Lelei LeLaulu, President, Counterpart International

Lelei LeLaulu, President and CEO of Counterpart International, is also Chairman of the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific, the largest NGO network in Oceania, and a founding director of Counterpart Caribbean. Lelei was a foreign correspondent in Asia, Africa and the Middle East for several media houses. A former contributor to CNN World Report from the United Nations, where he produced multi-regional radio shows, edited UN Report, UN Secretariat News, and hosted "One World One Voice" on PBS TV, Lelei also served on the team which reformed the United Nations and the way it handles communications. He now describes himself as a "recovering journalist".

Juan Luna-Kelser, The George Washington University, USA

Juan J. Luna-Kelser, is a Tourism/Ecotourism specialist with 29 years of practical and operative experience with the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). His tourism sector projects covered Mundo Maya, Brazil and other countries in Latin America. Now retired from the IADB, he is a consultant for sustainable tourism projects, and an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University's Department of Tourism. He holds a Masters degree in Tourism from George Washington University, as well as a Masters degree in Political Science from Drew University, Madison, New Jersey and a Bachelors from the University of the Pacific, Stockton, California.

Myrta I. Ortiz Migenes, Puerto Rico Tourism Company

Myrta I. Ortiz Migenes was appointed Special Assistant to the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company in February 2007. Since 2006, Ms. Ortíz has been leading the efforts for the establishment of the San Juan Cultural District Project in collaboration with the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture.  She is also responsible for the local coordination of the first Puerto Rico Investment Conference to be held in December 2007. Prior to joining PRTC, Ms. Ortíz was overseeing many cultural projects as Assistant Advisor to the Governor of Puerto Rico in Education and Cultural Affairs.  For the past six years, she served as liaison and supervisor for public policy projects pertaining to nine cultural government agencies.  Ms. Ortíz holds a BA in Sociology and a Masters in Planning from the University of Puerto Rico.  She is a Licensed Planner.

Gail Moaney, Executive Vice President, Ruder Finn

Gail Moaney, APR, 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), she 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.

Peter Odle, President, Caribbean Hotel Association

Peter Odle is currently President of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) and Chairman of the Barbados Tourism Authority and the National Tourism Marketing Committee in Barbados. Four-time President of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, he sits on its Board of Directors. He is Chairman of Caribbean Aircraft Handling which represents several major airlines serving Barbados. He was instrumental in setting up the Tourism Development Corporation, a private sector body mandated to raise funds for tourism development in Barbados, and sat on their first Board of Directors. He began his tourism career in 1977 building the 14-unit Regent Apartments in Barbados and has expanded ever since, owning a chain of prestigious hotels on the island. He also owns Island Caterers, one of the premier catering businesses in operation in Barbados and co-owns Sassman Publishing, producing “Signature” and “Caribbean Architect” glossy magazines. In 2000, Peter was named the CHA’s “Caribbean Hotelier of the Year.”

Lynda Ozuomba, Youth Delegate, Antigua and Barbuda

Lynda Ozuomba attends the Christ the King High School and is a part of the Tourism Cadet group in Antigua. This is geared at educating students in high school about the Tourism industry. She wants to be a doctor, but to combine this with work in the industry. She thinks that being only five feet and one inch tall “is a blessing since I have to look up instead of look down.”

Mark Pike, Youth Delegate, Jamaica

Mark Pike of Mandeville, Jamaica is a third generation tourism industry practitioner; brought up on the passions, principles and practices of hospitality and community tourism. He is currently a director of Countrystyle Community Tourism Network, which includes deep involvement in the workings of Community Tourism development in Jamaica. He has recently returned to Jamaica from Johnson & Wales University in Florida, where he spent a year studying Food & Beverage Management. He is now enrolled at The University of The West Indies completing Bachelor of Science degree in Tourism Management.

Ashlea Pope, Youth Delegate, USA
Ashlea Pope is at Rutgers University in New Jersey pursuing a double major in Global Economics and German with a minor in Spanish.  She speaks and writes fluent German and Spanish and has done extensive study abroad throughout Europe and the Caribbean.  She is a founding member of the International Association of Black Travel Writers.  She plans to study in Berlin for the summer and then in Spain.  Ashlea hopes for a career in economic development of developing countries and tourism marketing.  Her interests include reading, culinary arts, fitness and travel.

Cándida R. Rodríguez Colón, Teacher, Puerto Rico Department of Education

Cándida Rodríguez is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico in Science Education.  She hold a Masters degree in Environmental Science Education. She was selected to participate in the National Convention of Science Teachers in Anaheim, California, and participates with her students in the recycling program at the Martin García Giusti School in Toa Baja. Her Masters thesis was an Educational Program on Beach Recycling.

