Updated 11-24-2006

Jasmine Adderley

Jasmine Adderley is a 16 year-old 11th grade student at Walter Johnson High School in Maryland. Born to Bahamian parents in Miami, Jasmine is proud of her Caribbean ancestry. A member of the Style Club and Black Student Union at Walter Johnson, Jasmine is currently maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Her goal is to attend college in France and to pursue studies in International Business.

Jourdan Archer-Sizemore
Jourdan Sizemore just turned 13 years old and is an honor roll eighth grade student at Terrill Middle School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.  Jourdan has a passion for fashion and music. She is on the student council at her school, and is very vocal about student rights. Her desire is to excel in her studies, and she looks forward to one day meeting Chris Brown, a popular R & B singer.  

Donn Bobb

Vincentian Don Bobb is senior radio producer and acting chief of the Caribbean Radio Section at the United Nations which he first joined in 1982. He began his pan-Caribbean career with the Windward Islands Broadcasting Service (WIBS), where he received his original training in Grenada. He has worked in broadcasting in St. Vincent, Montserrat and Antigua as a news consultant. He joined WLIB Radio in New York in 1983 as an on-air writer/presenter and disc-jockey. During his career, he has covered natural disasters, Pan Am Games, and a host of political, economic, social, environmental and cultural events in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, South and Central America. Donn has trained with the BBC in London and has a Certificate in Journalism from New York University as well as a Bachelors in Mass Communications.

Ron Bobb-Semple

Ron Bobb-Semple is the host of CARIBBEAN FORUM, currently heard weekly on The Harambee Radio Network, www.harambeeradio.com, which was also broadcast daily on Mango Radio in Tampa, Florida. He produced the weekly television version of this program on WNYE-TV in New York, winning the 1995 Caribbean Media Association’s Award for ‘Best Television Production/Presentation.’ Ron was also the Caribbean news correspondent for the “Tony Brown Empowerment Show” on WWRL 1600 AM in New York. For the past three years, he has been part of a team which broadcasts the Brooklyn Labor Day Carnival to several Caribbean islands and London.

Marsha Branch

Marsha Branch is the owner of Avant-Garde Media, which brings new and interesting programming to Barbados and the Caribbean. Avant-Garde Media also disseminates information about the Caribbean to media houses around the world. Marsha began her media career as an announcer at 17 after completing an internship at the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation’s then Liberty FM. From there she moved to the newsroom as a reporter, then producer and finally news anchor at the age of 21. After completing a double major in Sociology and Psychology at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, she moved to London in 2001 and graduated a year later with a Master’s in Television Journalism. While in London she also worked as a BBC producer and presenter. In January 2006, Marsha returned to Barbados and launched her new company. Projects pursued by Avant-Garde Media have a nation and/or character building element. Part of the proceeds of all shows produced by Avant-Garde Media is donated to charity.

Glenda Cadogan

Glenda Cadogan is a prominent journalist and media consultant who has served New York’s diverse Caribbean-American community for the past 17 years. A national of Trinidad & Tobago, she has written more than 2,000 articles that have chronicled a wide range of issues. She has articulated an unequivocal immigrant position from such media vehicles as The New York Amsterdam News, Caribbean Life, City Sun, Daily Challenge, Christian Times, Everybody’s Magazine, Positive Community Magazine and The Immigrant’s Journal. Over the years her work has also been published in several mainstream newspapers and magazines including BWIA’s In flight Magazine, The New York Daily News and Black Elegance Magazine. She also edited the Daily News’ Kwanzaa supplement for two years, and served as associate editor of the paper’s Caribbeat publication. Glenda has won several writing awards including Best Feature Article and Best News Story from the Caribbean Media Association of New York. In 1998, she established Mauby Media Services, a media consultancy firm through which she handles diverse client needs – from promoting Caribbean cultural organizations to managing large media campaigns for city, state and federal government candidates.

