Basseterre, St. Kitts – May 22, 2017 (The St. Christopher National Trust): The St. Christopher National Trust is pleased to announce that the Governor General His Excellency Sir S.W. Tapley Seaton GCMG, CVO, QC, JP has accepted its invitation to serve as patron of the organization.
Sir Tapley gave up the position of Vice President of the Trust in 2015 upon his appointment to the post of Governor General.
He served on the Executive of the St. Christopher Heritage Society for many years. He was its last President and the first President of the organization when it involved into the National Trust.
Sir Tapley drafted The National Trust Bill along with now retired General Manager of the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society, Mr. Larry Armony.
He has also served as Vice President of the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society and as Chairman of the U.W.I Territorial Advisory Committee for over 25 years.
His Excellency was a member of the Beautiful Basseterre Committee and as a longstanding Director of The Chamber of Industry and Commerce, he pursued several conservation issues.
He continues to be involved in discussions concerning the revision of The National Environmental and Conservation Act of 1987 (NCEPA), which was drafted under his watch as Attorney General.
Sir Tapley is particularly concerned about the implementation of listing of historic buildings.
A lawyer by profession, he was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1980 and later appointed a Notary Public for St. Kitts and Nevis.
He became the first Attorney General of the Independent Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis on 19 September 1983, having earlier served as Crown Counsel and Acting Registrar and Magistrate.
In 1985 Sir Tapley was awarded the rank of Commander of the Royal Victorian Order – C.V.O. by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during Royal Visit to St. Kitts and Nevis. In 1988 he was elevated to the rank of Silk (Queen’s Counsel) and was the first graduate of the West Indian Law Schools to be so elevated.
He was appointed Governor-General of St. Kitts and Nevis in September 2015 and in November of that year he was conferred with the title Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George (G. C. M. G.) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
