Abacus for Communities is constituted of a small number of disaster management advisers and experts who, individually, have more than ten years of work experience in man-made and natural disasters, and have worked in major humanitarian emergencies in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Their expertise ranges from relief logistics, communications, assessments, inter-agency coordination of relief assistance and operations management to documentation and policy drafting. In tandem with its new organizational vision, Abacus for Communities is now also expanding its team of experts to include specialists in conflict management, community development and climate change.
Chairman:
Lt Col (Retd) Stacey Thompson (Kingston, Jamaica)
Having recently completed four years of service with UNDP in Geneva, along with a variety of previous experiences and knowledge of his country and other parts of the developing world, Stacey has been convinced of the urgent need for a globally institutionalized, targeted, bottom-up approach to the development of LDCs.
During 22 years of military service, he pioneered computers in the Jamaican Defence and Police Forces, and establisted the first Engineer Regiment, while inspiring similar developments in other Caribbean countries. Upon retirement in 1995, he later consulted in “Disater and Emergency Management” as well as “Information and Communications Technology” through his firm (Abacus), throughout the Caribbean and Central America. Clients have included UNDP and other UN agencies, PAHO, Department for International Development (DFID), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA), World Bank, Inter American development Bank (IADB), USAID and a number of Caribbean and Central American governments.
His work experience spans: Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Switzerland (Geneva), UK, USA, Caribbean and Central America (Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, BVI, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat. Saint Lucia, St Kitts, Trinidad, Turks & Caicos Islands).
Col Thompson holds a first degree in Telecommunications Systems Engineering and a Masters Degree in Information Systems Design both from the Cranfield Institute of Technology (Royal Military College of Science) in the UK. His post graduate work was dedicated to the database design of a global disaster response information management system for OCHA (then UNDRO) in Geneva in 1988.
He is an UNDAC team member, who has attended and assisted with inception and refresher training with the Caribbean team in Bermuda and Montserrat, the LAC team in Panama and the Dominican Republic, the Asian team in Singapore and the European team in Norway and Denmark and was deployed for a major hurricane in the Caribbean.
Among many voluntary activities, he has served as national chairman for the “Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards” programme, national chairman of the Jamaica Red Cross” Emergency Services Committee, Chairman of the “NEST” Children’s Home support group and foundation Chairman of the “Caribbean Association of Military Professionals” (C.A.M.P.). He is also a Rotarian where he chaired and served on various committees.
He is married with two daughters, is a qualified private pilot, parachutist and violinist, who plays a competitive game of squash as a hobby.
Training, Operations and Logistics:
David Bruff (Kingston)
David served Twenty Five (25) years in the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), where he was a qualified Communication Instructor and his military tours included Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Barbados, Haiti and Canada. He is presently the coordinator for (E.A.R.S) team for Kingston and St Andrew Corporation and head of their Red Cross Emergency Communication Department.
Having spent some time in Haiti during the earthquake, his passion as a disaster volunteer was so deepened that after leaving the army he returned to Haiti as a Project Leader for the reconstruction of Mini Links to help restore communication.
A graduate from the Stennis Space Centre Mississippi (USA), he holds a Diploma in the field of Communications from the U.S. Department of the Navy as well as from RF Operation Tactical Network. He has also undertaken an Advanced Emergency Telecommunication Course, Light Search & Rescue, as well as First Aid & Community Safety Monitor training at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM). He also holds a Certificate in Human Rights & International Humanitarian laws from USA Defense Institute of International Legal Studies.
Accounts and Administration:
Nancy Lloyd (Kingston)
A past Wolmerian, Nancy is a selfless humanitarian with strong belief in volunteerism and teamwork. “Nan” is a trained Office Administrator, including basic accounting, human relations and office management and the “steely eyed” custodian of our accounts and administrative procedures.
Karen Thompson (Kingston)
Karen functions as our “Chief of Staff” focusing on integrity, quality control and operational effectiveness.
Sales and Marketing:
Christopher James (Kingston, Jamaica)
Katherine Bruff (Kingston, Jamaica)
Project Fund Raising:
Caroline Pradier (Paris and London)
Caroline has worked in the area of Development, with a special focus on Training, Capacity Building, and Peacekeeping issues. She has worked for the United Nations Development Programme in Niger and Switzerland, and for a New York based NGO. She holds a Masters Degree in International Relations and has worked, for her thesis, on the notion of failed states in conflict-driven African states. She has specific interest in gun trafficking prevention, de-mining and conventional disarmament.