Kenrick Quashie, Youth Delegate, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Kenrick Quashie is the First Vice President of the SVG’s National Youth Council (NYC) and has held the position of Public Relations Officer. He is a former student of the St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Community College and the North Union Secondary and was Chairman of the National Student Council. He is former champion of the National Public Speaking Competition in 2002 and the NYC First Independence Debate in 2001. Added to that, Kenrick has represented his nation at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s Youth Congress and then carried the title of Junior Minister of Tourism for the year 2003. His motto is “the joy of the Lord is my strength” and he aspires to be an attorney at law and the Prime Minister of his island nation.

Diana L. Rodriguez, Director of Public Relations, Puerto Rico Tourism Company

Diana L. Rodriguez joined the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) in 2005, and has been at the helm of many exciting projects to promote tourism to Puerto Rico. As Director of Public Relations Ms. Rodriguez has lent her broad experience to PRTC in the areas of event planning, cultural affairs, strategic planning, product development, education, and media relations. Ms. Rodriguez began her career at PRTC as the Special Assistant to Marketing and Promotions where she was responsible for collaboration with PRTC’s advertising agency on both the creative and promotional materials, and was also the Special Assistant to the Executive Director. Ms. Rodriguez holds a BA in Modern Language from the University of Puerto Rico a post baccalaureate diploma in International Relations from the Diplomatic School of Spain, and a diploma in advanced Portuguese from the University of Lisbon. 

Mabel Sanabria, Tourism Specialist

Mabel Sanabria graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Public Communication from the University of Puerto Rico. For 13 years she worked in tourism-related organizations in both the private and public sectors: from several international hotel chains to the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. She recently completed an Executive Masters in Tourism Management from Instituto de Empresa Business School in Madrid, Spain. Mabel currently works for the Puerto Rican Government, as a Special Aide to the Secretary of Transportation and Public Works in San Juan.

Robert Skinner, United Nations Foundation, USA

Robert Skinner joined the United Nations Foundation’s New York office as Director of External Relations in April 2006 after over eight years as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department during which he served at the US Mission to the United Nations, as well as at Embassies in Trinidad & Tobago, El Salvador and Cote d’Ivoire. Before, Robb had worked as an attorney in the Office of the Cook County Public Defender in Chicago, Illinois and as an Account Executive for Sport Tours International, Inc., a company specializing in international travel and events for athletic teams. Robb received a JD from the University of Wisconsin School of Law and completed his undergraduate studies at Oakland University in Michigan.

Alida Ortiz Sotomayor, Puerto Rico Tourism Company
Dr. Alida Ortiz Sotomayor was the first director of the University of Puerto Rico PR Sea Grant Program in 1977 and the Marine Education Coordinator for over 20 years. Since 2000 she has been a consultant to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company on tourism and environment issues, and has been a consultant for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Jamaica and the USAID in capacity building programs for the
tourism sector in Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic. She has also been a consultant for the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable
Tourism (CAST), in training hotel personnel in solid waste management, water and energy conservation practices and environmental protection practices. She is now a graduate lecturer in Management of Marine Resources at the Metropolitan University, San Juan. In 2000, she created Consultores Educativos Ambientales, C.S.P., which produces environmental education materials and conducts training.

Dr. Basil Springer, Chairman, Counterpart Caribbean
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 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.

Mark Thompson, Sunday Herald, Jamaica

A graduate of the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) at the UWI, Mark Thompson has been in the communications field for over seven years. The last three years have been with the Sunday Herald newspaper in Kingston, Jamaica, with particular interest in the environment and tourism. In 2005, he won the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) feature-writing award for an article on pollution in Kingston Harbour. He has attended international water and environmental conferences and recently covered the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) tourism trade show.

Ian Williams, Journalist/ Author
A CMEx team member, writer and broadcaster, Ian Williams’ latest book is Rum: A Social and Sociable History of the Real Spirit of 1776. His first was The Alms Trade, a study of the role of charities in Britain and the second The UN For Beginners. Deserter: Bush’s War on Military Families, Veterans and his own Past was published in 2004. He appears in print around the globe, and often on television as well, on politics, business and economics. Born in Liverpool, he graduated from Liverpool University after two years’ suspension for protests against its investments in South Africa. Consequently, he had a variegated career path, which included a drinking competition with Chou En Lai, an argument about English literature with Mme Mao and being a rail workers’ union executive, before taking up journalism, briefly taking time off to be a speech/article writer for British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock in the 1987 election campaign. He has just become editor of the Congressional Quarterly Guide to the UN.