Ms Natalie O. Hodge, Acting Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Department of Information and Public Relations. Photo: GIS

According to the GIS missive, the appointment was made by His Excellency the Governor, Mr Augustus J. U Jaspert, in accordance with section 92 of the Virgin Islands Constitution, and in accordance with the advice of the Public Service Commission.

Ms Hodge will ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the Department of Information and Public Relations and supervise the administrative unit.

She will also be responsible for providing expert advice and guidance to the public officers that will be working under her supervision.

Ms Hodge will liaise with ministries, departments and other agencies when necessary to meet the needs of the Government of the Virgin Islands and the community.

As the Deputy Chief Information Officer, Ms. Hodge’s responsibilities include performing the human resources functions of the Department, assisting the Chief Information Officer in advising on best practices to ensure that public relations campaigns are implemented and executed professionally.

She will also design and deliver public relations campaigns and activities in support of the department’s mission and objectives, attend meetings, workshops and training sessions as instructed to ensure awareness of any change in policies or procedures which may be relevant to the role.

Ms Hodge has experience in social media management and public relations.

She has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Media Productions from American InterContinental University in Atlanta, Georgia.

She also has a Certificate in ‘Protecting Human Research Participants’ from the National Institutes of Health, Office of Extramural Research; an online course certificate in Strategic Management by Copenhagen Business School, an online course certificate in Conflict Resolution Skills from the University of California Irvine and an Associate’s degree in Business Administration from the University of the West Indies.

Ms Hodge also served as a guest Lecturer at American Intercontinental University.