Presenter Bios
Keynote Speaker
Sir Hilary Beckles
Sir Hilary Beckles is Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies. Before assuming this office on May 1, 2015, he served the University as Professor of Economic History, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies, and Principal of its Cave Hill Campus in Barbados for thirteen years (2002–2015). He has had a distinguished career as an academic, international thought leader, United Nations committee official, and global public activist in the field of social justice and minority empowerment.
Sir Hilary received his higher education in the United Kingdom and graduated in 1976 with a BA (Hons) degree in Economic and Social History from The University of Hull, and a PhD from the same university in 1980. He has lectured extensively in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, and has published over 100 peer reviewed essays in scholarly journals, and 12 books on subjects ranging from Atlantic and Caribbean History, gender relations in the Caribbean, sport development, and popular culture.
He was invited by Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon, to serve as an inaugural member of his task force on “Science and Sustainable Development”. He was also invited by UNESCO to serve as Editor of the Ninth Volume of the UNESCO General History of Africa. He was also invited by the President of the UN General Assembly to deliver the feature address in 2017 at its sitting to declare the decade for African descendant people.”
In 2013 Sir Hilary was invited to coordinate Caribbean governments’ policy positions on the global reparatory justice conversation. In this capacity he was asked to Chair the newly established Caribbean Commission on Reparations. Under his guidance the University of the West Indies has established “The Caribbean Centre for Reparations Research”. He served as an associate member of the London University Legacies of Slavery Project, and the University of Hull’s ‘Wilberforce Institute for slavery and Emancipation”. He is also member of the United Nations Development Program Advisory Panel for the Caribbean Human Development Report.
Prof Kevin Fenton
Kevin has worked in a variety of public health roles across government and academia in the UK and internationally. He became London’s PHE Regional Director of Public Health and NHS in April 2020. He is the statutory public health advisor to the Mayor of London. He provides leadership across London for health, prevention of ill health, health protection and reduction of health inequalities. In November 2020, Kevin was named by Powerlist as the second most influential black person in Britain for his work leading the fight against coronavirus and his public health leadership on tackling inequalities.
In Spring 2020, he oversaw the national PHE review of disparities in risks and outcomes of COVID-19 which included an epidemiological investigation, rapid review of the published literature, and an extensive stakeholder engagement with BAME communities, professionals, faith and system leaders. The review led to seven key recommendations which have shaped a more equitable COVID-19 pandemic response, nationally and locally. Prior to starting as London’s Regional Director he held a joint position as Strategic Director of Place and Wellbeing and Director of Public Health at London Borough of Southwark, and Senior Advisor, Public Health England. In this role he led the council’s planning, regeneration, community engagement and public health portfolios driving inclusive regeneration, digital public health, asset-based community development and promoting health in all policies - working in partnership with NHS.
Professor Fenton was previously PHE’s National Director for Health and Wellbeing leading national prevention programmes including screening for cancer, NHS Health Checks, obesity, mental health, e-cigarettes and tobacco harm reduction, HIV, sexual and reproductive health. He also established and led PHE's Health Equity programme focused on addressing the social determinants of health and promoting place-based approaches to health improvement. Between 2005-2012, Professor Fenton was the Director of the National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He also served as chief of CDC’s National Syphilis Elimination Effort and has worked in research, epidemiology, and the prevention of HIV and other STDs since 1995. Previously he was the director of the HIV and STI Department at the United Kingdom’s Health Protection Agency.
Prof Marshall Tulloch-Reid
Marshall Tulloch-Reid is Professor of Epidemiology and Endocrinology and Director of CAIHR. He is also Co-Director of the Caribbean Branch of the US Cochrane Centre. Professor Tulloch-Reid is a medically qualified Epidemiologist and Endocrinologist. Following medical school at the University of the West Indies (Mona) he went on to pursue the MPhil in Epidemiology at the University of Cambridge and the DSc in Epidemiology at the Netherlands Institute for Health Sciences. He completed training in Internal Medicine at the Howard University Hospital in Washington DC and Fellowship training in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the National Institutes of Health Inter Institute Endocrinology Training Programme (NIDDK) in Bethesda, Maryland and Phoenix, Arizona. Professor Tulloch-Reid joined the then TMRI in 2003. He has served as coordinator for the MSc Epidemiology programme and is currently the Principal Investigator on two NIH grants designed to improve our understanding of cardiovascular disease and His research interests include the identification of risk factors for chronic diseases throughout the life course and improving approaches for the prevention and treatment of these disorders.
Dr Suzanne Soares-Wynter
Suzanne Soares-Wynter is a lecturer and the Clinical Nutritionist at CAIHR since 2000. She is also the Course Coordinator for Human Nutrition in the Faculty of Medical Sciences Undergraduate Medical Degree (MBBS) programme. As a fellow graduate of the UWI, and the Institute’s Nutrition program, she has considerable expertise in paediatric and adult weight management; sports nutrition; and, health promotion for chronic disease prevention. She is a member of several local and international associations for nutrition professionals. Dr Soares-Wynter provides consultation on nutrition matters to various local and international health bodies including the Ministries of Health in Jamaica and Barbados, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and is the Principal Investigator for two multi-level studies focusing on the environmental influences on school nutrition.
