GREAT BAY--On the nomination of Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs, Louis Brown has been appointed Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the St. Maarten Cadastre and Mortgage Registry Foundation for a three-year term, according to a national decree that has now been officially published in the Landscourant.
The decree, published in the September 11, 2026 edition of the official gazette, also confirms the appointment of Ernesto Leoncito Lake as a member of the Supervisory Board for a three-year period.
Brown brings extensive experience in public administration, spatial planning, infrastructure and disaster management to the Supervisory Board. He previously served as Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, VROMI, where his responsibilities touched on zoning, development planning, infrastructure and environmental policy. Earlier in his career, he served as Section Head of Disaster Management at the St. Maarten Fire Department.
The appointments follow a recruitment and selection process supported by the Government Accountants Bureau. Advertisements inviting applications for positions on the Supervisory Board were published in December 2025, after which a selection committee interviewed candidates.
According to the decree, the Minister of Finance informed the Corporate Governance Council on May 18, 2026 of the intention to nominate two candidates. The Council issued its advice on June 10 and indicated that it had no objection to the proposed appointments.
Based on the selection process and the Council's advice, the Minister of Finance nominated Brown and Lake to the Council of Ministers. Brown was nominated as both member and Chairman, while Lake was nominated as a board member. The Council of Ministers subsequently approved both appointments.
The published decree also outlines the vacancies that had developed on the board. One member resigned effective August 31, 2025, while the terms of three other members, including the previous Chairman, ended on March 30, 2026. That left only one duly appointed member serving on the board before the latest appointments.
Under the statutes of the foundation, the Supervisory Board must consist of at least three and no more than five members. The Chairman and other members are appointed for terms of between three and five years and may be reappointed once.
The publication of the decree formally confirms the new appointments, with Brown assuming leadership of the Supervisory Board and Lake joining as a member.
