BIOGRAPHIES | disabilities

High Level Panel Presenters

Ms. Lakshmi Puri (India) is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, responsible for the Bureau for Intergovernmental Support, UN System Coordination, and Strategic Partnerships, and was the interim head of UN Women from March to August 2013. She was previously Director of the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States and a Director at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Prior to joining the UN, Ms. Puri had a distinguished 28-year career with the Indian Foreign Service.

Ms. Maureen Fay Webber was born in rural Jamaica in 1956. She attended St. Andrew High School for Girls, in Kingston, Jamaica. She later went on to receive an undergraduate degree in urban studies at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. In 1982 Ms. Webber graduated from the Virginia Polytechnic and Statue University with a Masters in Urban & Regional Planning.

In 1982 Ms. Webber returned to Jamaica and lectured at the College of Arts Science & Technology (now the University of Technology) she subsequently went on to work at Jamaica’s national planning agency the Planning Institute of Jamaica. In 1987 after a brief period at the national urban development agency the Urban Development Corporation, Ms. Webber joined the USAID/Jamaica Office. There she worked in a regional capacity for the USAID’s housing programmes undertaking projects throughout the entire Caribbean.

In 1990 Ms. Webber was recruited by the late Hon. Michael Manley, then Prime Minister of Jamaica to head the Policy Review Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister. There, as Executive Director of the Unit she spearhead the design, planning and implementation of several major projects including the development of major housing development project, some 10,000 dwelling units, the establishment of a social safety net to cushion the effects of structural adjustment and the launch of two micro and small enterprise initiatives.

In 1993 Ms. Webber joined the private sector, heading one of the oldest financial consulting firms in Jamaica. For the last 19 years, Ms. Webber has owned and managed a consulting firm Development Options Ltd. The firm provides services in the area of micro and small enterprise development, inner city research and programme development in particular with an emphasis on increasing access of unattached youth to services; and capacity building for NGOs in the disability community. In 2015 Ms Webber was named Microfinance Leader of the Caribbean.

Ms Webber served as a member of the Special Olympics Caribbean Board from 2002 – 2009, for the last three years she served as Board Chairman. She continued to volunteer and support development work of programmes throughout the Caribbean. Ms Webber was contracted in 2012 be Special Olympics North America and has served as Organisational Development Consultant assigned to the Caribbean.

Ms. Webber is the parent two children, Brian (24) and Anna-K (20). Brian has a non-diagnosed pervasive development disorder – manifesting in severe intellectual and cognitive challenges. Her second child is currently enrolled at the Edna Manley School for the Visual and Performing Arts majoring in ceramics.

Hon. Patrick Jason Faber, born on March 21, 1978, is the youngest Minister in the United Democratic Party’s current administration and the youngest to ever sit in Parliament. For a young man, he has achieved quite a lot in his lifetime. Not only political successes, but personal triumphs as well.

Having graduated from St. John’s College Junior College in 1996, with an Associate’s Degree in economics and history, he went on to study at Valdosta State University, where he acquired a Bachelor’s degree in economics.

After returning from University in 1998 he took a teaching position at Anglican Cathedral College where he rose through the ranks and became the Vice Principal, responsible for Student Affairs; a position he kept until 2007 when he reluctantly departed from to be able to focus on his re-election campaign.

Minister Faber also holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida and was enrolled in a Doctor of Education in Higher Education program at Oklahoma State University. He is presently enrolled at the Valdosta State University pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Public Administration.

But more than his academic achievements, Minister Faber continues to use these accomplishments to encourage Belizeans, especially our young people, to do their utmost best in all they endeavor. His political achievements include: In 1999, topping the polls for the United Democratic Party in the Belize City Municipal Elections. He also won by the largest margin of victory in the Collet constituency’s history and again made history when he secured consecutive victories in the general elections of 2003 and 2008, 2012 and 2015.

He has served the United Democratic Party from the early 1990s serving on the National Youth Commission and as the Party’s representative on the Board of many organizations. In 2010 he was elected as Chairman. In 2013 he ran for the position of deputy leader and lost. Once again in 2016 he contested the position and was victorious. He is presently the 1st Deputy Leader of the United Democratic Party and Deputy Prime Minister of Belize.

His passion for the field of education has remained consistent throughout the years. Under his leadership, more students have been able to go to school because of grant funding provided by our Government, and recently, teachers have also been given the opportunity to qualify themselves with more financial assistance and training programs. He has spearheaded educational reforms in the right direction to increase access to and equity in education at all levels for all Belizeans, while simultaneously putting in place the structures and systems to improve the quality of education. His passion and leadership is further manifested in his political willingness to take tough, sometimes unpopular positions.

