Turks and Caicos Islands, March 12,2013 - In recognition of the importance of effective disaster risk management to the sustainable development of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), Dr Virginia Clerveaux will be transferred to the post of Director of the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) from 1 Apr 2013, Deputy Governor the Hon. Anya Williams announced today.
Previously Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Border Control and Labour, Dr. Clerveaux’s transfer presents a sustainable solution to filling this key post and is a role that is more fitting to her skills, background and training as a disaster risk management expert.
This move is consistent with measures in Government to rationalize government services and to ensure that priority leadership positions are filled by qualified local personnel going forward.
Both the Director and Deputy Director of DDME positions fell vacant a year ago and due to issues surrounding recruitment, TCI Government enlisted the assistance of the Jamaican Government, which provided two seconded disaster experts who not only managed the unit during this interim period, but were successful in carrying out various simulation exercises, training programs and attracting significant donor funds and stocks for the department during the last financial year.
Dr. Clerveaux is the only expert person within the CDEMA Participating States who hold a PhD specifically in Disaster Management and has received eight academic awards and recognitions for outstanding achievements and contributions to society. She holds a PhD in Disaster Management from Gumma University in Japan, an M.Phil in Geography and a BA (Hons) in Geography and Public Administration from the University of the West Indies and a Certificate in Business Continuity Management. She is a trained teacher with demonstrated effectiveness in presentation and communication. Dr has authored numerous conference/scientific papers, technical reports and peer reviewed journal articles and co-authored several books chapters. She holds membership in the TCI Red Cross, and the International Tsunami Society.
She has accumulated extensive applied experience in the field of Disaster Management nationally, regionally and extra-regionally and has previously not only served the TCI Government as Deputy Director of DDME, but has also worked as the Disaster Manager for the British Red Cross-TCI following the passage of Hurricane Ike in 2009 and at the regional level, was appointed to the post of Senior Programme Officer at the CDEMA Coordinating Unit of CARICOM, headquartered in Barbados Prior to her appointment as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of GSS and then later Border Control and Labour (BCL).