The Grenada Athletics Association (GAA), the governing body for track and field across Grenada’s tri-island territory, is gearing up for a landmark leadership change with its elective general meeting officially set for 22 August 2026. This transition will bring an end to the four-year tenure of incumbent President Conrad Francis, who has announced he will not seek re-election to the top post, clearing the way for a new leader to steer the national athletic community forward.
The election was originally constitutionally scheduled for January 2026, coinciding with the expiration of the current executive board’s four-year mandate. However, GAA member stakeholders voted to postpone the vote to prioritize administrative continuity and stability, allowing the organization to focus fully on Grenada’s high-profile hosting of the 51st CARIFTA Games, which will take place over the Easter weekend from 4 to 6 April 2026.
Francis, a lifelong fixture in Grenadian athletic circles, boasts a decades-long resume as an athlete, coach, educator, and senior sports administrator. He first claimed the GAA presidency at the association’s last elective meeting held on 22 January 2022, stepping into the role after a long career rooted in grassroots sports development. Before entering the top administrative post, Francis built his reputation as a physical education teacher and elite coach, most famously leading Boca Secondary School’s girls’ track and field team to the school’s only InterCol Championship title in 1987. He also founded the popular annual *InterCol Preview* publication, a staple resource for local competitive school sports, and later went on to serve as Grenada’s national Director of Sports, taking over the role from Tyrone Harbin.
Francis’ extensive track record in major event management includes serving as Competitions Director for Grenada’s successful hosting of the CARIFTA Games in both 2000 and 2016, as well as the 2003 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Senior Championships. On the international stage, he has accompanied and coached Grenadian national teams at multiple editions of the World Athletics Championships and the Olympic Games, bringing invaluable experience to the country’s emerging elite talent. Even in his final year in office, Francis oversaw a historic milestone for the association: fielding the largest non-CARIFTA national team in GAA history to compete at the 2026 North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) Under 18 and Under 23 Championships in Mexico.
Over the course of his presidential tenure, Francis prioritized expanding local competitive opportunities and nurturing young athletic talent through a strategic overhaul of the GAA’s annual event calendar. His signature achievement was the launch of three new named competitions that now form the core of the GAA Developmental Series: the December-hosted Neville Glean Classic, the Adrian Mitchell Open, and the January-held Charlie George Classic.
First Vice President Johnell Mitchell highlighted the breadth of progress the GAA achieved under Francis’ leadership, noting: “We have seen an increase in the number of local clubs, increase in representation in competitions at regional and international level including NACAC and World Athletics Competition, the exceptional growth in participation in the Whitsuntide Games and of course hosting 2 CARIFTA Games in 3 years.”
The outgoing GAA Executive Board, which formally took office on 30 January 2022, comprises a full leadership team tasked with overseeing administration, policy, and strategic development for the sport across the tri-island state. In addition to President Francis, the current board includes Johnell Mitchell (1st Vice President), Abrel Patrick (2nd Vice President), Desiree Stephen (General Secretary), Geraldine Thompson (Assistant General Secretary), and Claudia Francis (Treasurer). Rounding out the executive are Public Relations Officer Kwame Hypolite, Coaches’ Representative Denise Williams, Athletes’ Representative Jelani Franklyn, and Officials’ Representative Devon Layne.
When the GAA holds its vote in August, member clubs and key stakeholders will cast ballots to select the next executive cohort. The new leadership will inherit the responsibility of guiding Grenada’s world-class athletic talent through the remainder of the 2026 competitive season and setting the strategic direction for the sport in the country for the coming four years.