The Executive

Krishna Desai (President): Krishna is a natural scientist and an attorney-at-law.  He has a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Botany and Zoology from UWI, a Masters of Marine Management from Dalhousie University, and he was called to the bar in 2010.  Krishna spent eight years with the Natural Resources Conservation Authority and the National Environment and Planning Agency where he advised on coastal zone management issues, monitored natural resources, and regulated physical development.  He has also worked for the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea where he advised on climate change and carbon management issues.  He has experience working as an independent environmental consultant in Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean providing regulatory advice, and writing management plans and environmental impact statements in connection with resort and marina developments.  Krishna is currently employed as a litigator for a major law firm in Kingston, he is a member of the JIEP Council, and he also assists a California based charity to identify conservation projects that are in need of funding in Jamaica.

Karen L. McDonald Gayle (Vice President): Mrs. McDonald Gayle holds a Masters Degree in EIAs and Auditing from the University of East Anglia.  Her 1997 thesis entitled “A Critical Analysis of the Environmental Impact Assessment Process in Jamaica” represents important baseline work on the quality of EIAs in Jamaica.  Her research included: (i) an in-depth investigation of Jamaica’s regulatory agency, the NRCA, and its operations, (ii) an assessment of the quality of local EIA reports (iii) a comparison of other Caribbean Countries’ EIA processes, (iv) an analysis of the NRCA Act (1991), the EIA process and their appropriateness in the Jamaican context. Mrs. McDonald Gayle has over fifteen (15) years of experience working in a wide range of environmental management positions in Jamaica and has worked extensively with non-governmental organisations as well as with the Government of Jamaica and United States Agency for International Development. She is currently CEO of the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica.

Sean Townsend (Treasurer): Mr. Townsend is currently employed to the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) as the Manager of the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Planning Department.  A post he has held since 2009.  He was formerly the Focal Point for the Jamaica Clearing House-Mechanism and the Jamaica Biosafety Clearing House under the Convention for Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, respectively, from 2006- 2008.  These entities were operated out of the Institute of Jamaica.  He was also the National Lead for the Invasive Species Network of the Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN).  These various functions has allowed him to participate in environmental nation building activities such as policy/legislative development as well as national project management. However, his expertise lie in marine science, invasive species management and environmental information dissemination.  Mr. Townsend has been a member of the JIEP since 2007 and has served on the Council as Secretary (2008 -2010) and Treasurer (2010 -2012) as well as assisted in the execution of the 4th and 5th JIEP's  Biennial Conference on the Environment.

Tamia Harker (Secretary): is an Environmental Scientist currently employed to C. L. Environmental Co. Ltd. She has a B.Sc. in Environmental Biology (honours) from the University of the West Indies (2005) and is currently pursuing an M.Phil. in Zoology, also at the U.W.I. Tamia has more than four years experience in the environmental field in areas such as Natural Resource Management, Environmental Monitoring and Marine Ecology. She also has extensive knowledge in sea turtle biology and conservation and is a Certified British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) Sports Diver. Tamia, a member of the JIEP since 2006, now serves on the JIEP Council and is also the Chairperson of the University Sub-Aqua Club at the U.W.I.