ECCB 40th Anniversary Lecture Series - Saint Lucia

James Fletcher was the Minister for Public Service, Information, Broadcasting, Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology in Saint Lucia from 2011 to 2016.  During his tenure, he led an aggressive modernisation of the energy sector, with a focus on the transition to renewable energy. He commissioned modern ICT centres in several under-served communities, started a programme for free island-wide Wi-Fi, developed a 311 call centre for the public service, initiated major water development projects and established an Employee Assistance Programme to provide free, confidential counselling to public officers.

Dr. Fletcher played a leading role in the Caribbean’s 1.5 to Stay Alive civil society campaign, and during the COP21 negotiations he was selected by the UN Climate Change Conference President to be part of the ministerial team that helped to achieve consensus on the elements of the Paris Agreement.  He led the Caribbean’s delegation to the COP21 negotiations. Dr. Fletcher was recognised by Global Optimism’s Profiles of Paris project as one of the people who played a key role in creating the historic Paris Agreement. In 2019, he was selected by the United Kingdom’s Chevening Scholarship Programme as one of 35 Global Changemakers. James Fletcher has served in the Government of Saint Lucia as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, as well as Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister and as Cabinet Secretary.  He was also the Director of Social and Sustainable Development at the OECS Commission.  

He wrote and published the book Governing in a Small Caribbean Island State, authored the chapter “The Battle for Small Island Developing States” in the Cambridge University Press publication Negotiating the Paris Agreement: The Insider Stories, and edited and published Where is the Justice? An Anthology of Caribbean Youth Perspectives on the Climate Crisis.  He also wrote the Regional Strategic Action Plan for Governance and Building Climate Resilience in the Water Sector in the Caribbean.  In 2020, Dr. Fletcher launched the Caribbean Climate Justice Project, which advocates for climate justice for the people most impacted by climate change.

James Fletcher holds a PhD degree in Crop Physiology from the University of Cambridge and a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa.  Dr. Fletcher currently manages his own consulting company, SOLORICON.  

Websites: www.soloricon.com; www.caribbeanclimatejustice.org

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jimmyfletcher

Twitter: @jimmyfletcher25; @soloricon

Dr.  Kim Gardner-Sadoo, MD, MSPH, FAAP is a Pediatrician and the Director of the Child Development and Guidance Centre (CDGC) in Saint Lucia.  She holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Biology (Florida State University), a Master’s of Science Degree in Public Health with a concentration in Maternal Child Health (University of North Carolina - Gillings School of Global Public Health), a Medical Degree (Duke University School of Medicine), and Pediatric Specialist Training and Qualification (Vanderbilt University School of Medicine).  Dr. Gardner-Sadoo is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and is Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

After her training and specialisation, Dr. Gardner-Sadoo returned to Saint Lucia in 2006, where she first worked as a Community Pediatrician within the Ministry of Health.  She then transitioned to become the Director and Pediatrician of the Child Development and Guidance Centre (CDGC), a non-profit medical facility that specialises in the assessment of and early intervention for children with developmental disabilities.  She has been at the CDGC for the last 14 years and has also delved into health research.  Dr. Gardner-Sadoo has published papers and presented locally, regionally and internationally on multiple topics, most recently on the outcomes of children with prenatal exposure to the Zika virus.

She has served on many Boards and Committees related to the health and well-being of Saint Lucian and West Indian children, and is committed to helping children with developmental delays reach their fullest potential.

 
Dr. Stephen King, MBBS, FRCPC, OBE, SLC is a pathologist. He is Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada and an International Fellow of the College of American Pathologists.  Dr. King was one of the architects of the Saint Lucia Health Sector Reform Proposals (2000), the Universal Health Care Proposal (2003) and the National Strategic Plan for Health (2006).  He is one of the co-founders and the first chairman of the AIDS Action Foundation and also one of the co-founders of RISE (St. Lucia) Inc.  Dr. King has advocated for healthy human development, youth empowerment and a reduction in violence.  He is the chairman of the Caribbean MedLab Foundation.

Dr. King was educated at St. Mary’s College (1969-1974) before continuing at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College.  After being awarded the island scholarship in 1976, he pursued a degree in Medicine at the University of the West Indies (UWI).  Dr. King graduated in 1982 with honours in Medicine and Therapeutics and went on to work as a District Medical Officer (DMO) in Soufrière (1983-1985). He then pursued his postgraduate studies in Pathology at the University of Toronto (1985-1989).  Dr. King returned to Saint Lucia in 1989 to work as the Consultant Pathologist at the Government hospital, where he established the Ezra Long Laboratory which he directed until 2004.  Dr. King was the Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health from 2004 to 2007.  He founded Laboratory Services & Consultations Limited in 1993. He is one of the founders of Medical Associates Limited, which owns Tapion Hospital.

Dr. Stephen King is an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE), awarded to him in 2008 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for his contribution to Medicine.  He was an appointed Independent Senator in Saint Lucia (2011-2016) and was awarded the Saint Lucia Cross (SLC) in 2018 for his contribution to Society.

Keithlin Caroo, MBE is an advocate and changemaker in the area of gender equity within agriculture and rural development in Saint Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and St. Kitts & Nevis.  She is also the founder of Helen’s Daughters, a non-profit organisation that focuses on rural women’s economic empowerment through advocacy, capacity development and improved market access.  

While her background resides in the field of International Relations, having served five years at the United Nations in the areas of Peacekeeping and Political Affairs, she has never forgotten her farming roots, which is what led to the creation of Helen’s Daughters.

Ms. Caroo is a One Young World Ambassador, a recipient of the 2018 National Youth Award in Agriculture in Saint Lucia, a Thought for Food Ambassador for the Caribbean, a featured entrepreneur in Forbes’ Island Innovation series, an Ashoka and Echoing Green Fellow, a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for Humanitarian Services awarded by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and an IICA Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development.

Lissa Joseph is a Saint Lucian broadcast journalist with 25 years of experience in television and radio. She has a keen interest in the areas of health, education, gender and development.

Lissa holds postgraduate degrees in Media, Governance and Democracy from the University of Leicester and a Diploma in International Relations and Political Economy from Thames College. She is pursuing a Master’s of Science Degree in Global Development Challenges from the University of Edinburgh.  

Currently, Lissa is the Senior Producer at DBS Television.