Fulbright Scholars Excel in Business, Politics, and Cultural Pursuits

Pamela Berkowsky has served as an aide to a number of senior federal government officials, including the secretaries of defense and the navy. A graduate of Princeton University, Pamela Berkowsky also spent a year studying in Geneva, Switzerland as a Fulbright Scholar.

The Fulbright Scholarship Program is one of the most prestigious academic awards programs in the world. It takes its name from its legislative sponsor, Senator James William Fulbright of Arkansas, who served as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and helped shape U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War. The bilateral exchange program was created to foster mutual understanding between the United States and other nations.

Since its inception, more than 320,000 scholars from more than 150 nations have participated in the program, which falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Alumni of the Fulbright program current and former heads of state, members of Congress, business giants, cultural icons, Pulitzer Prize winners and Nobel Laureates.

Former Maine Senator William Cohen Served as 20th Secretary of Defense

A former chief of staff to the governor of the United States Virgin Islands, Pamela Berkowsky has held numerous high-level positions in the Department of Defense. During the Clinton administration, Pamela Berkowsky served as assistant chief of staff to William S. Cohen, 20th United States Secretary of Defense.

William S. Cohen spent much of his career as a legislator. A Republican from Maine, he served in the House before winning election to the Senate, where he served on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, the Senate Committee on Aging, and the Select Committee on Intelligence.

Back in his home state of Maine, Cohen maintained extremely strong electoral support. He went undefeated in each of the six elections in which he ran for office, and he left the Senate by choice in 1996 at the end of his third term.

Called out of private life by President Bill Clinton, Cohen took the position of secretary of defense in 1997. One of the few cabinet members in history to have come from the opposite party as the president, he worked cooperatively to increase military readiness and build relationships with foreign leaders to ensure mutual security. During his tenure, the U.S. military conducted extensive aerial warfare operations in the Balkans, helping to prevent ethnic violence in Serbia and Kosovo.

Successful Junior Philanthropists event!

More than 80 players from across the Virgin Islands turned out this weekend for the Third Annual Youth4Youth Tennis Tournament.  The Junior Philanthropists raised more than $10K for youth educational programs.  Congrats to all players, volunteers, sponsors and JP mentors on a great weekend of tennis and philanthropy!

Community Foundation Supports Head Start Program

Pamela Berkowsky has extensive experience in public administration. During her almost six year tenure as both Deputy and Chief of Staff to the Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Pamela Berkowsky spearheaded policy development in the areas of emergency management, energy, tourism, health, and education. For several years, Pam Berkowsky also served as a director of the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI).

Since its establishment in 1990, CFVI has funded programs that further the education, health, cultural development, and environmental well-being of the residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands, with a specific focus on children and families. It manages more than $7 million in endowed assets and distributes nearly $2 million annually in grants, scholarships, and other awards. The CFVI is also known for coordinating the work of the Virgin Islands Early Childhood Advisory Committee (ECAC), a federally-mandated entity.

The committee, which includes representatives from public and private agencies, focuses on supporting children and their families, with the aim of adequately preparing the children to succeed in the classroom. The committee’s core initiatives include providing health and wellness programs for children, developing quality early childhood and Head Start curricula, and improving the territory’s data collection for policy development and implementation.