Howard Chamberlain

Howard Chamberlain, a 16 year old from Jamaica, loves to volunteer and is an advocate for young people. He is a member of the United Nations Association of Jamaica at The Jamaica College Chapter where he serves as special events coordinator. He represented his organization and his country at the Mock United Nations Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York this year. Howard is the secretary of the National Youth Council for the parish of St. Andrew, which is a national body responsible for all youth organizations in Jamaica. He is the president of The Rising Star youth club in Grants Pen, a position he has been occupying since 2004. Howard hopes to be a part of the National Youth Parliament of Jamaica which makes recommendations to the government.

Jean H. Charles, LLB, MSW, JD

Jean Charles, schooled in Law and in Social Work, is Executive Director of AIDNOH, a tax exempt non profit organization dedicated to bringing about a comfort zone of well being not only in Haiti but throughout the Caribbean.

Senator Allen Chastanet

Allen Chastanet is St. Lucia’s Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation and Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization. He has also served as President of the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association. Named Travel Agent Magazine’s “Caribbean Destination Person of the Year” in 2001, Senator Chastanet has earned a strong reputation in all aspects and sectors of tourism in the Caribbean due to roles as St Lucia’s Director of Tourism, Air Jamaica’s Vice President for Marketing and Sales, and hands-on experience as Marketing Manager for Island Resorts and most recently as Managing Director of Coco Resorts. Senator Chastanet holds a BA from Bishops University in Quebec and an MA from American University in Washington D.C, both in economics.

Patrick Cozier

Patrick Cozier has been Secretary General of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union since 1996. His has worked for the Barbados Branch of Manufacturer’s Life Insurance Co, American Internal Group and CL Financial Group in the Caribbean. In 1988, he undertook a two-year assignment for the Government of Barbados, as Chief Executive of the Barbados Marketing Corporation, before returning to the private sector as General Manager of Sissons Paints’ Barbados Operations and then Regional Manager – Marketing and Sales. He holds a Masters in Business Administration, specializing in Strategic Planning, with the International Management Centre in the United Kingdom and a graduate Fellowship in Business Administration with the Canadian Institute of Management in Toronto. He also is an Associate of the Institute of Cost and Executive Accountants, a member of the Institute of Management in the UK and a Fellow of the Life Management Institute in Georgia, United States.

Laura Davidson

Laura Davidson is the founder and president of LDPR, a leading New York-based public relations agency that specializes entirely in travel. In the vanguard of its industry for 17 years, LDPR has earned its sterling reputation by constantly expanding the traditional limits of public relations, embracing new tools and adding services for its roster of high-profile clients. In addition to international destinations like Australia, Scotland and Montreal, the agency represents many Caribbean clients, including private islands like Canouan, Mustique and Peter Island; and high-profile hotels and resorts like Coco Palm and The Landings in St. Lucia, Curtain Bluff in Antigua, Eden Rock in St. Barts, and Marriott resorts in St. Thomas and Cancun. In addition to her agency work, Laura has played an active role in Caribbean organizations such as the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Caribbean Hotel Association.

James Dion

James Dion is the Associate Director of the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations. Prior to joining National Geographic in February 2005, Mr. Dion directed international ecotourism programs for conservation NGO’s in Mexico, Central America, and Asia, and lectured at the Technical University of Graz in Austria. His interest in linking tourism to conservation and community development is an outgrowth of his over 15 years of experience as a professional river and wilderness guide/outfitter. He founded and developed locally-run, sustainable tourism businesses in Europe and in North, Central, and South America.

