Edgar R Zephyrine
 Edgar Zephyrine has worked at the CDF from the inception of the Programme. He became its Director in 2001. Prior to joining the CDF in October 1996, Mr. Zephyrine held senior management positions in London local Government from 1983 to 1996. His first senior management appointment was as Chief Coordinator, Community and Voluntary Services in 1983 in the Borough of Lambeth. During the period to September 1996, other positions included Principal Manager, Community and Voluntary Services and Head of Grants and Community Development. He has also acted as an Assistant Director in a Social Services Department, with responsibility for Community Services. Mr Zephyrine has held a range of other positions in local government including Adviser to the Greater London Council on employment matters; Manager of the Alperton Youth and Community Centre in the Borough of Brent and Senior Youth Officer with responsibility for Housing in the Borough of Haringey. He has chaired two major enquiries and a number of disciplinary and investigating panels.
Prior to joining local government, Mr. Zephyrine worked as a teacher of English and History with the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA).
Mr. Zephyrine trained as teacher at the Institute of Education of the University of London achieving both the Certificate in Education and the B Ed qualifications. Mr. Zephyrine’s obtained an MSc in Policy Studies from the University of Bristol’s School for Advanced Urban Studies. Other qualifications include a Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management (Manpower Planning); a Diploma in Socio Legal Studies and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management Studies. Mr. Zephyrine also successfully completed the first year of a two year LLB programme. The following are among other relevant training undertaken: Contract Law; Managing Social Housing; Project Implementation and Management; Social Policy Formulation and Implementation; Implementing and Monitoring Equal Opportunity Policies and Procurement.
Mr. Zephyrine was an active advocate for the black and ethnic minority community and for the promotion of equal rights and urban development whilst he lived in London, England. He was Chairman of the Brent Consortium of Community Organisations; Vice Chairman of the Haringey Community Relations Council; Chairman of the West Indian Leadership Council; a Director of Books for Development and an active Director of the Asra Greater London Housing Association, for thirteen years.
Mr. Zephyrine was Chairman of the Education Appeals Panel in the London Borough of Brent for several years, adjudicating on school placement issues.
Mr Zephyrine has a deep interest in sports and recreational activities. He is a keen follower of football and cricket. He has played badminton and tennis and currently plays golf. He can often be seen walking around the Savannah or gasping all the way to the top of the Chancellor Hill.
Mr. Zephyrine has an overriding interest in poverty and in ridding communities of its worst consequences and manifestations. He believes that the country has allocated sufficient resources to this cause. However, the targeting and distribution of resources must be reviewed. Agencies charged with responsibility must be selfless and must recognise the indispensable need for planning, performance monitoring and for strong collaboration and coordination of efforts. Wastage as a result of unnecessary duplication of efforts and competing for turfs must be eliminated. Those involved in the fight against poverty must be entooled with the knowledge and skills to tackle poverty. Partnerships with the private sector and other agencies must be embraced. He also believes that it is important to emphasise the worth of the poor. The recognition of what the “poor brings to the table” must be regarded as an essential ingredient to the relationship. Lastly, he believes that it is important that all sides recognise their obligations if proper solutions are to emerge.
Fundamentally, Mr. Zephyrine subscribes to the view that poverty is the enemy of development. Our progress is therefore contingent upon the extent of our success in tackling poverty.
Patricia LaBorde Grant
 Mrs. Patricia LaBorde Grant joined the Community Development Fund in January 2006 as Deputy Programme Director. She had been employed with the Agricultural Planning Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources for the past thirty (30) years.
Ms La Borde Grant is the holder of a post graduate degree in Agricultural Economics. Her interest lies in development issues with emphasis on programmes for poverty alleviation.
She is married and the mother of two (2) teenaged children.
Bertram Augustus Bernard
 Bertram Bernard is the Manager Finance of the Community Development Fund Programme. He has been employed with the C.D.F. since 1st September, 1997. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Mr. Bernard was previously employed in the Treasury Division, Ministry of Finance, the Health Sector Reform Programme and the I.D.B. funded Land Settlement Programme of the National Housing Authority.
