THE VIRGIN ISLANDS CASINO CONTROL COMMISSION IS SADDENED TO LEARN THAT THE HONORABLE EILEEN RAMONA PETERSEN, THE FIRST CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMISSION, DIED ON APRIL 25, 2023.
CURRENT CHAIRMAN MARVIN L. PICKERING REFLECTED THAT, WITH HER KEEN KNOWLEDGE, GREAT WORK ETHIC, AND IMPECCABLE INTEGRITY, JUDGE PETERSEN LED THE COMMISSION DURING ITS NEOPHYTE YEARS AND DEVELOPED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT STILL GUIDE THE COMMISSION TODAY, NOT ONLY IN LICENSING AND REGULATING CASINOS ON ST. CROIX BUT WITH THE ADDED MANDATES OF INTERNET GAMING AND GAMBLING AND RACINOS. “GIVEN HER VAST EXPERIENCE AS AN ATTORNEY AND A JURIST, JUDGE PETERSEN WAS AN EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR OUR FIRST CHAIRPERSON AS SHE HAD THE CAPACITY AND COMMITMENT NEEDED TO ORGANIZE AND STRUCTURE AN AGENCY CHARGED WITH SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE ECONOMIC LIFE OF THE TERRITORY AND IN ENSURING THAT IT PERFORMED, WITH DILIGENCE AND TRANSPARENCY, ITS DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO OVERSEE AND PROTECT THE LOCAL GAMING AND GAMBLING INDUSTRY,” CHAIRMAN PICKERING SAID. JUDGE PETERSEN SERVED AS CHAIRPERSON OF THE CASINO CONTROL COMMISSION FROM 1996 TO 2009. SHE WAS NOT ONLY THE FIRST PERSON TO HOLD THIS POSITION AT THE COMMISSION BUT SHE WAS ALSO THE FIRST WOMAN APPOINTED TO THE LOCAL JUDICIARY. CHAIRMAN PICKERING FURTHER SAID THAT IT WAS INDEED FITTING THAT THE HOME OF THE COMMISSION, LOCATED AT 3005 ORANGE GROVE, CHRISTIANSTED, ST. CROIX, WAS NAMED THE EILEEN RAMONA PETERSEN CASINO CONTROL COMMISSION BUILDING IN OCTOBER 2021. “THIS TRAILBLAZING VIRGIN ISLANDER, AND NATIVE CRUCIAN, WILL BE TRULY MISSED BY HER FAMILY, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, AND THE PEOPLE OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS,” CHAIRMAN PICKERING CONCLUDED. “MAY SHE REST IN ETERNAL PEACE.”