Rhea Dummett

Blessed with talent and creativity, RHEA has been diligent on her journey to become a famous recording artist and songwriter. She attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston where she graduated at the top of her class with a Bachelor of Music Degree focusing on performance, songwriting and music business. Born in Guyana, growing up in Canada and since moving to the US, she has had the opportunity to work with many Grammy Award winners and nominees and platinum producers and writers. In addition, she has worked with many top international artists, including Barbados’ Arturo Tappin. Her work includes vocals and voice-overs for advertisers such as Coca Cola, Lenscrafters and Fanta. Rhea’s song, ‘Come & Get It’ was used for the 2006 Super Bowl Diet Pepsi commercial. She has performed at events such as the BET J-presented Cayman jazz fest, Barbados Jazz Festival, Guyana Music Festival, Toronto’s Import Fest, and Orlando’s Power 95.3’s Calle Orange Festival. With the success of her online reality show RE/TV www.retvrealityshow.com, Rhea has built an online fan base from all over the world.

Marcia Erskine

Marcia Erskine, managing director of Marcia Erskine & Associates, has more than 20 years of experience in both journalism and in public relations in the private and public sectors in Jamaica. A former editor and a columnist for newspapers, magazines and journals in Jamaica, the Caribbean and internationally, Marcia also has been a broadcaster. A past president of the PR Society of Jamaica and of the International Association of Business Communicators, she is a fellow of the Canadian International Development Agency-funded International Centre for Research and Training in Major Project Management. Marcia graduated from the Caribbean Institute of Mass Communications, University of the West Indies, Mona, and also holds certificates from the Jamaica Institution of Management and from the Graphic Design Institute in Peoria, Illinois.

Feliza Fenty

Feliza Fenty is an aspiring TV journalist who wants to inspire people to preserve and protect the Caribbean heritage and the environment. She received an Associates degree in Arts from H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in the British Virgin Islands. In fall 2008, she will be a journalism major at Texas Christian University. Feliza has traveled throughout the Caribbean, to her family’s homeland of Barbados, Canada, and the U.S. touring with the steel pan band. She is a leader in her community – with her church youth group and a founding member of the Virgin Gorda Youth Leadership Initiative.

Lynda Francisque

Lynda Francisque is the chief editor and founder of BE SMART magazine, created in 2007 for ambitious, resourceful and open-minded entrepreneurs and professionals from 20 to 55 years old. With its Caribbean and American approach to business and management practices, and the introduction of personal fulfillment as key to optimizing efficiency, this new media outlet has carved a niche in economic and professional press in the French Antilles and Guyana. A Martiniquan native, she has worked in Europe and the United States, and has an MBA in International Trade from the Business Administration Institute in Perpignan, France.

Latoya George

Latoya George is a sophomore at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in the British Virgin Islands. An avid fisherwoman, she won 1st prize for the biggest catch at the 2001 BVI Fishing Derby. She has traveled throughout the Caribbean and the U.S. and received a certificate from the BVI Tourism Board. She works at Virgin Gorda Transport and is involved in her community with the Leo’s Club, St. Mary’s Church and is a founding member of the Virgin Gorda Youth Leadership Initiative. Latoya was a delegate to the Ocean Conservancy’s Youth Summit in St. Thomas where she saw dead coral reefs on a submarine trip. “There’s still hope for Virgin Gorda,” she says. “We have to make it happen now. Don’t wait for 5 years!”

Renée S. Gordon
Renée Gordon has written a weekly travel column for the Philadelphia Sun Newspaper for the past 12 years and has published articles on local, national and international travel in numerous publications. Her columns focus on cultural, historic and heritage tourism and her areas of specialization are sites and attractions related to African-American and African Diaspora history. She holds a B.A. in English and a M.A. in Philosophy. Renée has been a guest radio commentator on various aspects of tourism and appeared in a documentary, “The Red Summer of 1919”. As an educator for 30 years she was an event and meeting planner, served as an educational consultant and intern-teacher mentor. She contributed to textbooks on women’s history and classroom management and has facilitated workshops on both subjects. Currently she is working on an International African Diaspora Heritage travel guide. Renée considers herself a “missionary journalist” and as such she continues to promote heritage and sustainable tourism.

Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon

Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon is senior editor at Caribbean Travel & Life magazine, the trusted authority on where to go, what to do and where to stay in the Caribbean. She has worked in tourism for 17 years; first in travel public relations for companies including Sandals Resorts and Air Jamaica; then as a writer and editor for publications such as SkyWritings, Essence and Porthole Cruise Magazine. Sarah was also the Shopping Diva on Air Jamaica’s award-winning in-flight video program, Island Stylee. When she is not traveling the region, Sarah divides her time between South Florida and Central Florida, where the magazine is based.

Andria Hall

Andria Hall is the President of SpeakEasy M.E.D.I.A., Inc. – a media and public-presentation consulting firm. Married and the mother of three, she is Executive Producer, Creator and Host of the radio programs, Andria Hall PROFILES! The Walk As A Woman, and The Walk at Work: Committed to Your Calling and Your Career™ . She also hosts America at Worship, formerly on the Hallmark Channel, now seen on the Internet on www.faithstreams.com. An Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist, Andria has commanded the News Anchor Desk for CNN/USA, was Weekend Anchor with New York’s NBC affiliate, and is a former national news correspondent with FOX Network. Hall has authored two books, This Far by Faith: How to Put God First in Everyday Living and The Walk at Work: Seven Steps to Spiritual Success on the Job. Her third book is due out next year. Ms. Hall’s company now produces life-changing women’s conferences throughout the Caribbean, promoting faith tourism. She also is a Referring Travel Agent with SpeakEasy Travel.

Kyle Harrigan

Kyle Harrigan is the Information Officer at the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board. One day he plans to serve as its Director, focusing on sustainable tourism. Kyle served on the Easter Festival Committee and oversaw the seaplane launch event at the Owen Harrigan Visitor Center. He is a business/marketing major at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College with work experience at Little Dix Bay Resort. Kyle has traveled throughout the Caribbean and the U.S. He serves as a mentor for younger boys through the basketball program and the Virgin Gorda Youth Leadership Initiative.

Edgar Henry

Guyanese American entrepreneur Edgar Henry has lived in New York for more than 30 years. He had a 12 year association with a Greek shipping company Hellenic Lines, servicing the Red Sea, Middle East, East Africa and Pakistan. Operating successfully as a Licensed Real Estate Broker in New York, he also ventured into the Optical industry, serving the Caribbean community at ENG Caribbean Vision Center in Brooklyn. Aware of the importance of communication systems to the Caribbean American community, he established Sterling Communications Network in 1993, broadcasting “Calling the Caribbean” on WNJR Radio, 1430 AM. Since 2003 he has been part owner of the popular biweekly Caribbean Diaspora newspaper, Caribbean Impact, where he contributes two articles in every issue. Edgar is also involved in community and philanthropic activities. In 1997, his company sponsored the trophies and medals for the O.E.C.S. Track and Field Meet in St. Lucia at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. He is currently the President of the Flatbush Avenue Business Improvement District, a position he has held for the past 10 years.

James Hepple, PhD.

Dr. James Hepple is a consultant attached to St. Lucia’s Ministry of Tourism & Civil Aviation, and the St. Lucia Tourist Board. Jim has worked in the Caribbean tourism industry for more than 20 years, previously serving as Trinidad & Tobago’s Director of Tourism, and President of the Tourism Development Company. For four years, he was Executive Director of the Curaçao Tourist Board. Prior to that, he served for six years as Deputy Director of Tourism with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism in Nassau. He joined the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism in Nassau in 1983 as Planning and Research Consultant following seven years working in the Canadian tourism industry. In 1989, he was appointed Director of Marketing for Trust House Forte's Caribbean hotels. Trust House Forte then appointed him Director of Marketing for North America but he soon returned to the Bahamas as a consultant and then rejoined the Ministry of Tourism in 1993, being appointed Deputy Director in 1995.

