Luke appointed to territory’s football association

The BVI Football Association (BVIFA) has announced the appointment of Juliana Luke as its new general secretary, following what it said was the ‘successful interim term’ of Paul Hewlett.

“Hewlett came into the Association and added new dimensions of professionalism and organisation within his 12-month contract to the Football Association Office,” said the BVIFA.

It added that, during Hewlett’s tenure, Luke assisted him, learnt the ropes, and added her authority and character to one of the “toughest jobs in sports”.

The BVIFA also said Luke was busy “coming up with systems that will allow the sport to develop and grow”.

She was appointed on April 3.

“Luke becomes one of only a handful of general secretaries amongst FIFA members worldwide, and has already begun to ensure the local association is run smoothly and efficiently,” said the BVIFA.

Its president, Andy Bickerton, was full of praise for the outgoing Hewlett, while he expressed optimism in the new era.

“We were fortunate to have the benefit of Mr Hewlett’s experience and expertise to upgrade the BVIFA’s administration. We are confident that Mrs Luke will continue his work as we strive for excellence,” Bickerton said.

Luke became interested in football more than 10 years ago while she was a teacher at Little Rainbow Primary School on Virgin Gorda, and would watch children play the game.

She then became increasingly involved in helping to organize the sport. She was actively involved in various committees such as the Virgin Gorda League, the BVIFA Youth Committee, and the Football Association Women’s Committee.

“Her secretarial, organizational skills, and ability to interact with people across the communities and territories proved excellent, and the Football Association soon began to acknowledge her commitment to enhancing the game was invaluable.”

“When Paul Hewlett took over to hold the reigns, Mrs Luke was the obvious choice to appoint as the assistant and, over the past eight months, has more than proven she is ready to take over the sports top job,” added the BVIFA.