Dr. Claire Nelson, Ph.D.

Message from the Chair

Dr. Claire Nelson has been engaged in the business of international development for over twenty-five years. A renaissance woman, she has been alternately described as a Social Entrepreneur, Futurist and Change Leader.  The Founder and President of the Institute of Caribbean Studies and the visionary architect of the commemoration of June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month, Dr. Nelson is the first Jamaican woman to hold a Doctorate degree in an engineering discipline.  The only Black in her graduating class, Dr. Nelson holds Industrial Engineering Degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo, Purdue University, and a Doctorate in Engineering Management from the George Washington University. She has served on numerous Boards and Committees including: US Department of Commerce US/Caribbean Business Development Council; Advisory Board; International Think Tank, Commission on Pan-African Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister of Barbados; Black Leadership Forum; African-American Unity Caucus; National Democratic Institute/Carter Center Election Observer Mission to the Dominican Republic; Black Professionals in International Affairs; and the International Committee, National Society of Black Engineers-Alumni Extension.

Dr. Nelson has been a frontrunner in the challenge of placing the topic of racial exclusion and diversity on the agenda of the multilateral development finance institutions. As a result of her pioneering work, she was invited to the Salzburg Seminar on numerous occasions, culminating with a stint as Faculty at the Seminar on Leadership Across Geographic Borders and Cultural Boundaries. Dr. Nelson was also a participant in the prestigious Bellagio Consultation on the UN World Conference on Racism (UNWCAR) organized by Global Rights, and was active on the Working Group on Globalization and Transnational Corporations.

The Ideation Leader of the Futures Forum, a consultative practice which engages the power of strategic foresight for transformational change, Dr. Nelson is sought after as a speaker on issues pertaining to development futures, globalization, and issues concerning the Caribbean and its peoples.   She is a frequent guest on the television talk show CARIBNATION seen on cable TV, as well as CARIBBEAN EXCHANGE on WEAA FM Baltimore. Her speaking engagements have included: National Association of Security Professionals; Congressional Black Caucus Conference; Harvard University Black MBA Association Conference; Women & Micro-enterprise Conference, African Development Bank; Florida International University; Cincinatti Women's Chamber of Commerce; US Black Engineer of the Year Annual Conference; Howard University; Sacramento State University; and the National Council of Negro Women.

An award-winning writer and performance artiste, Dr. Nelson's OpEd pieces have appeared in media outlets such as Morning Edition, National Public Radio; WHUR FM; and Caribbean Sun newspaper. She has performed at a wide variety of locations including Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, the World Bank, Kingston and Durban, South Africa.