Doug Hoyte

Doug Hoyte is Director of Corporate Communications at Almond Resorts in Barbados and St. Lucia. He formed PRM Image Media Consultants several years ago and has provided services to a variety of international, regional and local organizations. He is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been Director of Communications and Press Secretary for the former Governor of Florida, Robert Martinez. He is a former anchor/political reporter with WTSP-TV, the ABC affiliate in Tampa, Florida, and News Director of WTOG-TV, St. Petersburg, Florida. Doug began his career in Barbados as a reporter and then as a Reuters correspondent before emigrating to the US. Back in the Caribbean, he became executive producer/anchor with the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation.

Colin Hunte

Colin Hunte is the President of the St. Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association (SLHTA), a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization representing the full spectrum of tourism interests on the island. SLHTA serves as an active lobby and a medium for implementing programmes of action to facilitate the promotion, security, profitability and sustainable growth of the tourism industry in St. Lucia. He is the Chief Executive Officer of H. Gidharry & Company Limited, a St. Lucian company involved in property development and management, tourism and agriculture. He is also the General Manager of the award-winning Villa Beach Cottages and La Dauphine Estate, two boutique hotel properties. Colin was named “Hotelier of the Year” in 2005 and was recently appointed to the St. Lucia Tourist Board.

Johnson JohnRose

Johnson JohnRose is the Communications Officer for the Caribbean Tourism Organization, where he started as a consultant in 2002 before joining the organisation in January 2003 as a full-time member of staff. A highly-respected, award-winning journalist with over 20 years’ experience, Johnson has written extensively on Caribbean tourism and issues that impact on the industry in the region, as well as on journalism and reporting in general. He has also lectured to tertiary school students and industry professionals.

Anika Kentish

Anika Kentish was a recent volunteer Coordinator for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Super 8 matches in Antigua. Currently a freelancer, taking a keen interest in matters relating to the CARICOM Single Market, and sustainable tourism and environment issues, she has worked as a News Producer at Observer Radio, Antigua & Barbuda’s leading news provider and a stringer for the Barbados-based Caribbean Media Corporation. Anika holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Midwestern State University in Texas, and is a member of several professional organizations, including the International Communication Association and the Association of Caribbean Media Workers. She is also the Vice President and a founding member of the Antigua & Barbuda Media Congress.

Marianne Larned

Marianne Larned is the founding director of the Stone Soup Leadership Institute, an international education NGO that develops educational curricula, trainings and provides technical assistance. Marianne is the author of the Institute’s educational curriculum Stone Soup for the World: Life-Changing Stories of Everyday Heroes that has been used in 120 communities to prepare the next generation of leaders to address the economic, environmental and social challenges of the 21st century.  She wrote the year-long series The Business of Education for the San Francisco Business Times. The Virgin Gorda Youth Leadership Initiative is the Institute’s second Caribbean initiative. They have conducted a community planning process; prepared reports; received positive press and built bridges to develop public-private partnerships to prepare Virgin Gorda youth to become leaders of the 21st century.

Pete Mansel

H. Peter Mansel, is president and co-founder of 4P Group, Inc. a marketing and business planning firm based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. He has 30 years of telecommunications operations, marketing, strategic planning and sales experience at senior executive level positions. He has developed business plans for domestic U.S. and Caribbean clients. Some of the major Caribbean plans include Barbados Photovoltaic Module Assembly Plant, Caribbean Media and Communication Services, Ltd. (CMCS), Barbados Sugar Cane Industry Development, Inc., West Indian Sea Island Cotton Strategic Alliance, Hit-for-Six film, Wentworx Spices, Native Sun NRG Bio-diesel Plant and Rapsodee Gourmet Island Spices. Pete holds a B.B.A. from Adelphi University and an M.B.A. from Pace University in New York.

