Kerryne Zennelle James is a level-headed, calm, and enthusiastic individual who can carry out any role professionally and effectively. Through her many years in service to her community and country, she has meaningfully contributed to team success through hard work, attention to detail, and excellent organizational skills. She was born in Gouyave, in the parish of St. John.

She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from St. George's University, and an Associate Degree from the School of Arts, Science, and Professional Studies, at the T.A. Marryshow Community College, in Law, Geography, and Sociology. 

In 2018 she was appointed to the House of Senate - becoming the youngest Senator in the history of Grenada and the Commonwealth of Nations. There, she was more instrumental in her quest for change by supporting and reviewing laws for the betterment of her peers and country.

Today, she is the youngest elected member of Parliament in the History of Grenada; and the only female elected member for the winning party.

She is now the Minister for Climate Resilience, The Environment, and Renewable Energy, Grenada.

Mr. Isaac Solomon is the President (Ag.) at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the regional development finance institution based in Barbados. Mr. Solomon is responsible for the strategic direction and overall management of the Bank and spearheads the Bank’s engagement with its member countries and development partners. Prior to this, Mr. Solomon held the position of Vice President (Operations) in which he provided leadership and direction to the Economics and Projects Departments and the Corporate Strategy Division.

Mr. Solomon holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree from the University of the West Indies in Management, and a Master of Science degree in Financial Management from the University of London’s Centre for International Education in Economics. He also holds the Certified Public Accountant designation.

Therese Turner-Jones is a Bahamian national and resident of Bridgetown, Barbados, having recently spent a decade in Kingston Jamaica. Between 2013 and 2022, she worked at the Inter-American Development Bank, where she served as general manager of the Caribbean Group (CCB). Her purview spanned IDB operations in Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and her home country, The Bahamas. She is currently the Vice President (Ag) Operations of the Caribbean Development Bank after managing MaxGwen Ltd, a consulting firm she founded in 2022.

A trained economist, Mrs. Turner-Jones has over 30 years’ experience in macroeconomics and economic development, with special expertise on the Caribbean and Latin America. She served the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in senior posts for over 20 years both at a staff and Board level.

She holds a master’s degree in Economics from the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom. She is also an alumnus of the University of Toronto, and United World Colleges (Lester Pearson College). Her publications include a book on Caribbean Fiscal Challenges.

A member of the International Women’s Forum, Mrs. Turner Jones is passionate about financial inclusion, gender equity, children, vulnerable communities and the environment.

She is an ardent champion of development issues facing small island developing states, and considers climate change one of the most existential threats of our lifetime. A tennis fanatic, she is married to Dennis Jones, a former IMF economist. They are the proud parents of three daughters; Bronwyn Huggins, Eleanor and Rhian Jones.

Mr. Lennox O’Reilly Lewis is a Civil Engineer with over 28 years of technical and managerial experience, in infrastructure development in the Caribbean. Mr. Lewis currently serves as the acting Director of Projects at the Caribbean Development Bank, where he leads staff responsible for the preparation, appraisal and implementation of all CDB-financed economic infrastructure projects in 19 Borrowing Member Countries stretching from Guyana to Belize.

Mr. Lewis’ professional career includes serving as: Water Engineer at the Central Water and Sewerage Authority in St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Sanitary Engineer at the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute; and Solid Waste Manager in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Mr. Lewis is a Past President of the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association. He holds a B.Eng in Civil Engineering from the University of Manchester and an M.Sc in Environmental Engineering from Cornell University.

Dr. Colin A. Young, a Belizean national, is the Executive Director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (CCCCC) headquartered in Belize SINCE January 2020. Prior to his appointment at the CCCCC, Dr. Young served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Social Security Board, a parastatal entity that administers Belize’s Social Security Fund from 2017 to 2019 were he championed contribution reform, technology transformation and numerous legislative changes. Dr. Young also served as the CEO in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, the Environment, Sustainable Development where he had overall responsibilities for all of the portfolios, including climate change, other than agriculture as well as the CEO in the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology and Public Utilities from 2012-2015. Dr. Young has served on numerous boards including the Green Climate Fund, a financial mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He holds both a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Connecticut in the United States.

Dr. Mohammad Rafik Nagdee is the Executive Director of the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE). He brings a wealth of expertise in climate change diplomacy, strategic planning, resource mobilization, and project leadership, gained through pivotal roles with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the BlueGreen Initiative and other multilateral organizations. Over the past decade, Dr. Nagdee has made significant contributions to advancing environmental sustainability, energy security, and climate resilience across the Caribbean region. He has led the implementation and mobilization of more than US$70Million in grant resources to the Caribbean, underscoring his commitment to regional cooperation and sustainable financing. As a former UNDP Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Green Climate Fund (GCF) focal point, he emphasized the necessity of collective efforts to develop impactful programmes that enhance and compliment natural systems. His leadership is distinguished by his dedication to growing capacity to lead transitions with a primary focus on developing Caribbean technical expertise, ensuring a robust presence in countries that embody a shared vision for a sustainable future, driven by strategic engagement and regional solidarity. As a former head of a NGO, Dr. Nagdee values community solidarity, adopting an integrated approach to sustainable development that leaves no one behind. He is a published author and continues to contribute to academia as a part-time postgraduate lecturer at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus. 

Andrew has worked since 2004 for the Canadian federal public service, serving in a variety of roles in multiple departments and agencies. He is currently the Executive Director of Climate Finance at Global Affairs Canada. In this capacity, he oversees Canada’s portfolio of international climate finance programming, including the five-year, $5.3 billion commitment announced by Prime Minister Trudeau in 2021. He has a Doctorate in Geography from the University of Oxford. 

