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Heads the Disaster Risk Reduction & Recovery Team (DRT) for Building Resilience in the United Development Programme (UNDP) in Geneva, Switzerland. He is a member of both the Crisis Bureau senior management team and the GPN management team. His appointment on May 1s, 2020 followed seven (7) years of unwavering and exemplary service as, Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). Under his stewardship, the Agency gained further recognition and prominence throughout the Caribbean and globally as one of the foremost regional disaster risk management institutions and a preferred partner for a safe and more resilient Caribbean. Mr. Jackson has also provided sterling leadership of the regional coordination and responses to Dominica, St. Lucia and St. Vincent after the Christmas Trough in 2013, Tropical Storm Erika in Dominica in 2015, Hurricanes Irma and Maria (impacting 9 of CDEMA Participating States) in 2017, Hurricane Dorian in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in 2019 and in th COVID-19 Pandemic. Prior to his role in CDEMA, Mr Jackson served in the capacity of Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in Jamaica, a position he held since August 2006 until March 2013. He previously served ODPEM as Deputy Director General, Senior Director of the Preparedness and Operations Division and as Regional Coordinator for the Southern parishes. Mr. Jackson has been extensively involved in disaster management at the national, regional and international level in various capacities. He was instrumental in the development of the Guidelines for Child-Friendly Disaster Management and Response, Reinstatement of the ODPEM Dedicated Communication Network and Revision of the Emergency Welfare Plan. In 2010 Mr. Jackson received a Certificate of Commendation from the Caribbean Community for his contribution to the rescue and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the January 2010 Haiti Earthquake.Mr. Jackson also served as a member of CDEMA’s Technical Advisory Committee, President of the IDB Caribbean Policy Dialogue Forum, the co-chair for the Inter American Network for Disaster Management and represented the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Member States on the Hyogo Framework for Action Mid-Term Review Committee and Post-2015 Hyogo Framework for Action Committee.Mr. Jackson holds a Master of Science Degree (M.Sc.) in Natural Resource Management and Environmental Resource Management from the University of the West Indies and a Bachelor of Science Degree (B.Sc.) in Physical Planning and Environmental Resource Development from the University of Technology. He recently achieved a Masters Certificate in Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting.
Key Areas of Expertise: Disaster risk and crisis prevention and management, physical planning and environmental resource development, emergency response. Skills: Planning, adaptation, public outreach, public private partnerships.
Languages: English.