Chris Finch moved to the Virgin Islands in 1978, initially working as a foster care social worker for the Department of Social Welfare.  He wrote a successful grant for Lutheran Social Services to start a hotline crisis intervention, information and referral program and during a 25+ year career with LSS, also served as Assistant Executive Director, Lutheran Disaster Response Director, and Executive Director. He also served as Commissioner of the Department of Human Services for eight years. Presently he and his wife, Ellie Hirsh, own and operate an educational and social service consulting business, Reaching Potentials, LLC.

 

Along with the Children’s Museum of St. Croix, Chris serves/has served on many community boards  including the VI Government Hospitals and Health Facilities Corporation, My Brother’s Workshop,

St. Croix Long Term Recovery Group, West Indies Commandery of the Order of St. John and the Edouard Foundation.  He has a bachelors degree in social work from the University of Texas and a masters degree in public administration from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

He is the father of two children and grandfather of three.

 

When not busy with work, Chris enjoys reading and hiking. He has also volunteered to play Santa in the Virgin Islands for the past 15 years.