Minister Faber is blessed with two charming sons—Krishnan and Patrick Jr., who he has committed to raising with the core values required to have them be two more productive, contributing members of society. He often quotes, as you may hear him share with you today, “Every child deserves a champion – an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.”

Let’s all join in applause as we welcome a proven champion, in his family and country, our Esteemed Guest Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister of Belize and the Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, Hon. Patrick Faber!

H.E Mrs. Sandra Marie Granger was born in Georgetown and attended Sacred Heart Primary School and St. Joseph High School. She holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees (both Pass with Distinction) in English Literature and in Portuguese, respectively, from the University of Guyana. She was awarded a LASPAU/Fulbright scholarship to study at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she obtained a Master of Arts degree in Brazilian Literature and a Graduate Certificate in Latin American Studies.

Sandra Granger worked as an airline reservations clerk; a scriptwriter and traffic supervisor at Radio Demerara; and a lecturer in the Department of Modern Languages, University of Guyana, where she also served as Assistant Dean, Faculty of Arts. At the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, she served as a Research and Conference Officer; Senior Project Officer, Office of the Deputy Secretary-General; Executive Management Officer, Office of the Secretary-General; and Deputy Programme Manager, Conference Services. She retired from the Secretariat as Programme Manager, Conference Services.

Since the assumption of her husband to the Office of President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in May 2015, Sandra Granger has immersed herself in activities aimed at improving the lives of the most vulnerable sectors of the Guyanese population. These include:

Organising, in collaboration with Interweave Solutions, the Ministry of Social Protection and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshops which aim at wealth-generation and the empowerment of women.
Sponsoring the Buxton Youth Development Initiative which provides meals and remedial classes for children attending three primary schools in the Buxton/Friendship area.
Sponsoring an ICT Workshop for young adults in the Buxton area, upon completion of which participants were certified by the Board of Industrial Training.
Working with Women Across Differences, a non-governmental organisation which focuses on counselling, supporting and empowering adolescent mothers. This includes helping girls who want to complete their secondary education to go back to school or receive training in their preferred vocation, as well as training in craft and parenting skills.
A workshop on Caring for the Elderly. In addition, with support from the Ministry of Social Protection, a project coordinated by Women Across Differences will soon be launched in which adolescent mothers will teach craft to seniors in senior citizens’ homes, thereby transferring skills and achieving inter-generational interaction.
Participating inLuminous Women, a small informal group of mainly retired professional women, whose activities include making donations to senior citizens’ homes, organizing outings for senior citizens and “glam days” for ladies in senior citizens’ homes, as well as examining means of wealth generation among women.
Launching the Kind Soles Project in collaboration with ReThink Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago. This project aims to provide “shoes that grow”- quality adjustable shoes that can last a child for up to five years - to primary and secondary schoolchildren in the hinterland of Guyana. So far, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Cohesion, over 2000 pairs of shoes have been distributed to children in Region 1 - Barima/Waini and Region 9 – Upper Essequibo/Upper Takutu. These shoes are all donated by citizens in Guyana and the diaspora.

Sandra Granger is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) First Ladies Round Table on Reducing Adolescent Pregnancy in the Caribbean. She collaborates on various key issues with UNAIDS, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

She also serves as the patron of Women Across Differences, The Guyana Foundation, the Guyana Girl Guides and Girl Scouts Association, and Step by Step Foundation.

Alexander Garbutt was born on August 11th, 2002 to Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Garbutt Sr. Alexander (better known as Alex), attended Pre-school and then went to Queen Street Baptist Primary School. During his early years of primary school, his teachers realized that Alex was not performing at the same level as his peers, was unable to read and struggled with comprehension.

His parents then took him to the National Resource Center for Inclusive Education for an academic assessment. With the assessment results and recommendation from the officer who conducted the assessment, Alex was enrolled at Stella Maris School.

While attending Stella Maris School, it did not take his teachers very long to realized that even though Alex was not performing at the level of his peers, he was not that far behind and he could definitely succeed and transition to high school.

As the weeks and months went by Alex gradually started to reveal his true self. He began to open up more and instead of using one word answers he started answering in complete sentences. His daily routine was to bid his teachers good morning and then ask if he could help with taking anything to the classroom. He loves music! As soon as he hears a song playing he would try to guess who the artist was and prove that he knew all the lyrics. Loving is what he is.

With the love and support Alex learned to read and improved his comprehend so much that he did very well on the national standardized exam, the PSE. He is now attending Canaan High School where he continues on the same path and have teachers who see his potential.

Plenary Session I Presenters

Ms. Beverly Reynolds is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. She has over thirty years working experience in the fields of health, education, adolescent and youth development and social policy development at the national and regional levels.

