17 Responses to “Deputy Chief Planner Ronald Beard still on job-Titley-Smith”

  • insider (21/12/2012, 08:26) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    De longest rope have an end. This is one neck dat escape it.
  • BREAKING NEWS (21/12/2012, 08:59) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    Wah cock may may me hearing pond vino you mean them hired a man over 60 and then forcing out locals when them reach 60? Jeez um bread tis place has so much injustice…where is dey DG? Well she herself over 60...where is dey governor? Well dem both from dey UK so poor we

    Justice in this country and dey service seems like a king fish... there is no scale
  • billyb (21/12/2012, 10:21) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Good God, we people blind or we just vindictive, I believe the latter. Is Donovan chop-liver? Wa more local than that you want????? Well sa, we in a bad state.
  • fact check (21/12/2012, 10:36) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    earl forbes can do this job
  • no we cannot (21/12/2012, 10:44) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Watch what happened he will come the head when Mava retires
  • polo (21/12/2012, 10:53) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    McCleary got to do what he got to do.... he muss look out for his pll
  • ausar (21/12/2012, 11:49) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    Aw done tell aryo don't expek much from these bloakes.

    At the end of the day, all we are to these people are "haulers of water, and hewers of wood!
  • HELLO!! (21/12/2012, 12:46) Like (4) Dislike (5) Reply
    It's time for that man to go. They have him here telling us we cannot build on our own land an how we should develop our land. Looking for locals you say? It' funny they should make that statement for there is Anya Freet is fills all the necessary qualifications and they would not even grant her an interview with PSC. She is qualified in education and experience. No, they prefer to recycle someone or put this expat over the department struppsss
  • Vamp (21/12/2012, 13:00) Like (0) Dislike (3) Reply
    bvislanders wasting too much damn money. bring more uk officers clean up this place. sick of it.
    • lazy chair (21/12/2012, 15:38) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      ha ha ha more than what they have and thoes UK officers lazy just like this man
  • Adonijah (22/12/2012, 04:06) Like (4) Dislike (5) Reply
    I have no problem with bringing in an experienced and knowledgeable expat if one of his main duties is to impart knowledge and groom VIslanders to take up senior positions. I hope this is what they are using Mr. Boyd for.
  • bigger picture (23/12/2012, 00:02) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
    Of the BVI wants to look like an organized urban and sustainable territory, then the town and country has to have teeth to keep people from building everywhere without proper engineering, design or set backs. I would think you would WANT someone with experience to lay the ground work to set up the zoning rules and help create a master plan. But no, everyone wants to do what they want without thinking of the overall community impact. that is what a proper TCPD director is supposed to guide. Plus, he is not related to anyone so he is more objective.
  • dd (23/12/2012, 19:54) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Didnt Beard say he was leaving the island?

  • jame (09/02/2016, 01:40) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Interesting post!


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