Dr Lincoln Sargeant
Dr Lincoln Sargeant has been Director of Public Health for Torbay since January 2021. In addition to leading the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, he works closely with communities and organisations to improve the health and wellbeing of residents and reduce the variations in health outcomes. Lincoln is also the lead for Prevention and reducing Health Inequalities across NHS Devon.
Lincoln spent 8 years as Director of Public Health for North Yorkshire where he played a key role in developing and improving North Yorkshire’s public health functions and services creating, funding and supporting critical prevention programmes. He was previously a Consultant in Public Health Medicine with NHS Cambridgeshire and his portfolio including health protection, social inclusion, mental health, housing growth and planning. He was also an Associate Lecturer in Public Health and Epidemiology with the University of Cambridge and a Recognised Clinical Teacher at the medical school there. Lincoln is a medical graduate of University of West Indies and holds postgraduate degrees from University of Cambridge in Epidemiology and Public Health.
Dr Amanda Brown-Bennett
Dr Brown-Bennett is a Counselling Psychologist and clinical supervisor with a passion for supporting those whom we would consider being at the frontline of helping professions. She describes herself as one who 'helps the helper'; including care-givers, clinicians and religious leaders. Dr Amanda has conducted research looking at the psychological impact of religious leadership and has co-hosted a faith-based talk show addressing matters concerning psychological well-being. Dr Amanda draws from her personal journey along with her expertise to deliver workshops and consultancy to church groups and organisations in supporting psychological well-being but considers her greatest role to be as a wife to her husband Jason and mother to 5 beautiful children.
Host
Dr Luz Longsworth
Dr. Luz Longsworth is the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus, which is the Online and Flexible Learning campus of the UWI. Dr. Longsworth also holds the portfolio of Pro Vice-Chancellor Global Affairs. She holds a Doctorate in Business Administration in Higher Education Management from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and French (First Class Hons.), a Master of Business Administration (Marketing) degrees from the University of the West Indies (Mona), and a Master of Arts degree in Hispanic Studies from Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada. Her research focus is in the fields of Leadership Development, and Organizational Transformation and Change in Higher Education. Dr. Longsworth currently chairs several Boards including the UWI Press Board, and the Board of the UWI Open Campus Early Childhood Centres of Excellence.
Keenly community oriented, Dr. Longsworth has worked with at risk youths in Western Jamaica, Belize, Barbados and the British Virgin Islands, as well as served on the boards of several community based organizations. As an Honorary Fellow of the Commonwealth of Learning since 2016, Dr. Longsworth is also involved in mentoring young women across the Commonwealth. Dr. Longsworth is fluent in Spanish with a good knowledge of French and German and enjoys foreign language films, practicing Yoga, and Tai Chi, and is a voracious reader of biographies, historical novels, Latin American poetry and leadership and inspirational literature.
Afro-Caribbean UK Church Partners
Bishop Tedroy Powell
Bishop Tedroy M Powell has served as Senior Pastor of the House of Bread, Church of God of Prophecy, since 1989. He has been instrumental in developing leadership, building appropriate church structures and stimulating growth in churches in the UK, Belgium and Holland. His focus on intentional discipleship has produced quantitative and qualitative growth in the churches where he has pastored; and he has also established a Social Enterprise, registered as Hillview Community Services, which provides educational support to its community.
In his secular career, he has served as Head of Laboratory for a professional calibration service and General Manager for a small manufacturing business, and is a qualified and experienced professional teacher and trainer in the lifelong learning sector.
Bishop Dr Donald Bolt
Donald Bolt was born in Jamaica. He began his preaching ministry in 1974 while serving as an Evangelist there. He is a graduate of Overstone Theological College in Northampton, UK and was ordained as a Bishop in the Church of God in 1991. He has served for over thirty years as a Pastor and District Overseer of several congregations across the UK, as a member of the New Testament Church of God’s National Executive Council. He is an avid supporter of community initiatives, such as Wiltshire Council for Racial Equality and serving as a Trustee for the Rushmoor Citizens Advice Bureau. Bishop Bolt was appointed Administrative Bishop in 2014 and is Superintendent for churches in Ireland and Scotland. He continues to function as a mentor for ministers.
Bishop Bolt believes in justice and righteousness and that the Church should reflect this in all of its operations. His vision for the Church is ‘Ministry and Missions - Christ Centred’ - spiritual growth and numerical growth.
Bishop Delroy Powell
Bishop Delroy Powell, a native of Portland, Jamaica is the National Leader for the New Testament Assembly- England and Senior Pastor of The Sanctuary- NTA Tooting. Bishop Powell is a Board Director for a number Faith Based Organisations and is an ambassador for a number of leading NGOs, namely, Christian Aid, Open Doors and Compassion UK. Bishop Powell has distinguished himself as a leader who develops other leaders through capacity building and community engagement. He believes in the redemptive potential of the local church and has built a framework that enables churches and public agencies to work collaboratively to address inequalities in Black Mental Health and other public health disparities.
With quiet authority, diligence and love for all peoples, Bishop Powell engages the hearts and minds through Christ-Centred preaching, leading many to faith in Jesus. He aspires excellence and authenticity and integrity are at the core of his ministry, family and personal devotion.
