Making the Virgin Islands Rich Again, Safe Again, First Again!
Ronald Pickard is a lifelong resident of St. Croix Virgin Islands. Ronald is a loyal husband, a devoted son, and nurturing father. Ronald is also a devoted friend and is known for his charismatic personality and easy going temperament. Ronald grew up in St. Croix with his parents Mary Ann and Donald Pickard. Ronald is no stranger to hard work. Ronald saw firsthand his mother, an older educator, juggling the responsibilities of a family and also helping with numerous family businesses. The Pickard family owns. rental properties and laundromats and has been known as a constant in the community on St.Croix.Ronald has a passion for human rights and has conservative views on social responsibility. Ronald’s platform is driven byrebuilding our community,expanding our reach to large businesses, connecting entrepreneurs with programs, resources, and opportunities to live out their dream of business ownership. A graduate of the West Indies Academy in 1987, Ronald has always had a passion for community service. Over the years, Ronald served as a volunteer lifeguard and devoted time to beach clean-ups and other projects focused on environmental change. As a young man, Ronald had a passion for swimming and was a member of the Dolphins swim team. Ronald has been known for representing the Virgin Islands in the most honorable way by making world records in swimming and by participating in the Pan Am Games (86), the World Games (87), and the Olympic team in Seoul Korea (88). Ronald truly believes that education is the key to success and advancement. Being the son of an educator, choosing education first was easy. Ronald firmly believes that early education programs are a necessity. Ronald received his Bachelor of Science degree from St. Leo University in Lakeland, Florida, and was later accepted into a graduate program in Criminal Justice, with a focus on Legal Studies.
Ronald met his wife Maria and was married on December 14, 2009. Ronald and Maria raised four beautiful children together. Ronald’s dream and his vision for the U.S. Virgin
Islands is one that will touch the lives of his children and his children’s children. Ronald envisions a place where his children will have access to safe playgrounds and outdoor picnic areas to spend family time. Ronald dreams of having ready access to water splash pads that his children can use to cool off on hot summer days and can feel safe playing in their front yard.
Ronald Pickard is a dynamic leader and business owner. Ronald has connections to the business world by attending seminars, conferences, and forums focused on core community issues such as alternative energy, cost of living, food sourcing, and sustainable farming. As husband and wife, Ronald and Maria embarked on a journey to establish the non-profit organization Adopt N Inmate in January 2021 which is one of the only prison reform programs offered on the island of St. Croix. As a team, Ronald and Maria firmly believe in giving everyone a fair chance. They support organizations and employers who are considered fair chance or second chance employers. The Adopt N Inmate organization’s mission is focused on programs that help inmates transition into productive members of society. These programs helped newly released inmates adjust to life in their community and find gainful employment. Adopt N Inmate was designed to help former inmates learn about social norms, find adequate housing, support systems, advisory support groups, and educational opportunities which will ultimately lead to opportunities for gainful employment.
Ronald believes in equality for all Virgin Islanders and its residents. Ronald believes in fairness, diversity, equity, and most importantly inclusive advancement of all Virgin
Islanders. Ronald wants Virgin Islanders to be proud of the place they call home. Most importantly, Ronald wants the community to know that his mission is focused on rebuilding the community, its infrastructure, and its reputation. Ronald’s active participation in global forums allowed him to collaborate with business leaders who have committed to assisting with finding qualified, skilled workers to get projects completed that other administrations failed at.
Ronald and his family are no strangers to the political scene. Ronald’s mother MaryAnn served as a public figure and Senator in 1994. Ronald’s sister Norma Pickard-Samuel
also served as a Senator in St. Thomas along with his aunt Alicia “Chucky” Hansen, who was known as a notable political powerhouse in the history of the Virgin Islands and a sounding board for all social classes. What makes Ronald stand out from the other candidates is that he is not afraid to admit that he is not an expert at everything but he is committed to connecting with and collaborating with members in the community and professionals aboard to get the best results. Ronald is committed to collaborating with the Senate and Senate leaders as a team with one vision and one focus and that is to make the Virgin Islands a top tourist destination again, support programs to reduce gun violence to make our communities safe again and to allocate resources for the programs to enhance our infrastructure, drinking water systems, early education programs and childcare programs to make the Virgin Islands first again. Ronald believes that hardworking people in the Virgin Islands need a voice. From the residents of the housing projects to the housing administrators, Ronald truly believes in the premise that it takes a village and every person deserves the same level of respect. Ronald is a proponent of the advancement of women and breaking the cycle of generational poverty. Ronald will make history by redefining our political climate by replacing our old way of thinking from the top down to transform our future from the bottom up where your voices are heard and you have a choice
