RE-OPENING OCTOBER 27
The Virgin Islands
ChilDren's Museum
What Will You Discover Today?
Open 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday - Saturday
Sunday 11am to 4 pm
Closed Mondays
Last admission 30 minutes before closing
Our Team
Chantel Hoheb
Executive Director
A multi-generational Virgin Islander, having lived on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix, Chantel feels she embodies different characteristics from each island which are so different. After Hurricane Marilyn she moved to Illinois with her aunt to continue her 6th grade year. When she returned to St. Thomas, she attended Antilles School until graduation. It was them that she recognized the importance of community service. She believes that we all have a responsibility to help one another, especially on such a small island. She received a BBA from Loyola University New Orleans where she double majored in Marketing and International Business. She was a member of the Black Student Union as well as brother in the professional fraternity Delta Sigma Pi.
After college, she returned home to find no jobs in her field but soon realized she had a great bed-side manner working with patients as the Office Manager at VI Anesthesia and VI Pain Management. Fortunately, less than a year later she got the opportunity to work in the marketing department at the Department of Tourism where it came natural to her to want to share her home with the world. After working there for 7 ½ years, she decided to retire from government where she felt she couldn’t make the changes to the system she thought were necessary. She created her own marketing consulting company and co-founded Island Vibes Summer Camp. She began to realize the lack of attention paid to children and our elders in the community.
Chantel has a deep appreciation for art, music and culture and genuinely believes “Everything is Art”. Painting, dance, music and food, even the pepper bottles her aunt taught her to make; she believes every creation is a chance to express ourselves in the way only we can. After IrMaria, she wanted to gain hands-on experience in the service industry and worked front and back of the house at Bella Blu and The Pie Whole. It gave her an even better understanding and appreciation for the USVI’s product.
The most important product the USVI has is its people and she looks forward to being an asset to the Virgin Islands Children’s museum so it can help provide a better foundation for our youth that they may become creative, more brilliant, fun loving adults and contributing members of our community.
Amber McCammon
Programs Director and Curator
Amber McCammon is a "military brat”; born on a Marine Corp base in California and moving countless times between West Coast and Midwest states throughout childhood. She dropped out of high school but wasn’t content with a life of office work. She earned an associate of arts degree and certificate in photography by putting herself through night school in what she considers her hometown of Portland, Oregon. Before graduation she traveled around the world living for extended periods of time in Nepal, Greece, Italy, and Scotland.
Amber moved to St Thomas to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology at the University of the Virgin Islands. She earned her Master’s Degree in Behavior Ecology of Tropical Marine Organisms at Florida Atlantic University, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.
As adjunct faculty at the University of the Virgin Islands Amber has taught science off and on from 2010 to Present. She is currently a PhD student in the Environmental Science program at Arkansas State University. As a marine symbiologist and graduate student, she continues to conduct marine science research in the territory and loves to share her passion for the sea with others.
As a mother and long time member of the St Thomas community, Amber has been involved in numerous education events and initiatives that promote early childhood education, including volunteering with the VICM since its inception.
Alexander David
Board President and Information Technology
Alexander David was born and raised on the islands of St. Thomas and received his BS in Computer Science from the University of the Virgins Islands. While Alex enjoys many outdoor activities and sports such as football, spear fishing, scuba diving and hiking; his true passion has always been learning and passing on that knowledge. In high school he was a part of a mentorship program hosted by the Superior Court and even in college would serve as a tutor for English and Computer Science students. Alex also spent much time doing research at the university and participated in several research programs at schools such as Carnegie Mellon and University of California Santa Barbara. Upon receiving his degree, Alex went to work for the Superior Court as a Computer Support Tech. Later he transferred to the Supreme Court where he spent the next the next several years doing networking and systems administration.
In 2014 Alex left the local court system and went to work at UVI as a Programmer Analyst but left there in 2015 to take a position in the District Court where he remains employed to this day. As a father of one Alex has been moved by the work that the VI Children’s Museum is doing and remains committed to seeing it flourish and become a staple of the community.
Erik Ackerson
Board Vice President
Erik was born and raised in the Kansas City area and attended the University of Kansas, majoring in Journalism and Marketing. He moved to St. Thomas in 1996 after falling in love with her people and scenery following a vacation visit.
He took over the reins of the Quality Food Corporation as General Manager and went on to head up the Virgin Island Charter Yacht League as Executive Director. He has served as the Director of the Marine Economic Development Council for the DeJongh Administration, Marketing and Compliance Director for Alpha Mortgage Advisors and currently serves as the Public Information Officer for the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency.
