Valerie Gordon-Williams is an award winning Project Management professional from the Small Island Developing State of Grenada in the Caribbean, currently residing in Montreal Canada while maintaining strong personal and professional links and work with her home country. At present she is the Program Director of the Quebec Board of Black Educations whose work is guided by the principles of "No student left behind" and "Families First", providing academic and parenting support to minority, low income families in Montreal. Her career has mostly spanned years working with several development financing agencies such as the United Nations Development Program, OXFAM UK managing country and regional programs aimed at poverty alleviation and community development, and as an Associate of KAIRI Consultants. “Putting People at the Center of Development" is the primary guiding principle for her work. She holds an Industrial Management Diploma at the College of Arts, Science and Technology (Jamaica), a Trained Teachers Certificate from the University of the West Indies, and in-house training by her employers.