The sudden passing of Ian Pinard, the late Chief Executive Officer of the Dominica Air and Sea Ports Authority (DASPA), has triggered an urgent call from the country’s top leadership for a quick and orderly process to fill the key vacancy. Pinard, a 54-year-old veteran public servant with a decades-long career spanning elected office, political party leadership and senior roles in state agencies, died unexpectedly at his residence in the early hours of April 17, 2026.
During a press briefing held this week, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit outlined the current status of the hiring process, confirming that the application window for the CEO position has already closed. With all submissions received, the next critical phase of the process falls to the DASPA board of directors, which is tasked with reviewing candidate materials, screening to shortlist qualified contenders, and conducting formal interviews with shortlisted applicants.
Following the completion of interviews and board deliberations, Skerrit explained the established governance protocol for the appointment: the DASPA board will first send its recommended candidate to the Minister of Tourism, who will then hold consultation with the Prime Minister before the appointment is finalized.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the government has a strong interest in seeing this process wrapped up without unnecessary delay, noting that the country’s critical air and seaport infrastructure depend on consistent, clear leadership to operate effectively. “The port is very important,” Skerrit stated, doubling down on his call for the DASPA board to reach a decision at the earliest possible date.
Notably, the Prime Minister declined to share any details about individual applicants for the role, and did not set an explicit public deadline for the board to complete the appointment process.