St. Lucia First has learnt that St. Lucian Diplomat, Her Excellency, Dr. June Soomer, has been confirmed in the position of Secretary General of the Trinidad-based Association of Caribbean States (ACS) when Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders met last month in Belize for their inter-sessional summit.
She is the first woman to head the regional body, and was selected by the Ministerial Council for a four-year term on the basis of rotation.
She will replace Secretary General, Ambassador Alfonso Múnera Cavadía, who took up the position in April 2012. Her Excellency, Dr. Soomer, currently serves as Saint Lucia’s Ambassador to CARICOM and OECS and has responsibility for Diaspora Issues.
Dr June Soomer received her Ph.D. in History from the University of the West Indies in 1994. Since then she has lectured at the University of the West Indies, the University of North Carolina (Wilmington), the University of North Carolina Central and was a visiting lecturer at the University of San Francisco.
Dr Soomer served at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank from 1996 – 2006 in the area of Human Resource Development and Strategic Planning and served as Advisor, Organisation Development and Strategic Planning.
She has received numerous awards, including the Elsa Goveia Award for History from the University of the West Indies. She was also named Executive of the Year- St Kitts and Nevis and was also rewarded by the CARICOM Central Banks Human Resource Conference for outstanding contribution to the development of Human Resources in CARICOM Central Banks.
Dr. Soomer spends her free time mentoring young people and analyzing the game of cricket and its impact on regional integration.