Rodinald Soomer
Rodinald Soomer
Mr. Rodinald Soomer is the Chief Executive Officer of the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) since September 2015. He was previously employed with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, as Head of the Economic Development Policy Unit from May 2005 to August 2015, with oversight responsibility for regional sector programmes in Agriculture, Tourism, Statistics and E-Government, and a lead role in the preparation of a regional Growth and Development Strategy. Mr. Soomer started his development career with the Government of St. Lucia in the Ministry of Planning, Development and Environment, where he served for twelve years, from 1986 to 1998, managing multi-year programmes of donor and technical assistance from multiple agencies including the British Development Division/DFID, the European Union, Kuwait Fund, Commonwealth Secretariat, OAS, the World Bank and the CDB, spanning sectors such as economic and social infrastructure, tourism and agriculture. He subsequently did a 6-year stint in the private sector as Executive Vice President/CEO of the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA), forging partnerships around key industry priorities, including inter-sectoral linkages, visitor safety and security, marketing, public awareness, human resource development and tourism policy making. Mr. Soomer holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of the West Indies and a Master’s Degree in Economics from York University in the UK, with a specialisation in Project Analysis, Finance and Investment.