Neil Marks

Neil Marks has covered issues of tourism, the environment, and climate change for the past eight years. He once served as News Editor of a nightly television
newscast, and is now Senior Reporter/Assistant Sunday Editor with the Guyana Chronicle, the nation’s state newspaper. His career has taken him to all the regions of Guyana as he explored fading Amerindian culture, biodiversity protection, and climate change concerns.

Kemoy McEkron

Kemoy McEkron is a recent graduate of the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) at the University of the West Indies, Mona with a BA (Hons.) in Media and Communication and Cultural Studies. He is now employed at the Observer Publishing Group in Antigua and Barbuda, working mainly as a news producer and presenter. He has a passion for the profession and issues relating to the environment and sustainable development.

Gail Moaney, APR

Gail Moaney is executive vice president and director of Ruder Finn’s travel and economic development practice. Gail has 20 years of experience in agency and corporate public relations and in broadcasting, implementing communications programs for destinations, transportation companies, hotels and resorts, and economic development entities worldwide. She has also served as chief of communications for the State of Ohio Department of Economic Development, managing radio, television and print communications for international trade, science and technology, business development and tourism. An accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Gail has been a member of the board of PRSA NY since 1995. She also sits on the boards of the Lagrant Foundation, Counterpart International, Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America and the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies Partnership.

Gay Nagle Myers

Gay Nagle Myers, senior editor/Caribbean editor, has been on the staff of Travel Weekly for 22 years, a span that makes her older than many hotels in the Caribbean region. During her tenure at Travel Weekly, the leading trade magazine of the travel industry, Gay has covered numerous destinations and beats around the world. Since 1995, however, her focus has been on the Caribbean – from its hotels to its heritage, its developments to its disasters, its coves to its casinos, and its plantation to its politicians. Gay is a two-time recipient of the Caribbean Tourism Organization Trade Press Award in feature writing, was cited by the U.S. Virgin Islands Hotel & Tourism Association for her coverage of that destination, and was selected by Jamaica as its top travel writer in 2005.

Mervil Nisbett

Mervil Nisbett, a 17 year-old resident of Anguilla, attends the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School as a first year sixth form student where she is pursuing an Associates Degree in Business. In the future, she would like to pursue a career as a hotel manager. She is a member of many school-based clubs such as the Journal Team, Junior Red Cross, Junior Optimist and others. Her favourite pastime is reading and writing poetry. She is a hard worker, dedicated student, a friendly person, loves meeting new people and seeing new places.

Michele M. Paige

Michele M. Paige’s career in the cruise industry spans more than three decades. She spent 17 years in various positions at the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

In February of 1992, Michele joined the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) as its Director of Operations and Communications, steering the Association on issues such as destination port development, destination product development, waste management, as well as serving as a liaison with environmental entities. She was appointed to head the Association in January of 1994, as its Executive Director and named President in March 1997. Michele continues to chart a course in the development and implementation of the Association’s numerous pro-active innovative programs, reporting directly to the Association’s Executive Committee Chairman, Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation’s Chairman & CEO. She has initiated such impactful programs and forums as the annual FCCA Caribbean Cruise Conference and Trade Show, the FCCA Foundation for the Caribbean, the FCCA outreach programs, the FCCA associate membership programs, as well as training programs geared to taxi drivers and service providers. More important, great strides have been made in the realization of the FCCA’s mandate to strengthen the ties between the cruise industry and the Caribbean.

Berthia Parle, MBE

Berthia Parle is the General Manager of Bay Gardens Resorts in St. Lucia. Together with her husband and her management team, she has made the properties a market leader in the small hotel sector. She has been President of the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association, President of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), and Chairman of the CHA's Small Hotels Committee, as well as the CHA Advocacy Committee. Berthia was the recipient of St. Lucia's Hotelier of the Year Crystal Award and the Caribbean Hotelier of the Year Award in 2003.  Travel Agent Magazine named her “One of the Most Powerful Women in Travel” in 2003. She has held several positions in the hotel industry in Bermuda and Germany. In June 2004, Berthia was dubbed Member of the Order of the British Empire, MBE, in the Queen's birthday honours list. Berthia is currently chairman of the Caribbean Hotel Association.

