DOWASCO’s board of directors has new chairman

Hill addressing a gov't town hall meeting on Thursday night
Hill addressing a gov’t town hall meeting on Thursday night. Photo: gov’t press attache

The board of directors of the Dominica Water and Sewerage Company (DOWASCO) has a new Chairman the company’s General Manager, Bernard Ettinoffe, has announced.

The new chairman is Louis Patrick Hill, a former United States Virgin Island senator and a member of the Kalinago Council.

He replaces Larry Bardouille, who left for personal reasons.

Addressing a scholarship award ceremony held at the company’s office located on High Street in Roseau on Friday, Ettinoffe said the new chairman comes to the company with vast experience.

“Our Chairman comes to us with vast experience as an educator here in Dominica, then a Senator in the United States Virgin Islands and then back here in Dominica as an entrepreneur in the hotel business…,” he stated.

He explained that DOWASCO’s board is appointed for one year.

“The DOWASCO board is appointed annually for a one year period, the former Chairman who was appointed earlier this year had to leave for various reasons, personal reasons, other objectives, he is pursuing and so a new Chairman has been appointed effective August 1st,” he noted.

He revealed that the rest of the board remains the same.

“We have a seven member board and some have been serving for much longer than others but appointed on an annual basis,” he said.

The rest of the board are as follows:
Ronald Charles
Marah St. Rose
Bertilia Bethel
Joanne Lancelot
Rosette Cuffy
Richardson Panthier

Meantime, Ettinoffe stated that the new Chairman expressed satisfaction that DOWASCO, for the first time, was able to contribute to the education of a student from the Kalinago Territory.

“We are very pleased to have him and I am expressing his sentiments, he is very pleased that we are doing this,” Ettinoffe noted. “At our board meeting last night he expressed his satisfaction that DOWASCO is able to make that kind of contribution to the development of Dominica and moreso somebody from the Kalinago Territory.”

Kermisha Elie, 11 of the Kalinago Territory, was awarded a DOWASCO scholarship on Friday.

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29 Comments

  1. Jack
    August 19, 2015

    Mr Donald Shillingford you have a river running 24/7 at the back of your rum factory ? Why dont you bottle water so we do not have to send our money to Trinadad , instead of telling people to stay in their lane. You need to plant more cane and supply rum 52 weeks a yr and not 3 months a yr. You have work to do . If you plant more cane you can employ more people and become a very wealthy man. Work 7 days a week you are a young man now with the brains and energy go and do it.

  2. Jack
    August 19, 2015

    Mr phillip Joseph I need answers to our problems, merchandise are coming as far as China to Dominica, do you think its profitable for the merchants. Water in bottles comes as far from France, Italy, Israel , to the US on air planes , do you think its profitable. We have over 300 rivers and streams flowing 24 hrs a day day into the ocean, and you tell me its not profitable to bottle water. We as a people are in sane , all we do is make excuses saying nothing we do will work. We are the Saudi Ariba of water in the Caribean. I repeat again if the manager of the Dominica water company does not have the ability to put water in a bottle abd flood Caricom he should be fired now. We must change the way the British taught us how to think. We make every thing difficult when its not. We think like civil servants, not business men and women.

  3. Ma Moses
    August 17, 2015

    I simply think that mr. Etinoffe has proven that he can run Dowasco very well without the imposition of a questionable chairman. Hat will add only headache and costs for him.

  4. tk
    August 15, 2015

    @ kt if you were traveling on behalf of your country/state/club/organization, would you pay your expenses from your personal purse…

    • Me
      August 17, 2015

      Of course not but that is not the point my friend. What we are getting at is that there should be transparency and accountability. Don’t spin the issue!

  5. Annon
    August 15, 2015

    I wish Dowasco well, it has always been a class organization. They have managed to keep water rates affordable over the last 25 years, but can do more. They need to brainstorm ways to lower or keep water rates low. Patrick, I hope, should have a fortress of contacts and ideas to export/sell Dominica water in order to help keep water affordable for all. Don’t just show up to work, go to work for Dominicans Patrick!

    • Titiwi
      August 17, 2015

      I agree. It’s just that I question the choice of chairman.

  6. Mac Arthur Haughton
    August 15, 2015

    Do not let anyone privatise it.

  7. FORKIT
    August 15, 2015

    boy dominica is in one mess, skerrit continues to run is estate with no regard for law and order, and conscience.
    dominicans are the worst i the caribbean, we accept anything for crumbs

  8. August 15, 2015

    Examine! Examine! Mr No name, would need his own private plane, so manny alleged unexplained, reasons for trips and spending of taxes payers money. I`m smh, and saying in my opinion. Birds of a feather flock together”. But why us in poor little country called Dominica? God put a hand cause we going down very fast.S.O.S. Thats my cry. According to my Grand Mother, if it walk like a Duck, ack like a duck. man! Its a blouse and skirt a Duck. Wake up my people, we love our country, but its becoming clearer that our Country doh love us.

  9. Titiwi
    August 15, 2015

    Louis Hill was reported by the Virgin Islands Daily on 3 Dec. 2012 as having spent at least U.S.$.43,300 on trips between 2009 and 2011as a senator, at the taxpayers’ expense.. From a humble start as a teacher in Grandbay (he left in 1982) he seems to have developed a penchant for top class hotels and fine dining, pate foie gras not excluded. As a rule I am weary of people wearing their glasses on their forehead, maybe wrongly so but my granny used to say they have their eyes in the wrong place.Somehow I don’t think this appointment is going to make mr. Etinoffe’s job any easier.

