H.E. Elma Gene Isaac: A Tribute

It is with a profound sense of loss that the OECS Commission issues this solemn tribute to Her Excellency Elma Gene Isaac - a long serving Commissioner of the OECS, Ambassador of Saint Lucia to CARICOM, and experienced diplomat.

Elma Gene Isaac was not merely a participant in the regional integration movement; she was one of its quiet architects. In her deliberate, forensic way, she helped steady the course of the OECS during critical years of its evolution. From 2008 when she joined the Regional Integration Unit as Consultant, to her appointment as its Head in 2011, and subsequently as Saint Lucia’s Commissioner to the OECS from 2017 to 2025, she remained a constant presence at the main tables of discussion and design of the OECS direction.

She was a diplomat who understood that building a regional community was not only about treaties and protocols, but about relationships, structure, and the dignity of service. She brought logic to complexity and clarity to our collective aspirations. She carried not only the portfolio of her office with unflagging zeal.

Her impact went beyond official titles. Her knowledge of the intricacies of policy stimulated deep debate on the options best suited to situations. She taught us that patience is a form of strength, that diplomacy is built on the clarity that is brought to its complexity.

Elma Gene’s legacy lies not only in the institutional memory she helped preserve, but in the ethos she embodied — one of service spurred by impatient excellence.

To her family and loved ones, we extend our deepest sympathies. Your loss is shared by a wider community bound not by geography, but by gratitude for her life’s work.

Let us honour her not only with words, but with renewed commitment to the ideals she helped champion. May her example guide us still. May her memory be a blessing. And may her soul rest in profound peace.