Executive Members

As the Executive Director, Rex has overall responsibility for FSPI's strategic direction, work programme, human resources and finances. Rex brings to FSPI a wealth of exprience with a strong background in education and international relations. Before he took up the Executive Director position in 2000, Rex was the Solomon Islands Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador to the United States of America and High Commissioner to Canada based in New York for seven and half years. Rex is very familiar with the key developmental concerns facing small island developing states globally. Of specific interest to Rex are social ,environmental and community development issues and the need to effectively link policy at government and regional levels with action at the grassroots level and vice versa. The two icecream cone model better illustrates Rex's idea of the topdown approach to policy design and the bottom up strategy to development in which action and policy demand not only accountable and transparent but functional communication linkages between them as well

Communities and Coasts Programme

Communities and Coasts Programme Manager : Dr. Hugh Govan

Hugh manages FSPI’s Coastal Programme with a focus on building capacity for community based coastal resource management in the Pacific and Caribbean. Hugh is a marine biologist but has focused on community development including work in the Pacific in PCDF’s Waibulabula and Coral Gardens projects, the Locally Managed Marine Area Network and a six-year stint in Solomon Islands with ICLARM. Hugh has been working with indigenous peoples in Central and South America for the past five years.

Coral Gardens Programme Scientist: Dr Austin Bowden-Kerby

Austin oversees and develops the scientific aspects of the Coral Gardens Initiative and Blue Forest Projects as a part of the collaborative support from Counterpart International. He is involved in developing coral reef awareness and management materials to address the needs of communities and local fisheries officers. Austin’s expertise is in the area of coral reef management, coral reef restoration, coral aquaculture, and coastal processes. Raised in-part in the Pacific, his primary interest is the application of programs to apply science to meet village and island requirements.

Communities and Coasts Programme Officer : Ellie Delaney (Nee Austin)

Ellie has been working with the Communities and Coasts Programme since November 2003. Since joining FSPI she has assisted in the development of the programmes administrative foundations and provided technical advice and assistance to national staff in their delivery of activities in the field. Ellie is Australian and has had previous experience in coastal grants administration and regulatory coastal planning

Good Governance Programme

Regional Governance Coordinator: Lionel Gibson

Lionel is from Fiji and came to FSPI from the University of the South Pacific where he taught Geography for fifteen years. His interests lie in trying to find the most appropriate and effective ways to work with people to improve the way decisions are made and implemented both within and outside communities. His other interests are in the field of environment and development. In this context Lionel is a member of the Roundtable for Nature Conservation in the Pacific Islands and is one of Oceania’s three candidates for regional councillor in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Governance Project Coordinator: Albert Cerelala

Albert joined FSPI in September 2004, in the Communities and Coasts Programme as Temporary Research Assistant. In February, 2005, joined Governance Programme as the Governance Project Co-ordinator. He graduated from USP with a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in Marine Affairs and Geography. Prior to joining FSPI he was employed at the Fisheries and Environment Department.

Governance Programme Officer : David Hesaie

David Hesaie joined FSPI as Governance Program Officer in June 2004. He was formerly with Eco-Consult Pacific, a local consulting company with some experience in project management and coordination. He graduated from the University of the South Pacific with a Bachelor of Arts (Geography and Tourism). He has strong interests in community development with a particular focus on youth.

Health Programme

Regional Health Manager: Andrew Peteru

Andrew Manages the Masculinity, Mental Health and Violence Project (MMHV) in partnership with FCPD PNG, FSPK, FSPV, and PCDF. With a Sociology/Health Social Science background, Andrew has worked over the past 11 years with the Samoa Department of Health, The Regional Rights Resource Team (Suva), and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (Noumea). He has worked in the areas of Health Promotion/Public Health, Community Development, HIV/AIDS/STI, and Reproductive Health.

Regional Health Programme Officer: Archana Mani

Archana is from FIJI and joined FSPI in May 2004. She graduated from USP with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Language/Literature/ Psychology - specialising in counselling

She has worked as a volunteer with several NGO’s while completing her studies and has also volunteered her time with the CWM hospital as a counsellor. Archana has a strong interest in disadvantaged youth capacity building.

Corporate Services

Finance Manager: John Palmer

John P Palmer is a Solomon Islander. He has 15years experience in Finance and Accounting. Have held various senior positions with the Solomon Islands Ports Authority, Development Bank of Solomon Islands, and Solomon Islands Government. He worked for the University of South Pacific for last six years before joining FSPI in Dec 2002.

Working for the NGO world and that of the communities is a new and an exciting experience for me. I like being part of the communities.

Programme/Administration Manager : Loreen Ngwele

Loreen, a ni-Vanuatu, moved to Fiji in December 2001. Loreen is a teacher by profession. When she left teaching, she worked for the Department of Media Services, Vanuatu Government for 4 years before joining the Asian Development Bank Regional Office, Port Vila. After thirteen years, Loreen resigned and joined the Regional Office of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, a German NGO in early 1998. On closure of FES, she moved to join FSPI in January 2000.

Office Manager : Mafa Tamani

Mafa joined FSPI in January 2004. Prior to that, she worked as an Administration Assistant at International School Suva for four years. As well as a keen interest in Community Development, Mafa brought with her an extensive network of contacts Fiji-wide to strengthen FSPI support services.

Information Technology Manager: Nawal Chand

Nawal is from Fiji and joined FSPI in January 2005. He was a technical tutor at Aptech Education Centre for a year before joining Pro Sales as a Systems Engineer. He also attained his A+ certification and MCP certifications. Currently he is pursuing his RHCE certifications.

Office Assistant : Loata Biu

Loata is of Solomon Islands and Fijian descent. She manages the upkeep of the office and assists with office and finance management.

Board members

Chairman: Lelei Lelaulu, Counterpart Int’l

Vice Chairman: Papiloa Foliaki, Tonga Trust

Secretary: Rex Davis, JWP

Treasurer: Christine Carberry, AFAP

Members: Serupepeli Naqase, PCDF

Ruiti Irata, FSPK

Joses Togase, FSPV

Abraham Baeanesia, SIDT

Telmo Godinhol, Timor Aid

Annie Homasi, TANGO

Matella Urakowi, FPCD

Fiu Elisara, OLSSI

Yalap Yalap, PCS

Ex-Officio Member: Rex Horoi, FSPI

Use admin@fspi.org.fj to contact any staff members