1. Kenneth Ezra Mapp was born on November 2,1955 and is an American politician who served as the eighth elected Governor of the United States Virgin Islands, from 2015 to 2019.
47 Facts About Kenneth Mapp
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Kenneth Mapp was registered Republican, but ran as an independent.
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Kenneth Mapp was an independent candidate for Governor of the US Virgin Islands in 2006 and 2010, but was defeated both times by Democrat John de Jongh.
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Kenneth Mapp ran in the 2014 gubernatorial election for Governor of the United States Virgin Islands, defeating Donna Christian-Christensen, the longtime Delegate to Congress, in a run-off.
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Kenneth Mapp ran for a second term in 2018, but was defeated in the runoff election by Democrat Albert Bryan.
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Kenneth Ezra Mapp was born on November 2,1955, in Brooklyn, New York, to Al Mapp and Vashti Hewitt Mapp of St Croix.
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Kenneth Mapp graduated from St Croix Central High School in 1973.
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Kenneth Mapp has attended New York City Community College of City University of New York and the University of the Virgin Islands, but has not earned a bachelor's degree.
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Kenneth Mapp completed other fellowships at Harvard University and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
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Kenneth Mapp has worked as a police trainee in New York City and a police officer in the US Virgin Islands.
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Kenneth Mapp joined the New York City Police Department soon after graduating from high school in 1973 and was based in the 83rd Police Precinct in Brooklyn.
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Kenneth Mapp later became a police officer in the Virgin Islands and was elected president of the Virgin Islands Police Benevolent Association.
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Kenneth Mapp was elected as a senator in the Virgin Islands Legislature in three separate elections.
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Kenneth Mapp was elected to the 15th Legislature of the Virgin Islands in 1982, his first elected office.
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Kenneth Mapp chaired the Committee on Public Safety and Judicial Affairs and was a standing member on the Committee on Finance.
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Additionally, Kenneth Mapp held other positions within the Virgin Islands government.
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Kenneth Mapp served as the assistant director of the Industrial Development Commission, which later became the Economic Development Authority.
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Kenneth Mapp became the director of the Consumer Services Administration, which is the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs.
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Governor Kenneth Mapp were inaugurated to a four-year term on January 2,1995.
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However, Schneider and Kenneth Mapp had a publicly strained relationship while in office and the two often did not speak to one another during their four-year tenure.
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Kenneth Mapp campaigned for Governor Turnbull who was re-elected to a second term.
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Kenneth Mapp raised millions of dollars for the government and Hovensa, the territory's largest private sector employer.
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Kenneth Mapp managed several major capital projects and served on the Governor's financial and budget team.
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Kenneth Mapp participated in budget hearings and prepared a variety of detailed analysis and reports.
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In 2006, Kenneth Mapp announced his candidacy for governor as an independent candidate with former Senator at Large Almando Liburd as his running mate.
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Kenneth Mapp formally announced his candidacy for Governor of the US Virgin Islands in the 2010 gubernatorial election on August 20,2010, at his headquarters on Saint Thomas.
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Kenneth Mapp, who is running as an Independent rather than a Republican, picked Malik Sekou, a professor and department chair at the University of the Virgin Islands, as his running mate for lieutenant governor.
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Kenneth Mapp promised to construct a technical school, promote economic growth while protecting the environment and pursue cleaner forms of energy if elected.
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Kenneth Mapp initially refused to concede, citing possible voting irregularities and the advice from his campaign advisor.
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Kenneth Mapp ran for Governor of the US Virgin Islands in the 2014 gubernatorial election, choosing Osbert Potter, a former Virgin Islands senator as his running mate.
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Kenneth Mapp ran for reelection but lost with 44.67 percent of the vote to Albert Bryan's 55.04 percent in a run-off election.
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Kenneth Mapp was sworn in as the 8th elected Governor of the US Virgin Islands on January 5,2015.
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Kenneth Mapp later signed legislation appropriating $1 million to further take legal action towards Hess Oil and PDVSA.
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Kenneth Mapp signed an executive order allowing same-sex marriage in the US Virgin Islands following a US Supreme Court's decision.
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In July 2015, Kenneth Mapp became a member of the NGA's Committee on Economic Development.
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Kenneth Mapp's administration moved to sue HESS Corporation for $1.5 billion given the refinery immediate closure.
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Kenneth Mapp created the Virgin Islands Climate Change Council through executive order.
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In December 2015, Kenneth Mapp began an agreement with ArcLight Partners, LLC, to operate the oil storage terminal of Hovensa refinery.
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Kenneth Mapp implemented salary increases for government employees while his administration focused on raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.50 over a three-year period.
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In February 2017, Kenneth Mapp faced a government fiscal crisis with over $2 billion in debt and a structural deficit of $110 million.
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Kenneth Mapp provided the federal Medicaid program to all eligible Virgin Islands residents, giving vital health care access to many families who lacked health insurance and access to basic health care services.
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On September 5,2017, Kenneth Mapp declared a state of emergency in preparations for Hurricane Irma which was followed by Hurricane Maria thirteen days later.
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Kenneth Mapp met President Donald Trump on a ship off Puerto Rico.
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Kenneth Mapp was successful in persuading Congress and received bipartisan support for several unprecedented amendments to the Stafford Act as well as an estimated $9 billion of federal funds for the recovery and rebuilding of the territory.
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Kenneth Mapp recruited local and national nonprofit organizations to join the recovery effort, including the American Red Cross, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the Kenny Chesney Foundation.
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Kenneth Mapp appealed help for the territory and received personnel and resources from his fellow governors Andrew Cuomo, Chris Christie, and Larry Hogan.
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Kenneth Mapp offered free tuition to all local high school graduates attending the University of the Virgin Islands.