Erik has immersed himself in the USVI community by serving as President of the Rotary Club of St. Thomas, President of the Texas Society of the VI (Host of the Annual Chili Cook Off community fundraiser), Vi Hotel Tourism Board member, Water Island Civic Association Executive Board, St. Thomas/St. John Chamber of Commerce annual Lighted Boat Parade Coordinator and the 2016 recipient of the Wilber "Bill" LaMotta Community Service Award presented by the Chamber.
He lives on beautiful Water Island and is an avid boater and boating advocate.
Andrew Park
Interim Board Treasurer &Events Planning Committee Chair
Andrew moved to the Virgin Islands in 2009 and serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Alpine Securities, an investment firm located on St. Thomas. Andrew was born and raised in New York City, the son of parents who had emigrated from Korea. He attended the Bronx High School of Science where his favorite classes were Physics and Statistics. He went on to receive a BS in Finance and Management from Binghamton University, including international studies at the London School of Economics. Andrew later earned both an MBA and an MS in Risk Management from the NYU Stern School of Business.
Prior to moving to the islands, Andrew spent his career working in the finance and investments industry in New York. He worked as a financial analyst, securities trader and portfolio manager. Just prior to joining Alpine, Andrew served as head of research for Sire Management, a $1 billion long/short equity fund of hedge funds whose clients included foundations, endowments and high net worth individuals.
In his spare time, Andrew especially enjoys participating in the small Ultimate Frisbee community of the Virgin Islands. Having competed in three consecutive World Championship tournaments he brings a wealth of knowledge and ability to the game. Andrew lives on St. Thomas with his wife and three young children (ages 2, 3 and 5) who all love going to the Virgin Islands Children's Museum!
Rebecca Hoffart
Board Secretary
Having spent her honeymoon on St. Thomas, Rebecca and her husband relocated to the USVI six months later, in the year 2000. She was a long-time librarian and grant administrator at All Saints Cathedral School before taking a step back to pursue her doctoral degree. She holds two master’s degrees and is currently enrolled in UVI’s Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change Ph.D. program. She currently teaches part-time computer science classes for VIMSIA and does education, outreach and organizational support work for local non-profit groups. She is the founder of VIMSIA’s EnviroStrong club.
Rebecca lived for five years in Mexico City, Mexico and is fluent in Spanish and French. Mother of one native Virgin Islander, she is passionate about supporting the Virgin Islands community and has successfully written grants to bring innovative programs to the territory. She co-coordinated the first Virgin Islands Girls Who Code club as well as a grant-funded AspireIT camp program. She has presented at national and international conferences in cybersecurity and computer science education, won a national-level award from the National CyberWatch Center Innovations in Cybersecurity Education in the category of student learning aid, and in 2017 was recognized as the regional Educator Award winner for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Affiliate of the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing. She has coached several CyberPatriot teams which reached the world semi-finals round and coached the first ever Virgin Islands Girls Go CyberStart team which recently competed in the national finals championship.
A strong believer in the power of informal and discovery education, Rebecca is proud to support the VICM’s many initiatives to be a valuable resource to families in our community.
Casey Payton
Board Member
Casey Payton attended the University of California, Berkeley where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies with an emphasis in Luso-Brazilian Languages and Literature. Casey began her career as the District Scheduler for Congresswoman Barbara Lee, which inspired her to attend Howard University School of Law. She clerked for Judge Debra S. Watlington in the Family Division of the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands and then served as an Assistant Public Defender at the Office of the Territorial Public Defender.
In September 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the U.S. Virgin Islands as category-5 hurricanes. Through her leadership roles in the ABA Young Lawyers Division and the Virgin Islands Bar Association, Casey implemented the Disaster Legal Services pro bono program in the Virgin Islands, for which she won the 2020 ABA Dorsey Award and 2018 VIBA President’s Award. She ran the Disaster Advocacy Program at Legal Services of the Virgin Islands, Inc. for two years. She is now an Experienced/Senior Staff Attorney and Pro Bono Coordinator at Legal Services of the Virgin Islands, Inc. She represents indigent clients in a variety of matters, including evictions, custody, divorce, domestic violence, wrongful discharge, and estate planning. In 2019, Casey chaired the Young Lawyer Leadership Summit at the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands. She was recognized as a 2020 On the Rise Top 40 ABA Young Lawyer.
