Dr Charmaine Gardner has been involved in the private and public sectors in St Lucia, the regional and beyond for several years. A distinguished entrepreneur, she is the Managing Director of Carasco and Son Limited, a well-known and long-established fourth-generation 93-year-old family company. Dr Gardner is also a Director of Clay Products, St Lucia Ltd and Nexxa Auto Colour, St Lucia Ltd.
She has served as President of the St Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, and the regional private sector body, The Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce. She still serves with the St Lucia Chamber of Commerce in varying capacities, currently as chair of the annual business awards committee.
She is also the President of the 1st National Bank St Lucia Ltd, and Chairperson of the Bank’s Board of Directors. Dr Gardner is Chairperson of the Cave Hill School of Business of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, and serves as a member of the University Council of the University of the West Indies.
Dr Gardner is the recipient of the Saint Lucia Medal of Honour (SLMH) for long and meritorious service in the business community and for community enrichments. The honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, LLD (Honoris Causa) was conferred upon her by the University of The West Indies in 2006. She continues her voluntary service mainly in the areas of Education, Church and Women’s Affairs.
She is a member of the Girl Guides of Saint Lucia, the Saint Lucia Crisis Centre (from inception), the Women’s Support Centre, and the Archdiocesan Pastoral Programmes and Teaching Committee. Additionally, she served in the Parliament of Saint Lucia for some nine years. She has sat on a number of Boards and Committees, in Saint Lucia and the regional, including the National Development Corporation, the Public Utilities Commission, Chair of the Housing & Urban Development Corporation,
and as a selection judge for the Ernst & Young Regional Entrepreneur of the year award, to name a few. She is presently the Honorary Consul for Israel in Saint Lucia.
