The mood of the event was rather mellow, there were loud cheers when Mr Bryan and Mr Tregenza A. Roach Esq, were announced as the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the USVI after taking the Oath of Office. Photo: VI Consortium/Reemy Photography

Lieutenant Governor Tregenza A. Roach Photo: VI Consortium/Reemy Photography

Mr. Bryan and wife Yolanda Bryan. On the right, former Governor Charles W. Turnbull. Photo: VI Consortium/Reemy Photography

Audience present for the ceremony. Photo: VI Consortium/Reemy Photography

The event took place at the Emancipation Garden in St. Thomas, USVI, before the 12-noon deadline set by USVI law, and came with the traditional exchange of power program.

The mood of the event was rather mellow, there were loud cheers when Mr Bryan and Mr Tregenza A. Roach Esq, were announced as the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the USVI after taking the Oath of Office. However, before and after the men gave their speeches, the inauguration event happened fairly quickly with little fanfare.

Big Embrace

For Mr Roach, who spoke of migrating from his birth land of St. Kitts and Nevis—a hard decision for his mother at the time—the embrace he received from the USVI has been a transformative experience and he believes there are many lessons that U.S. mainlanders could learn from the territory.

He also spoke of his deep love for St. Thomas and by extension, the entire USVI. A former journalist, Mr Roach crafted a beautiful speech that encompassed his entire life experience, which has led him to the second highest office of the land.

Mr Roach also reminisced on the time when the USVI was the Caribbean’s centre of attraction when commerce was at its peak, and new businesses were opening seemingly every day.

“Throughout the course of the campaign, we have talked about those glory days of the islands in the time of our great prosperity, so now that our once masterful tourism product appears to trail other destinations in the Caribbean, from which we drew a labour supply eager for new opportunities… But this is our time to be good again,” Mr Roach said right before thanking Mr Bryan for the opportunity.

Straight to work

When Mr Bryan took to the podium to give his address, his jovial nature persisted, but he spoke of serious matters confronting the territory, which his administration has vowed to fix. He also asked for the community’s patience as his team undertakes what is expected to be a difficult road to recovery. In return, Mr Bryan said he and his team would be patient in earning the community’s trust.

“To those who may be hesitant, I invite you to rest down your cynicism and dismiss your pessimism, and to give not only our administration but our legislators, our teachers, our healthcare providers, our neighbours, friends and family a chance to earn your trust,” Mr Bryan said. “And at the end of the day we must realize that we, each and every one of us, we are the government.”

The ceremony included musical performances from the Military Band, Lorna Freeman and others. It also included a military parade that followed the inauguration ceremony.

Former Governor Kenneth E. Mapp was present for the ceremony and appeared to have taken the entire moment in stride, being mostly serious but smiling at times. At the end of the ceremony, he congratulated Mr Bryan, wishing him all the best in his new role.