For the last thirteen years, Ms. Reynolds has worked with the CARICOM Secretariat as a senior technical officer in the following positions: Deputy Programme Manager - Health Sector; Programme Manager - Sustainable Development; and more recently, Coordinator, Health and Human Development. Ms. Reynolds has spearheaded and chaired the Secretariat’s work in the area of trade related intellectual Property Rights and access to medicines. She has also initiated and advanced work in the area of crime prevention and social development. Her current portfolio covers health, social and human development issues which pose a challenge to sustainable development with specific emphasis on drug demand reduction, violence and injuries, people with disabilities and the elderly.

Positions held prior to joining the CARICOM Secretariat,

Lecturer/Tutor – University Hospital School of Nursing, Mona, Jamaica
Coordinator – Psychiatric Programme, University Hospital School of Nursing
Health Specialist – Planning Institute of Jamaica
Special Advisor on Social Policy issues to the Director General, Planning Institute of Jamaica

Other Activities

Consultant - United Nations Population Fund
Technical Advisor – Peer Counselling Association of Jamaica; Just Off the Road Low Threshold Drop in Centre for persons addicted to drugs
Singer/song writer and artist.
Member - Guyana Women’s Artist Association.

Ms. Reynolds is a Jamaican national.

Mr. Garren Lumpkin
Professional Studies

Master’s Degree – Special Education – San Francisco State University (San Francisco, California)

Professional Experience

(2008 – Present): UNICEF Consultant – Areas of Basic Education, Inclusive Education, Early Childhood Development and Early Interventi
UNICEF Regional Consultant for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)- Technical assistance to develop Child Care and Family Support component of UNICEF’s Regional Zika Response.
UNICEF Regional Consultant (LAC) – Technical assistance for material development and training for implementation of UNICEF- PAHO/WHO Care for Child Development package.
Technical consultant to assist the Government of Belize (Ministry of Education, Youth, Sport and Culture)for the purpose of developing a framework for an inter-ministerial ECE/ECD service delivery and implementation plan for young children 0-5 years
UNICEF Regional Consultant (LAC) – Preparation of technical and reference materials on Inclusive Early Childhood Development and Disability

(1999 – 2007) Regional Education Advisor – UNICEF Regional Office for Latin and the Caribbean (and focal point for Child Development and Early Intervention) (Panama, Panama)

(1994 – 1999) Project Officer – UNICEF Brazil/Head of Education Programme (including components of Basic Education, Early Child Development and Disabilities), (Brasilia, Brazil)

(1986 – 1994) Project Officer – UNICEF Area Office for Central America and Panama, in programmes of Basic Education, Child Development, and Early Education; and Prevention, Early Detection and Family/Community-Based Intervention for Children with Disabilities, (Guatemala, Guatemala)

(1982 – 1986) Project Officer – UNICEF Nicaragua: Responsible for programmes of Early/Preschool Education, and Prevention, Early Detection and Family/Community-Based Intervention for Children with Disabilities, (Managua, Nicaragua)

(1981 – 1982) UNICEF Consultant for the UNICEF Area Office for Central America and Panama and UNICEF Nicaragua for field of Prevention, Early Detection and Family/Community-Based Intervention for Children with Disabilities, (Guatemala, Guatemala and Managua, Nicaragua)

(1979 – 1981) Peace Corps Volunteer/ Regional Education Office/National Ministry of Education of Costa Rica (in Nicoya, Guanacaste) – Responsible for the development of the first Prevention, Early Detection and Family/Community-based Intervention Initiative for Children with Disabilities (Nicoya, Guanacaste, Costa Rica)

Plenary Session II Presenters

Mr. David Leacock is the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Mr. Leacock has worked in the education field for over 25 years. He was a teacher and head of department at a tertiary education institution. Later he would serve as an Education Officer in the Ministry of Education for six years. He would return to the classroom and eventually moved into administration at the tertiary level before assuming the role of Chief Executive Office in the Ministry of Education in 2008.

Mr. Leacock holds a Bachelors Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Scranton in the USA and a Masters in International Education from the University of Sussex Institute for Education, Centre for International Education in the United Kingdom. His masters degree programme centered on the role of Education in National Development.

Mr. Leacock is a Belizean by birth, is married and is enjoying his new role as a father with the birth of his first child, a son, Madiba David.

Mrs Lliani Arthurs holds a Masters’ of Science in Counseling from the University of the West Indies and a Bachelors of Social Work from St Leo College, Florida. She is the Director of the Department of Human Services in the Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation.

Mrs. Arthurs has been working in social services for the past twenty-one (21) years with seventeen (17) of those years within the area of child protection. Her career first began as a Counselor within the Family Services Division where she conducted case management work with families referred for abuse and neglect, counseling with families and children experiencing various difficulties, and coordination of the foster care and adoption program. She was later promoted to a supervisory capacity to manage the staff and programs of Child Protection Services. She has been involved in various child protective analyses, planning and legislative reform processes.

