The Governing Council at CAST has confirmed the appointment of Ms. Deirdre Shurland as CAST Director, and Ms. Kelly Robinson as Vice Chairman of the CAST Governing Council. 
Both positions remained vacant as the Governing Council completed the reengineering process of the organisation over the past six months.

“The Governing Council is thrilled with the appointment of Deirdre and Kelly. They are true professionals that have proven their commitment to the cause of sustainable tourism in the region. They will be the driving engines in this new phase of CAST`s growth,” concluded CAST Chairman Royston Hopkin CMG.

Deirdre Shurland joined the CAST family in 2002 as Senior Environmental Specialist, involved in the restructuring of the organisation and its management systems and in redesigning its tourism and environmental management services. A national of Trinidad & Tobago, Deirdre has more than thirteen years of experience in environmental management issues.

She has completed over 40 assignments in environmental audits, assessment and management systems in the Caribbean region in the areas of hotel/tourism and infrastructure development, parks and land use planning, institutional development and the industrial/manufacturing sectors.

Ms. Shurland has a degree from the University of the West Indies (Jamaica) in geology, with a master`s degree in oceanography and a Graduate Diploma in Marine Affairs from Dalhousie University in Canada. She is an American Society for Quality (ASQ) Certified Quality Manager.

Kelly Robinson is well known in the Caribbean hospitality industry as CAST`s first executive director. In this capacity, she was responsible for CAST`s early success, having overseen all aspects of its development and operations from 1997 until 2000, including strategic planning, fundraising, program development, and project management for the organisation. 
Today, she is the Corporate Director of Environmental & Social Affairs of Grupo Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic.

The 6th Annual Meeting of the CAST Governing Council brought together members from a range of prestigious organizations committed to social and environmental responsibility in the Caribbean, such as American Express, Texaco/Chevron, PA Consulting, Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), and the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO).

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