Dr Carla Natalie Barnett was confirmed as the 8th CARICOM Secretary-General during a virtual Special Session by Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Tuesday.
Barnett, a national of Belize, is the first woman and the first Belizean to be selected for the post. She will replace Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, who is completing his second term, and will  assume office on August 15, 2021.
Heads of Government in congratulating Barnett on her selection, recognised the historic moment for the Community.
A former Deputy Secretary General of CARICOM, Barnett was also a vice president of the Belize Senate and served in various ministerial capacities in her country’s government. She was Financial Secretary of Belize and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Belize, as well as Vice-President (Operations) of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
Barnett attained her Ph.D. in Social Sciences from the University of the West Indies, (UWI) Mona Campus in Jamaica. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario in Canada, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the UWI. (PR)
