WiMAC charts regional expansion under newly installed governing council

The Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean (WiMAC) is moving to extend its reach across the region, with plans to establish national chapters in St Lucia, Curaçao, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent, The Bahamas, and Montserrat. The expansion drive is among the central priorities of the association's newly installed governing council, which will guide WiMAC through the 2026 to 2028 biennium.

"WiMAC's mission remains clear: to empower, support, and elevate women across all facets of the maritime sector, afloat and ashore while advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion as central pillars of sustainable maritime development," said President Dr Evette Smith Johnson, who was re-elected to a second term as the head of the governing council. "While progress has been made, the reality remains that women are still underrepresented across many areas of maritime. This is precisely why WiMAC exists and why our work must accelerate."

The council, elected virtually in January 2026, comprises Dr Smith Johnson, immediate past president, Tamara Lowe-James and director of corporate affairs Raquel Forbes, alongside five newly elected officers: Valrie Campbell, director of finance; Karen Mullings, vice-president of public relations and marketing; Jaeda Sutherland, vice-president of women and development; Arlene Young, vice-president of research and development; and Felicia Vargas, vice-president of membership and administration. Operations Manager Valerie Simpson serves as the ex-officio member overseeing the WiMAC Secretariat, which is housed at the Maritime Authority of Jamaica.

The elections were held in the presence of two independent observers representing WiMAC's principal strategic partners. Marissa Samantha Sandy Regis-Theodor, administrative assistant and regional coordinator for the Caribbean at the International Maritime Organisation's Technical Cooperation and Implementation Division, observed on behalf of the IMO, which serves as the global oversight body for Women in Maritime Associations worldwide. Mona Swoboda, programme manager at the OAS Inter-American Committee on Ports, represented the Organisation of American States (OAS), with which WiMAC signed a memorandum of understanding in May 2023 to advance gender equality and establish a structured framework for collaboration.

The newly elected council brings a breadth of maritime experience to the table. Campbell, who brings over 25 years in the shipping industry, including 23 years at Kingston Wharves, currently serves as vice-president for Business Consulting at Pan Jamaica Group and was recognised in 2024 as the Outstanding Woman in the Port and Maritime Sectors in the Americas by the OAS and the Inter-American Committee on Ports. Sutherland, lead of the project and Quality Unit at the Belize Port Authority, founded the WiMAC Belize Chapter in May 2024, which now counts approximately 52 members. Young has served as director of the Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute for over a decade, with a focus on maritime safety and the application of technology. Vargas brings over 22 years of experience with the International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize and was among 15 women selected globally for an IMO and World Maritime University initiative for women in the maritime sector. Mullings, public relations officer at the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, returns to the governing council having served as its inaugural vice-president of marketing at WiMAC's founding a decade ago.

Beyond chapter expansion, the council's agenda for the biennium includes mentorship networks, increased participation in regional and international forums, strengthened partnerships with industry and academia, and the collection of gender-disaggregated data to support evidence-based decision-making across the sector.

President Smith Johnson described the work ahead as "deliberate and action oriented", with national chapters serving as engines of transformation designed to localise impact and influence national maritime policy.

 “As we move forward, I am inspired by the resilience, talent, and determination of women across our region. Together, we are not simply participating in the maritime industry. We are shaping its future,” Dr Smith Johnson said.

Established in Jamaica in 2015 under the auspices of the IMO, WiMAC is part of a global movement that today spans more than 150 countries. The IMO's gender programme, from which Women in Maritime Associations worldwide draw their mandate, was established in 1988 at a time when only a handful of maritime training institutes admitting female students and women in leadership positions in the sector was the exception rather than the norm.

WiMAC Caribbean was established to foster the development, participation, and mentorship of women in the Caribbean maritime sector. Representing more than 15 countries, the organisation serves as a professional network for advocacy, networking, and the advancement of gender equality in the industry.

The Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean (WiMAC) newly elected general council members. Top row (left to right): Evette Smith Johnson, president; Tamara Lowe-James, immediate past president; Valerie Simpson, operations manager. Middle row (left to right): Raquel Forbes, director of corporate affairs; Arlene Young, vice-president of research and development; Felicia Vargas, vice-president of membership and administration. Bottom row (left to right): Jaeda Sutherland, vice-president of women and development; Karen M. Mullings, vice-president of public relations and marketing; Valrie Campbell, director of finance.