Dion a. Stoutt Appointed Bvipa Chair
Dion A. Stoutt is expected to replace Roxane Ritter-Herbert as chair of the British Virgin Islands Ports Authority after her three-year term ended in August 2025. Stoutt, an architect and businessman from West End, Tortola, may prioritise the long-delayed reconstruction of the West End ferry terminal and brings local ties and technical expertise to the post, according to Virgin Islands News Online.
Stoutt is expected to take over as chair of the British Virgin Islands Ports Authority (BVIPA), replacing Roxane Ritter-Herbert whose three-year appointment concluded in August 2025, Virgin Islands News Online reports. Mrs Ritter-Herbert was appointed in August 2022. It is not clear whether she sought reappointment; colleagues and sources say she was highly respected for her leadership during her term.
Mrs Ritter-Herbert is the daughter of business figure M. Mr Stoutt is the managing director and founder of STO Enterprise Ltd., a full-service architecture and design firm. A graduate of Texas Tech University with a master’s degree in architecture and business, Stoutt is a locally based businessman from the western end of Tortola and an active Rotarian.
His professional background suggests an ability to engage with the technical and planning challenges facing BVIPA, particularly infrastructure renewal. One of the most urgent issues facing the ports authority is the long-overdue replacement of the West End ferry terminal. The original facility was destroyed by the 2017 hurricanes and residents and stakeholders have described the temporary site as inadequate and an eyesore for the past eight years.
Local operators, commuters and tourism businesses have repeatedly called for a properly designed terminal to support passenger safety, marine operations and the West End community’s economic recovery. As a western Tortola native and architect, Mr Stoutt is expected to push for progress on that project, though no formal plans or timelines have been announced.
The BVIPA is responsible for managing all ports and harbours in the Virgin Islands and plays a central role in sea trade, inter-island travel and tourism-related maritime services — areas that directly affect daily life and the economy in the BVI. Other board appointments were not immediately known at publication time.
Pickering, whose contract as Managing Director of BVIPA expired late last year, is expected to be reappointed. Mr Pickering has received public support from government, opposition figures, staff and residents for his recent management of port operations, but when he might formally return to the post remains unclear.
Residents and industry stakeholders will be watching for official announcements, clear timelines and concrete plans for rebuilding West End and strengthening port infrastructure across the territory.
Primary source: VINO