OECS AUTHORITY SELECTS DR. DIDACUS JULES AS NEW DIRECTOR-GENERAL

Castries, February 24- Chairman of the OECS Authority Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer revealed last Friday that the OECS Authority has selected Dr. Didacus Jules as the Organization's new Director-General.

The position became vacant when the former Director-General Dr. Len Ishmael demitted office at the end of December 2013.

The Organization canvassed widely and received applications for the position from across the region and beyond.

Having deliberated inconclusively on this matter during the 58th Meeting of the OECS Authority in November in Montserrat, the Authority made the final selection during an ad hoc meeting of the Authority held in HavanaCuba during the CELAC Summit in January.

Dr. Didacus Jules is currently the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and will be expected to take up his position as Director-General on 1 May 2014.

"The Authority is confident that the correct choice has been made," said Chairman Spencer, "and we look forward to working with Dr. Jules in ushering in a new dispensation at our Organization”.

PM Spencer indicated that Dr. Jules beat out a strong field of candidates for the position and pointed out that he came with a strong reputation as executive who strove for efficiency and who was not afraid to go after transformational change. Spencer said that, given the challenges facing OECS countries in the coming years, Dr. Jules was the best person for the job.

Dr. Jules, a national of Saint Lucia, met with Mr. Spencer recently in Antigua and Barbuda and both men spoke at length regarding the Organization's mission and priority focus.

The OECS Commission Secretariat is located in Saint Lucia.

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