Our Team
Photography by Kayden Richards.
Board of Directors
Rory Melvin
Rory is currently tasked with managing Bloomberg Philanthropies continued efforts in territory. Rory is an experienced real estate professional with a passion for urban planning and development, with over 15 years of experience in real estate development and management; including working for the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) under the Bloomberg administration. At the NYCEDC he was responsible for the day-to-day operations for a portfolio of 200 properties across all five boroughs with an annual operating budget in excess of $130,000,000; as well as managing a team of seventy employees tasked with developing and implementing over $900,000,000 in capital construction projects on City-owned assets.
John McInnis
John is the CEO of McInnis Industries. He has decades of experience in the realm of disaster response and has been instrumental in several national emergency cleanup operations, including the City of Orange Beach after Hurricane Ivan (2004), St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina (2005), and 20 miles of Alabama coastline after the BP Horizon oil spill (2010). John served as Director of Kenny Chesney’s Love for Love City Foundation from 2017 to 2020.
Ian Samuel
Ian is a Virgin Islander, and a long-time leader in youth development on St. John. An indispensable community leader, Ian is also Board President of the St. John Community Foundation, and sits on the boards of Love City Community Network (LCCN).
Tom Secunda
Tom and his wife Cindy are signatories of the Giving Pledge. Since the devastating 2017 hurricane impacted the U.S. Virgin Islands and other parts of the Caribbean, he has been deeply involved in philanthropic efforts there. In 2011, Tom was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Parks Conservation Association. He also serves on the board of trustees for the Intrepid Museum Foundation, and on the board of directors of the Manhattan Theater Club.
Leona Smith
Leona is a Virgin Islander with a long, storied history in public service. From 2007 to 2014, Leona served as the St. John Administrator. She was a member of the Love City Strong Go Team from 2018 to 2020. Leona has served on several boards, including the Board of Tax Review, the Board of Directors of the West Indian Company, Ltd., the Board of Trustees for the Government Employees Retirement System, and the V.I. Board of Elections. She currently serves as the Virgin Islands Port Authority‘s Board Chairperson, and as the President/Chairperson of the St. John Festival and Cultural Organization.
