U.S. Commission Chairman Thomas Hicks to Be Guest Speaker at Elections Diamond Jubilee Gala

Elections System of the U.S. Virgin Islands

Chairman Thomas Hicks will be the guest speaker at the Diamond Jubilee Gala, which will be held at The Ritz Carlton on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Chairman Thomas Hicks was nominated by President Barack H. Obama and confirmed by unanimous consent of the United States Senate on Dec. 16, 2014, to serve on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).

Hicks has focused his efforts on voter access. Under his leadership, the Election Assistance Commission developed a pocket-sized voter card that serves as a guide on voting rights for voters with disabilities. In addition, he has addressed the difficulties overseas voters have when requesting and returning their ballots, such as dealing with foreign IP addresses and issues with timely ballot delivery.

Prior to his appointment with the Election Assistance Commission, the commissioner served as a senior elections counsel and minority elections counsel on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on House Administration, a position he held from 2003 to 2014. In this role, Hicks was responsible for issues relating to campaign finance, election reform, contested elections and oversight of both the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the Federal Election Commission. His primary

responsibility was providing guidance to the committee members and caucus on election issues. Hicks also served in the Clinton Administration from 1993 to 2001 as a special assistant and legislative assistant in the Office of Congressional Relations for the Office of Personnel Management.