THIRTY-year-old University of Oxford graduate Suzanne Stanley has been appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET).

The promotion signals the emergence of a new generation of leaders on Jamaica’s environment landscape, a transition from the predominantly middle-aged, male face.

It’s a positive development for founder and CEO Diana McCaulay, who said JET has sought to build a “qualified, young, energetic” corps over the years.

“It’s good to see younger people like Suzanne come into leadership. I’m excited and hopeful. I have a lot of faith and confidence in Suzanne, obviously, and I hope she will be able to get a lot more interest and support from young people,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Stanley joined JET as programme director in 2010, with overall responsibility for public education projects, which included developing and designing projects, and administering them. Among the projects on which she has worked are JET’s Schools’ Environment Programme, International Coastal Cleanup Day and most recently, the Clean Coasts Project.

“She has excellent project management skills and has been responsible for the expansion and improvement of JET’s public education programmes,” JET said of Stanley.

Her new role will require raising funds, via grants and other means, and direct advocacy, which means eventually sharing the stage with McCaulay.

“It will be more challenging, but I like to keep busy, I like to challenge myself and I like change. I’m very flexible in that regard, so I’m looking forward to taking on new responsibilites,” Stanley told the Observer yesterday.

“JET has always provided such meaningful and diverse professional experiences. The environmental education, advocacy and conservation work we do is invaluable to Jamaica’s very survival…I am proud to continue being a part of the JET team, and excited to be assuming this leadership role,” she said.

Stanley earned a first-class honours bachelor’s degree in Geography from the University of the West Indies in 2006, and a master’s with distinction in environmental change and management from Oxford in 2008. She pursued the latter on scholarship from the Coca-Cola Water Sustainability programme.

The deputy CEO began her relationship with JET as a volunteer after her return from England. It was perhaps set in train from her days at Queen’s Prep, she said.

“The principal at the time was Heather Davidson and she was very passionate about the environment. A ship that was carrying plutonium was supposed to pass through the Caribbean and she joined the protest. I didn’t know at the time, but it was a campaign that was being led by JET and we joined. We had placards and stood up on Constant Spring Road protesting. We were little kids, 11 and 12. We made up songs, poems, raps, deejays. That was my first experience with environmental advocacy,” she told Environment Watch.

Years later, while in university, she again crossed paths with JET.

“When I was doing my dissertations, I used a lot of articles written by Diana, so I knew about JET and what it was doing so, from the start, from the days of volunteering, it was a good fit,” said Stanley.

Before JET, she did environment consultancy with an England-based carbon accounting firm, among others.

Her promotion took effect last Tuesday, September 1.

“The board of directors is delighted to welcome Ms Stanley to the senior management of JET,” said JET chairman, Douglas Stiebel.

“She has proven her commitment to Jamaica’s environment during her time with us and her wide range of skills has been of great benefit to the organisation. She is part of the new generation of young environmental leaders, and we are sure she will go from strength to strength.”