Mrs Arthurs has facilitated various presentations on Child Abuse, the Child Protection System, Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Working within a Continuum of Care. Internationally, she has performed in various technical capacities in the areas of gender based violence, population and development, and children affected by migration.

Mr. Gerardo Quiros Cuadra0 has 30 years of national and international experience in disaster preparedness, emergency and risk management from different perspectives: emergency response; planning, design and project development; training; community development; early warning systems; humanitarian logistics, among others with government agencies, NGOs and UN Agencies.

Liaison Officer for Nacional Emergency Commission, Costa Rica

Humanitarian Logistics and disaster relief for German Red Cross, Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), Doctors Without Borders

Risk Management Consultant for UNDP, UNICEF, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), UNISDR and Center for Coordination of Natural Disaster Prevention in Central America (CEPREDENAC)

Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa (Somalia, Kenya, Rwanda), Caucasus Region (Georgia), East Timor

Plenary Session III Presenter

Dr. Armando J. Vásquez Barriosis is from Venezuela and studied medicine at the Universidad Centro Occidental "Lisandro Alvarado", Barquisimeto, Venezuela. After having worked as general practitioner it conducted Post-graduate studies in Public Health in the mentions of Administration of Hospitals and Administration in Health Programs, also have studies of Specialization in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and graduate-level in Management of Human Resources and graduate in Occupational Health.

He worked for several years in his home country in different positions within the Ministry of Health: Director of Hospital, Chief of Health District, Assistant Medical Care, State Health Director, Coordinator of the National Rehabilitation Program from the Ministry of Health, Assistant to the General Director of the Ministry of Health. In addition to his regular activities, Dr. Vásquez is active member of the Latin American Medical Association of Rehabilitation (AMLAR) and of International Commission of Technology and Accessibility (ICTA-LA) and other national organizations. It has participated as lecturer and expert invited in International Congresses and technical meetings on disability and comprehensive rehabilitation.

He also worked as temporary consultant in PAHO for the development Projects of Rehabilitation in Central America. Moreover it has been teaching in the Middle Course in Public Health of the University of Carabobo, Venezuela and in the Post-degree on Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in the Central University of Venezuela. Currently, Dr. Vásquez is the PAHO/WHO Regional Adviser on Rehabilitation from November 1th, 1998 to date, working in close collaboration with the countries of the region and different Centers and specialized agencies, including NGO, for the strengthening of the programs on comprehensive rehabilitation and promotion of policies on prevention of disabilities and care for the people with disability.

Plenary Session IV Presenters

Ms. Aretha Cooper joined the CDGC team in 2011. She was born in St. Lucia where she spent her formative years prior to university.

Her work entails conducting psycho-educational assessments and initial assessments as part of our multidisciplinary team. She also case manage most of the school aged children and all of the children who need speech and language therapy services. Since 2013, she has carried her own small therapy caseload of children with social communication problems including autism. The intervention strategies she utilize are largely guided by the DIR/Floortime model in which she is certified as a basic provider.

Prior to this post she worked as an assistant psychologist on a multidisciplinary therapy team within a special school and residential home for young people with epilepsy and related developmental disorders in the UK. To date she has 7 years of experience working in the area of paediatric disability. she has also worked as a social worker and a teacher at both the primary and secondary level and continue to be involved in education as her role at CDCG involves regular liaison with the Special Education Unit of the Ministry of Education.

Education

M.Sc., Clinical Psychology, Loyola College in Maryland, Baltimore, USA Awarded in May 2007

B.Sc., Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom, Awarded in August 2002

Basic Floortime Provider from May 2013

Other Relevant Information

Registered with the Allied Health Council of St. Lucia (AHC) registration number 19780295.

Past member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the British Psychological Society (BPS)

Mrs. Marisela Craig holds a Master’s of Education Degree in Ed. Leadership. She is presently a full time educator at Belize Elementary School where she has dedicated twenty three (23)fulfilling years. In her high regard for education has also devoted fifteen (15) years to the school’s Parents Teachers Organization (P.T.O.) of which she is still a member. In Mrs. Craig’s spare time she enjoys reading and passionately enjoys outdoor exercising.

Mrs. Craig is the mother of two children: Aziela who is five years old and three year old Zayne. Zayne was born with an “extra” chromosome and was diagnosed at birth with Down Syndrome. This has made life in the Craig’s household just a little “extra”.

Zayne has brought his parents and sister a little “extra” responsibility, a little "extra" effort, a little “extra” love with his hugs and kisses, a little “extra” laugh with his antics, and even a little “extra” mischief. All that “extra” has given them hope: hope for his zest to live life, hope for him to continue to be fiercely independent, and hope for his ability to achieve what he wants. Zayne has made his family trust hope and trust love.