After 5 years at the SHTA, Executive Director Valya Pantophlet has resigned from the SHTA to work alongside the honorable Minister of TEZVT, Romeo F. Pantophlet as his Advisor for Tourism.
Valya Pantophlet started at the SHTA in 2006 as an intern and returned 2007 as member of staff upon request of the Board. She worked her way through the organization, from Junior Project Manager to Executive Director, the function she has held for the last year and a half.
Upon receiving the offer to work alongside Minister Pantophlet, Valya informed her Board of Directors and asked for their support in this new endeavor. She was pleased to learn that all Board members wholeheartedly supported her decision to take on this new challenge.
In her letter to the Board, Miss Pantophlet commended the SHTA for helping to shape her beliefs on how to change Sint Maarten for the better and showing her the importance of getting involved in order to affect change. "I have seen this island change governments several times with few politicians truly understanding the core issue affecting our economy and social ills, which we all agree is the under performing tourism industry. Honestly, without SHTA I probably would not have understood the root of the problem either. Hence the reason I have been so committed to SHTA and its vision. However, at some point it gets tiring discussing the same issues/solutions and hearing our cries repeatedly fall on deaf ears, which is why I could not pass up this unique opportunity to influence change." – Valya Pantophlet stated in the letter to SHTA Board of Directors.
SHTA President, Emil Lee, commented: "Valya has been a great asset to SHTA. She has helped the association grow in so many different ways and we will definitely miss her. However, we understand and support her decision and we all wish her much success in this new endeavor."
Valya Pantophlet has already taken up her post alongside Minister Pantophlet. However, her official resignation from the SHTA goes into effect June 1.