John de Jongh Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John de Jongh
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 7th Governor of the United States Virgin Islands | |
| In office January 1, 2007 – January 5, 2015 |
|
| Lieutenant | Gregory Francis |
| Preceded by | Charles W. Turnbull |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth Mapp |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Percy de Jongh Jr.
November 13, 1957 St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Cecile Galiber |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Antioch College (BA) |
John Percy de Jongh Jr. was born on November 13, 1957. He is an American businessman and politician. He served as the Governor of the United States Virgin Islands from 2007 to 2015.
De Jongh has been very active in the Virgin Islands. He worked in politics and business after finishing college in 1981. He helped with community projects and worked in banking. He also served on many boards and held government jobs before becoming governor.
De Jongh first ran for governor in 2002 as an independent candidate. He came in second place. In 2006, he ran again, this time for the Democratic Party. He won against Kenneth Mapp and became governor. He was re-elected in 2010 for a second term. He served until January 5, 2015, when his term ended.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
John de Jongh was born and grew up on St. Thomas. As a child, he went to Sts. Peter and Paul School there.
Growing Up in St. Thomas
After his parents divorced, he moved to Detroit, Michigan. He lived with his mother, Dolores, and his two brothers, Stanley and Sydney. His mother worked as a social worker for the Detroit Public Schools.
During summer breaks, de Jongh would return to St. Thomas. He helped out at his father's law firm. He graduated from Detroit Catholic Central High School in 1976.
College Years and Travel
After high school, he went to Antioch College in Ohio. While in college, he had many work-study jobs. He worked in cities like Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia, and St. Thomas.
He also took part in a special urban study program. This program allowed him to travel to the United Kingdom, Yugoslavia, and The Netherlands. He earned a degree in economics from Antioch College in 1981.
His Career in Business
After college, de Jongh moved back to the Virgin Islands. He first worked for the Tri-Island Economic Development Council. There, he helped get money to save old buildings in the Virgin Islands.
Working at Chase Bank
Later, he took a job at Chase Manhattan Bank. He started as an executive in Puerto Rico. Then he moved back to the Virgin Islands. He became the Consumer Manager of Operations for the U.S., British Virgin Islands, and Saint Maarten. Under his leadership, Chase focused more on helping individuals with banking. They also increased home loans in the Caribbean.
Becoming a Finance Commissioner
In 1987, Governor Alexander A. Farrelly chose de Jongh to be the Commissioner of Finance. This was his first government job. His grandfather, Percy de Jongh, had also held this important position.
As Commissioner, he managed the territory's money. He also led the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority. He helped improve the economy in the early 1990s. He also worked closely with the governor's office to help different government groups work better together.
Helping Cities with Finances
In 1992, he left government work and went back to private business. He joined Lockhart Companies Incorporated. This company dealt with real estate and insurance. He was the President, CEO, and a board member until 2002.
In 1993, he joined Public Financial Management, Inc. He helped create financial plans for cities like Philadelphia, New Haven, and Washington, D.C. From 1999 to 2001, he was president of the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce. He also helped create a five-year financial plan for the Virgin Islands government.
In 2002, de Jongh left Lockhart Companies. He ran for governor as an independent candidate. He wanted to improve education, the economy, safety, healthcare, and money management. He did not win that election. In 2003, he started his own financial advice company called Chilmark Partners.
His Time as Governor
In 2005, people thought de Jongh would be a strong candidate for governor. In 2006, he ran as a Democrat. He won the Democratic Party primary election. He then won the governorship in a run-off election on November 21, 2006. He defeated former Lieutenant Governor Mapp.
First Term as Governor
John de Jongh became the 7th elected Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands on January 1, 2007. His government focused on helping young children with education. He created the Children and Families Council.
He also worked with cruise lines, airlines, and rum companies. He wanted to make the economy more diverse. He started projects to improve the islands. De Jongh also created programs to help the territory use less fossil fuels.
Re-election and Second Term
De Jongh and Lieutenant Governor Gregory Francis decided to run for a second term. They won the Democratic primary election on September 11, 2010.
In the general election on November 2, 2010, de Jongh faced Kenneth Mapp again. This was a rematch of the 2006 election. De Jongh and Gregory Francis were re-elected for a second term. They received 17,535 votes, which was 56.27% of the total. De Jongh left office on January 5, 2015, because he had reached his term limit.
During his second term, his government completed a fiber optic network. They also put in place Medicaid expansion as part of the Affordable Care Act. He also managed the effects of the Hovensa oil refinery closing on St. Croix.
Personal Life
John de Jongh married Cecile René Galiber in 1986. They have three children together.
See also
In Spanish: John de Jongh para niños