Hanifa Rahman
 Hanifa Rahman is the Systems Analyst at the Community Development Fund, Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs. She has been employed at the CDF for the past four years. Ms,. Rahman she is the holder a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Systems and Management from the University of London and completed an International Advance Diploma in Computing and Internet Systems.
She is responsible for information technology and systems development at the CDF to ensure that the appropriate technology and systems are improved and in some cases implemented to meet needs of the CDF.
 Monitoring and Evaluation Officer (MEO) started working with the Community Development Fund (CDF), Secretariat, in January 2006. Miss Edwards has twenty two years experience as a community activist, having worked within both inner city urban, and rural environments.
As a MEO at CDF, a large percentage of duties involve the visiting and interaction with both business and service based organisations operating within local communities. Miss Edwards is responsible for the production of regular monitoring and evaluation reports, and the further community development of organisations. For Miss Edwards, other activities at CDF include preparing status reports, involvement with the Secretariat’s organisational development and assistance with activities designed and implemented by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs.
Nerle Robertson
 Nerle Robertson is a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Community Development Fund since September 2000. She holds a Bsc in Argiculture and an MSc in Agricultural Economics from the University of the West Indies. She has also had extensive training in agricultural and rural project management at the University of Bradford and project preparation and management with the Caribbean Development Bank in Barbados.
Ms Robertson has over thirty years of experience in the areas of agricultural research and development, project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. As a development worker Ms Robertson has also been involved with community projects in the Caribbean.
At the CDF, Ms Robertson is primarily engaged in monitoring and evaluation and reporting on projects and programmes implemented by NGOs, CBOs, and other voluntary organizations. In addition, she undertakes other monitoring and reporting functions as required for the efficient operations of the CDF.
Tonya Hanson
 Tonya Hanson is a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Community Development Fund. She has been employed with the CDF since November 2002. Ms. Hanson is the holder of a B.A. in Linguistics and Communications Studies at the University of the West Indies. Ms. Hanson has also had over three years experience as an Employment Consultant with the Government of Canada.
At the CDF, Ms Hanson is responsible for the National Organisational Mentoring Programme (NOMP). Ms Hanson is responsible for the establishment of a Mentoring Bureau, monitoring of standards, practices and guidelines for accessing the CDF's Mentoring Programme. In addition, she is responsible for implementing annual mentoring conference in partnership with other private sector agencies.
Claire-Ann Samuel-James
 Accounting Assistant
She performs general accounting duties including the maintenance of ledgers, preparation of invoices, verification and accuracy of documents and records relating to payments, receipts and other financial transactions.
She records all accounting transactions in the Vote Book, distributes all cheques and maintains cheques books recording all issued cheques to suppliers. She assists with the preparation of monthly and quarterly requests and releases from the Ministry and collects data for and assists in preparing disbursements.
She liaises with the Ministry’s Accounting Unit on financial matters. Also with programme officers assisting them with their payment of the NGOs/CBOs Grants.
She assists with the procurement of office furniture and equipment for the Community Development Fund and NGO/CBO organisations
Louise Charles
 Administrative Assistant , Community Development Fund Secretariat
Ministry of Community Development, Culture & Gender Affairs
Joined the Ministry April 1999 to present.
She performs general duties for the Secretarial staff and consultants, assist with routing filing duties and recording of documents on Minute sheets etc. Received mail and record incoming and outgoing mail. She assists with the arrangements of meeting with the Unit etc. Answer and direct call to the relevant persons. She assists also the Monitor & Evaluation Officers and Manager, Finance with administrative matters.
She performs the procurement: which she is responsible for obtaining quotations from suppliers for furniture, equipment and materials for Secretariat. Promotions: Liaising with Media Houses and Advertising agencies for proposals. Liaising with printing houses for items such as call cards etc.
Francis Mongo
As the driver / messenger / expediter he is responsible for the delivery of mail and the transport of supplies, furniture, equipment and personnel for and on behalf of the Secretariat. He will also assist the Executive Secretary in manipulative tasks related to the running of the Secretariat.
He has the task also of being the Unit's photographer and video taping of functions that concerns the Secretariat. He sets up the Unit's multi projection and other electrical equipment and assists with the inventory of all the Unit's assets. He also maintains the Unit's vehicles. |