Meet Our Board
Get to know the capable individuals behind the Canadian Caribbean Association.
Greetings! I was born in Jamaica and spent a happy childhood there, until the age of 18. After high school I decided to study overseas and my journey took me to Worcester, Massachusetts and then to Waterloo, Ontario, where I earned an Engineering degree. I met my “Trini” wife, Anandi, while at university and we have been married for over 25 years and have three beautiful children.
To everyone who is from Jamaica, Trinidad, Haiti, Barbados, Cuba, Guyana, or any of the thirty countries/dependencies in the Caribbean, we welcome you to the Region and invite you to become a member of our organization. Despite the many different languages and cultures we represent, we share a memory and a history of sea and sky and sand, tropical heat and musical beats.
We also share the common experience of emigrating to a colder climate and being a visible minority, likely for the first time. The Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region was founded in 1975 by immigrants to this region who wished to celebrate their culture and provide a supportive space for those who were working to make Canada their new home.
Over the past 45 years the CCAWR has sponsored and supported many events and programs that benefited the Caribbean community.
The CCAWR continues to evolve and grow to meet the needs of the community, but we cannot accomplish our goals without your support. I invite you to connect with us and to use your skills and talents to help us build a strong, engaged and caring community. There is strength in numbers, and we can accomplish far more together than we can as individuals.
Clive and his wife Natasha moved to the Waterloo region in 2018 and both joined the CCAWR shortly afterwards. Clive was born in Jamaica and moved to Canada in 2008 as a Visiting Professor at York University.
He has a PhD in applied linguistics from UWI, Mona. Since 2016 he has been a faculty member in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Waterloo where he teaches courses on linguistics, academic and technical writing, and Caribbean language and literature.
He’s also a member of the CCAWR’s scholarship committee. In the future he hopes to start a dominoes and ludi committee in the association.
Emily Roslyn Yamoah was born in Clarendon, Jamaica. She graduated from University of Waterloo with a B.A. in 1980. She worked as a teacher in Jamaica and Nigeria and later spent 27 years working with the City of Kitchener and The Region of Waterloo.
She is a past recipient of the Kitchener Award for Positive Suggestions from The City of Kitchener. Mother of four children Isaac, Patricia, Lynta & Megan, Emily is a tourism lifestyle enthusiast and has travelled extensively.
Emily has been a member of the association for the last 25 years, serving as a Board member for 20 of those years.
Emily gives her time to multiple non-profit boards and community organizations. During her time at the association, she has organized and supported activities that contributed to social and business development within the community, especially in economically depressed areas. She has also made significant contributions through organizing community events, annual commemoration ceremonies and memorials.
Donnette became a Board Member of the CCAWR in 2013, but has been actively involved with the Association since she first came to the Region in 2011. Having immigrated to Canada in 2010 she saw this as a great opportunity to connect with Caribbean Canadians and the wider community and a means of integrating into and serving the community.
She received her education in Jamaica at the University of Technology where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Engineering. Donnette has over 10 years of experience working with community-based Socio-economic Infrastructure and Social Services projects, which involves the development of poor communities through small-scale community-based projects as a component of the Government of Jamaica Poverty Alleviation Strategy. She also worked in Jamaica with the Commission responsible for overseeing the process for the awards of Government Contracts. As a Project Manager, she sat at the Commission’s meetings and was also the representative at the Sponsoring Public Sector Procurement Agency meetings. Donnette presently is employed to a major Telecommunications Engineering Consulting Company in Waterloo, Ontario; her work involves providing structural details and drawings of telecommunications towers and appurtenances for Canadian and USA wireless providers.
Having the drive to contribute and make a difference in her community, Donnette participates through her work in Construction. This is unique, international event engaging designers, architects and engineers to use their talents to help those struggling with food insecurity. The event raises funds, food and awareness for local food banks. Donnette hosts International students through various organizations in her community where she provides an English immersion environment, friendship, support and guidance in a caring atmosphere where a wealth of cultural knowledge and experiences are exchanged. Donnette’s greatest strengths are creativity, organizational skills and dedication to task. She has a passion for service and finds satisfaction in a job well done.
Treasurer
Carlton Benjamin serves as Treasurer for the Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region (CCAWR). Originally from Spanish Town, Saint Catherine, Jamaica, he made Kitchener his home in 1999 and has been deeply involved in the community ever since.
A Master Financial Advisor in Philanthropy, Carlton leads a financial team as Managing Partner in Kitchener, guiding clients toward secure financial futures. Dedicated to continuous growth, he is currently pursuing his CLU designation to expand his expertise.
Joining CCAWR during its 50th anniversary, Carlton is committed to strengthening financial sustainability and fostering opportunities for diverse Caribbean members. He warmly invites individuals to get involved, whether as members, volunteers, or board members to help build a stronger, more vibrant community.