Kiesha Farnum
Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator
Director, Public Sector Projects
Kiesha is an experienced organizational and project management professional with over 17 years of experience, focused on innovation for growth across a variety of sustainable development sectors.
An adept project manager, Kiesha’s work has traversed several thematic areas including climate change, eco-agritourism, regenerative agriculture, active labour market stimulation, education and leadership development for the public and private sector.
She has also managed projects in the areas of food security, water & sanitation, social safety net protection and vocational training and advocacy for persons with disabilities.
Kiesha has worked in 17 countries across the English and non-English speaking Caribbean with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the former Department of Foreign Affairs and Development (DFAT-D) of the Government of Canada and the former Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).
She also gained extensive experience in program management and organizational leadership for NGOs during her tenure at the National Centre for Persons with Disabilities in Trinidad & Tobago. A firm believer in volunteerism, she has committed her time and expertise to various NGOs.
Most recently as Managing Director, her energies were focused on the establishment of the Walkers Institute for Regenerative Research, Education and Design (WIRRED). WIRRED is a not-for-profit think tank, research centre and consultancy dedicated to climate change and regenerative agroforestry practices. The organization is committed to the implementation of climate-smart strategies which demonstrate that ecosystem-based mitigation and adaptation offer tremendous opportunities in achieving climate resilience. She continues to serve on the Board of Directors of WIRRED, working with a talented team to offer nature base solutions geared towards building habitat, increasing biodiversity and sequestering carbon, while reconnecting people to nature through eco-agritourism and educational experiences.
Kiesha firmly believes that holistic partnerships are at the heart of climate-smart regenerative development and she continues to work to catalyze a multi-sector network that includes the private sector, public sector, academia, various industry sectors & economies and the community.
Kiesha holds a M.Sc. in Project Management, with a specialization in the Economics of Oil and Gas (& Renewable Energy) from the University of Liverpool, a BSc. in Psychology with a minor in Sociology & Management, from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has trained as an Executive Coach with Erickson Coaching International.