Dr. Pendo Maro is a distinguished leader in environmental management, climate change and disaster risk reduction with over 20 years of experience across Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, the Pacific, and South-East Asia. Her current tenure as the Team Leader of the Intra-ACP Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Programme, covering a vast array of countries within the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), underscores her commitment to fostering resilience and sustainability across diverse regions. Dr. Maro's impressive track record includes spearheading multi-million Euro programmes funded by the European Union, showcasing her adeptness in managing and coordinating complex technical programmes focused on climate change mitigation, adaptation, strengthening resilience and improving South-South, North-South and Triangular cooperation. Her academic background, with degrees in Biology and Chemistry, Environmental Management, and a Doctorate in Environmental Change and Policy, provides her with a solid foundation for addressing interdisciplinary challenges. As CEO of PENDO SRL, she provides international consulting solutions. Her leadership is marked by strong analytical, communication, and negotiation skills, alongside a passion for sustainable development. Dr. Maro is also adept at public speaking, event organizing, and moderating discussions. In essence, Dr. Pendo Maro's extensive experience, coupled with her diverse skill set and unwavering dedication, positions her as a pivotal figure in the global efforts towards addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and disaster risk reduction, environmental management, and sustainable development. Her versatility and flair make her a valuable asset in fostering dialogue and mobilizing action towards a more sustainable future.

J. Carlos holds a professional degree in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Columbia in New York, a master's degree in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Stanford in California, and a Civil Engineering degree from the Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña in Spain and the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon in France.

J. Carlos has served for the DG for International Partnerships of the EU since 2012, first as Team Leader for Infrastructures in the EU Delegation to Niger and later on as Team Leader for Rural Development and Infrastructures in the EU Delegation to Mozambique. Currently, he is based in Brussels where he leads the DG INTPA team in charge of climate change and disaster risk reduction. He holds experience in the private sector in energy and civil engineering.

Lisa Kingsberry is the Director of Strategic Communications and Engagement at the Pacific Community - the premier scientific and technical agency across the Pacific region working for 27 member countries.  She has extensive background in disaster risk resilience work having worked in the Pacific region for more than 12 years and having been a part of the first largest scale disaster risk resilience project implemented by the Pacific Community across 15 Pacific countries. 

Lisa has experience across diverse areas including non-government agencies and private sector. She understands genuine stakeholder connections, from creative and artistic spaces to scientific and technical areas, recognising these are paramount towards driving genuine collective action and solutions to some of the region’s greatest challenges.

Cristelle Pratt has thirty years of policy and practice experience at national, regional, and international levels and has dedicated her public services to supporting a plethora of development issues, including climate change and disaster risk resilience, and ocean governance.

She is currently OACPS’ Assistant Secretary-General for Environment and Climate Action. Prior to that, she was the Pacific Islands Forum’s, Deputy Secretary-General; and was the CEO of the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) from 2004 to 2010, which is now a Division of the Pacific Community (SPC).

Cristelle has consulted on climate change, risk resilience, and ocean governance for various international organisations and has also worked in the private sector, in enterprise risk management and business continuity.

Ms. Elizabeth Riley is the first female Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and was appointed to that position on July 1, 2021. She is a committed regionalist with over 24 years experience in the areas of disaster risk management at the regional and international levels and in environmental management. She is passionate about people and sees her role as one of creating spaces and facilitating connections to advance the resilience agenda. At the operational level, Ms Riley has played a leadership role in the coordination of regional responses to all major hazards impacting the region from Hurricane Ivan in 2004 to Hurricane Beryl in 2024. She has written, presented, and published technical papers in disaster management and environmental management. Ms Riley has also lectured in Disaster Management at the University of the West Indies, Mona and Cave Hill. She holds a M.A (Econ) in Environment and Development from University of Manchester, United Kingdom, BSc. (Hons) in Geography from the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica and a Masters Certificate in Results Based Monitoring and Evaluation and Information Systems from the University of Laval, Quebec.

John Harding has over 25 years of experience working on resilience, climate change, and disaster risk management programmes. He is currently the Head of the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) Secretariat at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). His experience includes positions at the United Nations in Geneva and New York, the World Bank in Washington, D.C, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Haiti and the UN Resident Coordinators Office in Pakistan.

Dr. Arlene Laing is the Coordinating Director of the Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO), a specialized agency of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) that coordinates joint scientific and technical activities in weather, climate and water-related sciences in 16 English-speaking Caribbean countries. The CMO is an admitted Inter-Governmental Organization of the UNFCCC. Dr. Laing is an elected member of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Executive Council and also serves on its Research Board and Panel on Socio-economic Benefits. She holds a BSc (Hons) from The University of the West Indies and an MS and PhD in Meteorology from The Pennsylvania State University. She is known for studies of tropical and mesoscale meteorology; large thunderstorm systems; flash floods and mitigation; satellite meteorology; lightning and El Niño; tropical cyclone rainfall and genesis; weather, climate, and meningitis; climate and armed conflict; and volcanic ash fall modelling. She is the lead author of “Introduction to Tropical Meteorology”, a peer-reviewed online textbook used globally. She is also a co-author and Editorial Committee member of the award-winning, “Meteorology of Tropical West Africa; The Forecasters’ handbook”. In 2021, she was recognized as a 125th Anniversary Fellow by the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University.