The Region has lost a Great Economist

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Honourable Sir K. Dwight Venner served as Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank from December 1989 to November 2015. Prior to that he served in the position of Director of Finance and Planning for the government of Saint Lucia between November 1981 and November 1989.

Sir Dwight was an Economist by training with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) and a Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Economics from The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. After serving as a Junior Research Fellow at the Institute of Social and Economic Research he was a Lecturer in Economics from 1974 to 1981 at The UWI.

Sir Dwight wrote and published extensively in the areas of Monetary and International Economics, Central Banking, Public Finance, Economic Development, Political Economy and International Economic Relations.

Selected publications include Monetary Policy and a Stable EC Dollar, 1996; Surmounting the Barriers to Development, 1996; The Prospects for a Unified Caribbean in the New International Economic Order, 1996; Prospects and Policy Options for the ECCB Area, 1997; Economic Theory and Development Options For The Caribbean: The Sir Arthur Lewis Memorial Lectures 1996-2005, 2007.

He served on a number of boards including the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network, the Commission for Growth and Development, World Bank and was past Chairman of the OECS Economic Union Task Force Committee, and a past member of The UWI Open Campus Council.

Sir Dwight received the award of Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1996 in Saint Lucia and was recognised as a Distinguished Graduate of The University of the West Indies on its 50th anniversary in July 1998. In June 2001 he was awarded Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) in St Vincent and the Grenadines for services to the financial sector. In October 2003 Sir Dwight was recipient of an honorary degree, Doctor of Laws, from The University of the West Indies. In December 2011 he was awarded the Saint Lucia Cross for distinguished and outstanding service of national importance to Saint Lucia.