Deborah Patton

Deborah Patton, executive director of Applied Brilliance, has spent her entire career as a leader in strategic marketing and communications, including marketing planning, advertising, brand positioning, creative services and communications. Deborah also develops and produces unique leadership meetings and innovative thought leadership executive conferences. She has helped top media brands manage tumultuous change in the marketplace and has revitalized traditional brands, re-launched media businesses and created new brand identities for established media organizations. She has also published several books and numerous magazine articles.

Timothy Poleon

Timothy Poleon was born 38 years ago and 16 years later had a fervent desire and dream to become a radio announcer. The dream finally came true in 1989 after a successful audition administered by then chairman of Radio St. Lucia, the late Fitzgerald Louisy. After working for a year as a radio announcer, he became a reporter at Radio Caribbean International where he is currently employed as the news director and host of the lunchtime talk show "News Spin". For the past 15 years, he has also been employed as the lead anchor at DBS television and hosts the 10 year-old talk show called "News Maker Live." Timothy has been named Journalist of the Year in  both 1998 and 1999.

Caroline Racine

Haitian-American Caroline Racine serves as Director of Caribbean Franchise Development for worldwide lodging franchisor Choice Hotels International. She is responsible for increasing the brand awareness and distribution of Choice’s 10 brands throughout the Caribbean via conversion and new construction opportunities. During her nine year career at Choice, Caroline has served in a variety of roles, including leading the charge for Choice’s strategic direction with its largest leisure partnership, AAA/CAA, as the primary interface with executives and club presidents. Under her leadership, the motor club revenue more than doubled from US $100 million to $224 million as she maintained steady incremental revenue growth averaging 8 percent year over year. Previously she was lead account executive for America Online’s interactive partnership marketing initiatives. In 2003, Caroline was named “Hoteliers Rising Star” in Travel Agent Magazine. She collects Latin American art, and is an active real estate investor.

Michael D. Roberts

Michael D. Roberts is the Editor of the New York CARIB NEWS. One of the top Black journalists and Communications Specialists in New York City, Mike is also a highly skilled political strategist. He is an experienced writer whose specialty is socio-political and economic analysis. He has covered the United Nations, the Caribbean and Africa in a career that spans more than 33 years in journalism. Over the past nine years he has emerged as one of the top Black political strategists in Brooklyn and New York City, running successful political campaigns for judicial as well as Federal, city and state candidates. Mike is a member of the Association of Professional Communications Consultants (APCC).

Ernie Seon

Ernie Seon is considered one of the region’s most accomplished tourism writers, who not only reports on tourism issues, but also has a thorough understanding of the impact of travel and tourism on the region’s economy. A correspondent for both Agence France Press and Agencia EFE (Spanish News Agency), Mr. Seon is a graduate of the University of the West Indies and serves as the St. Lucia Bureau Chief for the Caribbean Media Corporation. A journalist for more than 20 years, working in both print and electronic media, he has also served as a correspondent for Voice of America, United Press International and several local and regional media houses, in addition to remaining on the frontline of public relations and promotional activities over the years.

Alita H. Singh

Guyana-born Alita H. Singh is a Tourism/Environmental Journalist with The Daily Herald newspaper on St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles. She has been named Environmentalist of the Year 2005 and Environmental Journalist of the Year for 2005 and 2006. Alita was also awarded the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association Crystal Pineapple for Tourism Journalist of the Year 2005/2006. She has written for The Washington Times, Knight Ridder’s Experience St. Maarten/St. Martin, Events magazine, Destination St. Maarten, LIAT Islander, and is a stringer for Time Inc.’s People magazine. She is a member of the Dean’s Council of the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) Medical School and the past vice president of St. Maarten Pride Foundation, an environmental awareness group. Alita started her career as a television reporter in Guyana.

