HARBOR VIEW--The Social Economic Council SER has a new chairman and vice-chairwoman after some seven months without anyone at the helm.
The filling of this void means urgent advices on the planned National Health Insurance (NHI), the creation of a Development Bank and others requested by Government earlier in the year can come to fruition.
Damien Delano Richardson, an independent expert on the Council was elected SER head on December 7 following the installation of a new nine-member Council by a Government-issued national decree on October 23.
Richardson takes over the chairmanship from former chairwoman Oldine Bryson-Pantophlet, who bid farewell to SER on April 30, a day before the three-year tenure of the former Council came to an end.
Richardson holds a Master of Science in Architecture degree from Technical Universiteit (TU) in Delft. He returned home in January 2007 and worked as head of the then-Department of Public Works. He is now managing director of Richardson Plus, and teaches courses on Caribbean Metropolitan Architecture (CMA) at University of St. Martin (USM).
Chosen as vice-chairwoman on December 7 was Eveline Henriquez-Dijkhoffz. She takes over from former Vice-Chairman Dwight Williams who resigned from the Council in October. This is her third term on SER. She is a member representing employers on behalf of St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA).
The terms of the chairman and vice-chairwoman will conclude on April 30, 2020, at which time the three-year tenure of the entire Council also expires.
