A 3-Year agreement with Clinton Foundation took effect March 19th
The Caribbean Electric Utilities Corporation (CARILEC) is now at the forefront of efforts to establish gender balance in energy leadership positions in the Caribbean’s energy sector. The Corporation signed an initial three-year agreement to manage the Women in Renewable Energy (WIRE) Network in the Caribbean region.
The WIRE Network was launched by the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) – an initiative of the Clinton Foundation – and Chelsea Clinton in 2016 to address the issue of underrepresentation of women in energy leadership positions. In pursuit of a mission to empower the next generation of women leaders in the island nations of the Caribbean through professional development and mentorship, CARILEC’s role will be to coordinate and implement a workplan designed to create opportunities for professional engagement, leadership and technical skills development, and that provides a support system to give women in the sector with the tools to help lead island nations transition to renewable energy.
Executive Director of CARILEC Dr. Cletus Bertin described the partnership as exciting “because the principle of gender equity is interwoven in sustainable development principles which is of much concern to our region. The sector is critical to the sustainable development imperatives which confront us and the sector is served by an increasing number of women. It is logical that the role of champion resides with CARILEC, as the umbrella body for the sector”, Dr. Bertin noted.
“Our work with CARILEC over the past couple of years has been incredibly beneficial for the WIRE Network. We’re looking forward to enhancing this relationship — increasing our regional presence and advocating for gender equality within the energy sector by going straight to the source. It’s so encouraging to witness such progressive advancements in the Caribbean, as more organizations, like CARILEC, are proactively including women at the decision-making table to help lead the global energy transition,” CCI’s WIRE Network Director, Ashley Echols, said.
CARILEC has disclosed the appointment of Ms. Charlin Bodley to the part-time position of WIRE Network Program Manager. CCI aims to fund this function for an initial three-year period. The part-time role involves management of the mentorship digital platform, ensuring the presence and participation of women in the sector within high level forums, and identifying and securing professional development opportunities. Ms. Bodley will work with both the CCI team and the CARILEC team to achieve the objectives of the work plan.
Charlin Bodley is a sustainable energy expert with over six years of experience in renewable energy project management, energy analytics, energy policy and to a lesser extent energy efficiency. She is an Energy Officer employed with the Government of Saint Lucia, and is a Certified Project Manager. Ms. Bodley recently completed a post-graduate fellowship in Geothermal Project Management and Financing through the United Nations University Geothermal Training Program. She graduated from the Bachelor of Science Degree program in Environmental Engineering from the ‘Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana’ Mexico with a gold medal award for academic excellence. She also holds a Master of Engineering degree in Energy and Environmental Management from the University of Flensburg, Germany.
About CARILEC:
The Caribbean Electric Utility Service Corporation (CARILEC) is an association of energy solution providers and other stakeholders operating in the electricity industry in the Caribbean. CARILEC was established in 1989 with nine (9) members as part of an electric utilities modernization project funded by USAID and implemented by NRECA under a five-year “Co-operative Agreement.” Currently, CARILEC comprises a total of one hundred and sixteen (110) members. This includes thirty six (34) Full Members that are electric utilities, and over eighty (80) Associate and Affiliate Members that are companies involved in some aspect of servicing the electric utility business.
About the Clinton Foundation
Building on a lifetime of public service, President Clinton established the Clinton Foundation on the simple belief that everyone deserves a chance to succeed, everyone has a responsibility to act, and we all do better when we work together. For nearly two decades, those values have energized the work of the Foundation in overcoming complex challenges and improving the lives of people across the United States and around the world.
As an operating foundation, we work on issues directly or with strategic partners from the business, government, and nonprofit sectors to create economic opportunity, improve public health, and inspire civic engagement and service. Our programs are designed to make a real difference today while serving as proven models for tomorrow. The goal of every effort is to use available resources to get better results faster – at the lowest possible cost.
We firmly believe that when diverse groups of people bring resources together in the spirit of true cooperation, transformative ideas will emerge to drive life-changing action.
For more information contact:
Alana T. Raymond
Manager, Marketing and Member Services
Phone: 758 452 0141/0
Email: [email protected]
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