Amber Sizemore
Amber Sizemore is a Junior at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The 19 year old is a Broadcast Journalism major and Political Science minor who plans to study in Rome next year.  She is accomplished as a student journalist with two years experience as a NY 1 News intern in Manhattan. She has a passion for information, television and art, while public relations and marketing are areas of professional interest. Amber believes she can creatively combine all of her academic knowledge and pursue a viable career in the future. This is Amber's second CMEx conference. Amber will graduate with her Bachelor of Arts degree in May 2009.

Cameron Sizemore
Cameron Sizemore is a Senior at Scotch Plains Fanwood High School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Cameron is already an accomplished young film maker with more than 13 short films under his belt. Cameron has experience as a videographer, editor, producer, story teller, and audio engineer. He is currently applying to colleges with plans to study film and television production. Cameron is 17 years old, and posts much of his work on YouTube for public viewing. He has lead camera experience on two television pilots, and was voted a favourite in a recent film festival competition in New York City.

Chase Sizemore
Chase Sizemore is a 14 year old Freshman at Scotch Plains Fanwood High School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. This highly artistic young man has a passion for Japanese culture, its language and art. He actively studies Konji, and the Japanese language, and visited Toyko in 2006. He has plans on traveling to China with his father for the 2008 Olympics. A born entrepreneur, his company is called Chase and The Dollar –

a service specialty consulting firm.  In the future, he intends to study architecture and drawing.

Clayton Sizemore

Clayton Sizemore is currently Manager of Operations for CNN in New York and Vice President of Operations and New Technology for SpeakEasy M.E.D.I.A. Before joining CNN, he worked for New York’s NBC 4 as Manager of Field Operations and Manager of Field Maintenance. Clayton’s record of success in television news management has earned him professional accolades as problem solver, decision-maker, team player, and motivator. In 1998, Clayton won entry into the highly competitive and prestigious Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, graduating the following year from the Institute’s Leadership Development Program.

Basil Springer, GCM, PhD.

Dr. Basil Springer, a Barbadian, is Chairman of Counterpart Caribbean (CPC), a charitable trust, which promotes holistic sustainable development. CPC manages The Future Centre in Barbados and is a member of the Counterpart International family. He is also leading the charge, as a change-engine consultant, with the private sector-led Caribbean Business Enterprise Trust Inc. (CBET). He promotes the CBET ‘Shepherding Model’, an enterprise development initiative, to diversify the economies in the Caribbean by contributing to the development and growth of what are now called ‘sunrise’ high performance enterprises to replace the fading ‘sunset’ industries.

Bevan Springer

Bevan Springer is the executive producer of the Counterpart International-produced Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx). Its aim is to increase the involvement of the media in the design of sustainable tourism policies, and highlight the necessity of tourism for the economies of small island states. Counterpart International, a Washington DC-based non-governmental organization, works on sustainable development initiatives in more than 60 nations. Bevan is a seasoned news correspondent and a marketing and communications advisor. A former national tennis player of Barbados, Bevan is a member of New York's Christian Cultural Center, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the United Nations Correspondents Association and is an alumnus of Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific in British Columbia, Canada, a member of the United World Colleges (UWC) network.

Lorine St. Jules

Lorine St. Jules is the Director of Marketing for North America for the St. Lucia Tourist Board. A national of St. Lucia and now based in New Jersey, Lorine holds a Masters in Economic Development from Strathclyde University in Scotland having been awarded the prestigious Michael Manley scholarship administered by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation. She was awarded her undergraduate degree in Management and Tourism from the University of the West Indies. Prior to serving as Director of Marketing with responsibility for both the United States and Canada, Lorine worked as Regional Marketing Manager for the Northeast with the St. Lucia Tourist Board. In St. Lucia, she once served as Tourism Policy Officer in Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, and as a Business Studies Teacher at Corinth Secondary School. Lorine is a former national table tennis champion.