  10. August 15, 2015

    Lets hear it from the new Chairman. it apperars only in Dominica certain persons make claims of being qulified, and no transparent evidence is submitted to to prove that they are infact Qualified, no wonder we have so many so called Experts self made in our Country. This is 2015 my people, we must examine their horns.

  11. CYRIL Volney
    August 15, 2015

    DOWASCO, in my view, is the best corporate citizen in Dominica. Mr Hill, congratulations, and do well for your fellow citizens. Now, get to work and start exporting SWEET NATURE ISLAND WATER….

  12. August 15, 2015

    Mr Ettinoff i have admired your industry and ability to rise to the challenge as manager of Dowasco and previously at NDFD but i find your uncontrollable joy at having former senator Hill as your chairman well a bit unexpected and truthfully very distasteful. . Is it just me or does anyone else find it questionable that Hill would vacate his cushy cushy life of US175.00 meals, the extensive travel, perks of being a senator and the likes to come and beg in Dominica reaping over a million from government grant to build “what he calls” a hotel to compete with Barana Aute that all taxpayers in Dominica are paying for whilst genuine Dominicans who have toiled to build this country “GWARYAYING” to get a little funding for their small businesses and as if that is not enough he is now being put in a PAID position to derail the forward movement of DOWASCO and the manager is celebrating that? hmmmm only in Dominica.

  13. empress
    August 15, 2015

    Everyone swallows the pill that he was a us senator….no one investigates why he ran to Dominica after all those years in st. thomas. ..magwae sa..

  14. Broom Stick
    August 15, 2015

    Come on! That’s not news nor a surprise. All the idiots who were bla blaing for labour during the election should know that such people MUST be fitted in or given their set up to keep them happy.
    But I am happy that the same people in the Kalinago Territory who were waving the flags of labour are beginning to smell the coffee. At least they have another five years to suck salt! Bon Apetite. What a foolish set of people who call themselves labourites!

  15. ATKINSON
    August 15, 2015

    i guess it was ok with the red/government/cabinet :mrgreen:

  16. Donald Shillingford
    August 14, 2015

    Louis Hill has the experience to do the job, please stay in your lane. ONELOVE,,,,,,,…

    • Me
      August 17, 2015

      Maybe he has the experience but has he got the right attitude…….??? No point asking if the govt. did their due diligence in this case.

  17. AA
    August 14, 2015

    I am just amazed at the level of incompetence that is celebrated in this place. This is a utility company, the least that we should expect is someone who has engineering experience, but no we get another party hack who will not be able to contribute anything to our water resource but be a bouncing ball of his party.

    What a shame no wonder people who have the necessary talent do not come back to this place and we are in such a rot. go on party hacks.

    • August 14, 2015

      AA! How much do you know about Senator Louis Patrick Hill? For you info he holds a Masters Degree, he is a US military veteran and was predident of the USVI Legislature. Prior to his election to the Legislature he served for several years as Administrator for St. John/Water Islands.

      This is just to let you know that he has more substance than you and you leader put together. Yesterdat I said, should Jesus Christ was to set foot on Dominica, people like you and your party would criticise him. Go ahead now and kill me and then criticise Senator Hill.

  18. kt
    August 14, 2015
    • view
      August 14, 2015
      • Original Peaceful #1
        August 14, 2015

        I read the article from the virgin island daily news, and it is very interesting article with records and all. Some of mr hill responses were very unclear, how could u eat at a hotel with someone and not remember who the person was. and if u are going to a conference in a set location wouldnt u book a hotel in advance. a lot of lame excuses to me. Mr Hill is just like the comrades in this rogue government. Birds of a feather flock together.

      • Peter Potter
        August 15, 2015

        They mess up in other countries, sign up for the Skerrit Bible and land a big position in Dominica! No more to be said.

      • Zandoli
        August 15, 2015

        I am not sure what that post is supposed to suggest, but the costs associated with these orips seem quite reasonable to me. I travel on business a lot and while I am very reasonable with the amount of the company’s money I spend I will not stay in a cheap hotel not will I eat fast food.

  19. Jack
    August 14, 2015

    Dawascos- needs to be transformed they should be bottling water and shipping it over seas. With a new chairman of the Board do he have the brains to help them make money, lets see I doubt it. Who is giving these people advice , you cannot keep over charging Dominicans for water to pay loans when you can sell water to offset the cost for running the coropartion . This people would not last one month as dog catcher at dog house they have very little brains to think.

    • Titiwi
      August 15, 2015

      Jack, as long as it is cheaper to sell bottled water in Dominica, imported from Trinidad than our own product, this will not happen. Why, our authorities even allow the organisers to ban our own bottled water at international events taking place right here in the island of 365 rivers, in favour of a foreign product. Really smart fellows!

    • Phillip Joseph
      August 15, 2015

      Jack I respect your view and support it up to a point, because what all of us who make comments and suggestions need to do in addition, is research a bit to get an appreciation for the requirements, resources, etc., necessary to realize the benefits / outcome / whatever, of these comments and ideas we put forward.

      DOWASCO bottling water and exporting water (bulk or otherwise) MAY not necessarily generate sufficient surplus to significantly offset the cost of running DOWASCO.

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