Head of Office / St. Vincent and the Grenadines Emergency Management Agency

Miss Michelle Victoria Forbes began her public service career in 1991 as an Air Traffic Controller, but never gave up her passion for the natural environment and science which saw her eventually switching careers.

Ms. Forbes is a Disaster Risk Management specialist with over twenty (20) years of experience, she has an extensive background in disaster risk management planning, disaster policy, recovery planning, community-based disaster management, emergency operations, and managing cross-functional operations and projects. Ms. Forbes joined the staff of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) on the 1st December 2004 and currently serves as the Director. Ms. Forbes has been involved in the management and response of several natural hazards impact including Hurricane Tomas, the April 2011 Floods, the Christmas Eve Floods of 2013, the November 2016 Floods and the recent eruptions of the La Soufrière volcano and Hurricane Elsa.

Ms. Forbes is also a national and regional instructor for various disaster management courses and a member of the United Nations Disaster Assessment Coordination team.

Ms. Forbes is a Fulbright Scholar and holds a Bachelor of Science in International Disaster Engineering and Management from Coventry University in the United Kingdom, a Master’s in Public Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management from Georgia State University, Atlanta.

Ms. Forbes says that the careers that she have chosen have been challenging, but she has been “blessed by choosing professions that she thoroughly enjoys”.

The area of Public Policy governing disaster risk management is one of Ms. Forbes focus, and she says that public policies must seek to build resilience at the community, national and regional levels.