Charlotte Van Heurck
Board Member
Charlotte was born and raised on St. Thomas and received a Bachelor’s of Arts from the VUB in Brussels, Belgium. After finishing a Master’s in Public Policy in California she moved back to Brussels and began working at the American Chamber of Commerce for Belgium as well as a Think Tank at the EU called the Lisbon Council, where she worked on economic competitiveness for small businesses.
While away, the family was growing a helicopter business, Caribbean Buzz. They were about to hire more personnel when Charlotte decided to join the team. By 2014 Charlotte was flying back and forth from Europe to help grow Caribbean Buzz.
In 2016 she welcomed her first son and moved back permanently to St. Thomas. As the mother of 2 boys and an avid water woman, she spends a lot of spare time outdoors. Charlotte and her family are blessed to be able to travel and love spending part of their time exploring Children’s Museums and is thankful for what VICM brings to the Virgin Islands community.
Brianne Beatty
Board Member
Brianne grew up in Connecticut, attending Greenwich High School before moving onto the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. After graduating in 2001 with a BA in English Literature, she promptly drove across the U.S. to see the rest of the country. Yearning for more travel after months on the road and a stint as a yoga instructor in Arizona, she ended up in the US Virgin Islands in 2003. An avid sailor and lover of the ocean, Brianne spent the next 7 years chartering and sailing her own boat around the US, British and Spanish Virgin Islands, up to Turks and Caicos, through the Bahamas and around Florida. Returning to the USVI in 2009 after thousands of miles sailing, Brianne began working as a central agent for charter yachts. Volunteering her time for the local charter yacht shows in the USVI she became involved with the industry’s non-profit organization, the Virgin Islands Charter Yacht League. For two years Brianne served as Director of the VICL and spearheaded the islands’ charter yacht shows from 2013 to 2015. In 2016 she launched her own charter yacht brokerage, VINE Yachts, specializing in charters in both the Virgin Islands and New England and currently books charters for clients around the world.
Brianne resides on the Northside of St. Thomas with her two children, Jack, 11, and Niko, 8 and their dog, Cali. When not working she can be found at the beach snorkeling or out sailing the beautiful waters of the Virgin Islands that she calls home.
Sarah Hughes
Co-Founder
Sarah Hughes grew up in Indiana and attended Indiana State University. She majored in Biology. After college she came to the U.S. Virgin Islands to pursue contentment. She became an integral part of the arts community by volunteering her services at the non-profit The Alternative Art Alliance. Having been involved since inception of the Alternative Art Alliance, as a volunteer she oversaw fundraising and grant writing, program and exhibit organization and execution.
Sarah has worked in management positions for prominent local businesses including Beans, Bytes and Websites, and the Virgin Island Coffee Roasters. Sarah also was a worker/owner of a small business in Asheville, North Carolina for a year. She has volunteered as a trainer for professional skills sessions at My Brother’s Workshop. Sarah spent 1 ½ years in South America traveling and working with local farmers on ecological conservation and sustainable farming practices, and is fluent in Spanish.
The Virgin Islands Children’s Museum is the brainchild of Sarah Hughes. She and cofounder Sarah Erickson have dedicated the past four years of their lives to the creation and development of the VICM, from grant-writing, to the development of programs and services, the conceptualization and construction of exhibits, the development of the business plan, finding and securing the location, generating documents, policies, and procedures, obtaining the 501(c)(3) designation, fundraising, renovating, and opened the museum to the public on March 20, 2016.
Sarah Hughes
Sarah Erickson
Sarah Erickson
Co-Founder
Sarah Erickson grew up in Colorado, then attended the University of Southern California, majoring in Art History. She moved back to Colorado to finish her schooling with a minor in Museum Studies at the University of Colorado. As a senior in college Sarah was part of a group working at the newly formed Pikes Peak Children’s Museum. After college, she worked for a series of non-profit organizations including the Southern Colorado AIDS Project, where she was an Assistant to the Executive Director, and at PEAK Parents Center, an advocacy group for children with disabilities, where she was in development. Sarah has lived and taught English as a Second Language in Seoul, South Korea. She has volunteered for numerous soup kitchens around the world.
Sarah moved to the Virgin Islands to work for the Marriott Frenchman’s Reef in 1998 but soon left to help a friend with his new coffee company, King’s Caribbean Coffee. After 8 years she left to get married and start a family. She lives with her husband and 10 year old son on St. Thomas. Prior to living in St. Thomas, she and her family have lived in the Bahamas, Australia, Florida, Hawaii, Colorado and California.