New DAIC Board of Directors Elected at 2021 Virtual Annual General Meeting

The Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC) elected a new Board of Directors at its 2021 Virtual Annual General Meeting held on August 5^th, 2021, to serve the 2021-2022 term.

Mr. Stephen Lander, Country Head of CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank and Mr. Brenton Hilaire, the Agency Manager of Sagicor Life were both re-elected as the President and Senior Vice President, respectively.

The other Officers and Directors to serve the Board of Directors for DAIC are:

Treasurer – Evadney Esprit (Karl Nassief Group of Companies/Do It Center)
Assistant Treasurer – Joel Denis (National Bank of Dominica Ltd.)
PRO – Sheldon Casimir (U.N.I.T.E.)
Immediate Past President – Kenneth Green (FSI Creative)
Director – Chris John (ADS Construction Inc.)
Director – Jeffrey Baptiste (Cable and Wireless Dominica)
Director – Jillian La Rocque (Your Extra Hands)
Director – Luana Laurent (Finance Focus)
Director – Olive Strachan (Olive Strachan Resources Ltd.)
Director – Tamara Lowe (Tropical Shipping)

Mr. Lander represented by Mr. Hilaire shared that during the past year, the DAIC membership and business community were faced with significant challenges due to the effects of the pandemic; however, the Chamber has been at the forefront in representing the concerns of the Membership and the business community by extension. He further noted that the Chamber remains steadfast in its commitment to provide value to the Membership through advocacy, business advice, training, and networking opportunities.

The Chamber has refined its strategic focus over the year and improved data collection and analysis to strengthen advocacy positions and better inform decision-making. Mr. Lander admonished the membership that moving forward, the Chamber and its membership must maintain a macro view of the Dominican economy and the policy interventions on which efforts need to be focused. Members were encouraged to effectively support by providing data and other insights to inform policy proposals and to enhance decision-making as the Chamber continues to strengthen its relationships with key stakeholders, including the Government, through frequent, open, and transparent communication, and a formidable spirit of partnership.

Ms. Lizra Fabien, Executive Director of DAIC highlighted some key actions taken by the Chamber over the year as part of its annual report to include that DAIC has joined the Membership of the Caribbean American Alliance, the largest group of Caribbean American professionals in the world which represents the interests of companies doing business in and around the Caribbean. She further noted that the Chamber recently was awarded a grant from Karayib Klima as part of a coalition with the Chambers of Commerce in St. Lucia and Martinique to strengthen the adaptation of businesses in Dominica to Climate Change. The Chamber’s partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister, the Organization of American States, and the Government of Dominica to execute the Dominica Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub was recognized as valuable. This 2020-2021 Annual Report is available at https://bit.ly/3ClGpBH.

During the AGM, the members were engaged in discussion on key concerns and on matters related to the current business environment with a focus to improve doing business in Dominica and the management of the current pandemic.

The DAIC reaffirms its commitment to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19, specifically in light of the current rise in positive cases in the Commonwealth of Dominica. DAIC reminds its membership and the wider general public to adhere to safety measures and protocols including availing of the vaccine and increasing personal actions to improve personal health as together everyone can take action to stop the spread and restore normalcy to the Nature Isle.

The Chamber expresses gratitude to all Members and Partners who have continued to collaborate with the Chamber and looks forward to continuing to work to strengthen its membership and positively contribute to the advancement of the local Private Sector and Dominica.