DIRECTOR-General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Lieutenant-Colonel Kester Craig, was recently appointed Vice-Chairman of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) Special Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction.
It’s a post the veteran soldier and disaster management specialist will share over the next year with a colleague of his from the Dominican Republic.
Described by his peers as a “committed, results-oriented Disaster Risk Management (DRM) practitioner,” Lieutenant-Colonel Craig, boasts 25 years of military service, and more than 15 years of experience working with community groups, government agencies, and national, regional, and international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the local government, health, security, energy, and environmental sectors.

He has a Master’s in Public Administration, a BA in Emergency and Disaster Management, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP)..
Among positions he’s previously held within the CDC are Deputy Director-General, and Operations and Training Officer. He’s also previously served as Adjutant and Avionics Supervisor in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF)’s Air Corps, as well as Infantry Commander/Platoon Commander.
Besides being Chairman of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Plan Development and Review Subcommittee, he’s also the Founder and President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Alumni (Guyana).

ACS BACKGROUNDER
The ACS is an advisory body which represents the interests of its 35 Contracting States, Countries and Territories of the Greater Caribbean. It was formed with the aim of promoting consultation, cooperation, and concerted action among all the countries of the Caribbean coastal area.
The objectives of the ACS are based on the strengthening of the regional co-operation and integration process, with a view to creating an enhanced economic space in the region; preserving the environmental integrity of the Caribbean Sea which is regarded as the common patrimony of the peoples of the region; and promoting the sustainable development of the Greater Caribbean.

The primary purpose of the ACS is to promote greater trade between and among the nations, enhance transportation, develop sustainable tourism, and facilitate greater and more effective responses to local natural disasters.
In terms of its role, the ACS Executive Board for the Special Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction serves to foster co-operation among the organisations responsible for disaster planning and relief in the region. This will allow for the prevention and mitigation of risks, for the purpose of incorporating knowledge on prevention, education and planning with respect to the effects of disasters.