The Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean (WiMAC) is moving to extend its reach across the region, with plans to establish national chapters in St Lucia, Curaçao, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent, The Bahamas, and Montserrat. The expansion drive is among the central priorities of the association's newly installed governing council, which will guide WiMAC through the 2026 to 2028 biennium.

"WiMAC's mission remains clear: to empower, support, and elevate women across all facets of the maritime sector, afloat and ashore while advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion as central pillars of sustainable maritime development," said President Dr Evette Smith Johnson, who was re-elected to a second term as the head of the governing council. "While progress has been made, the reality remains that women are still underrepresented across many areas of maritime. This is precisely why WiMAC exists and why our work must accelerate."

The council, elected virtually in January 2026, comprises Dr Smith Johnson, immediate past president, Tamara Lowe-James and director of corporate affairs Raquel Forbes, alongside five newly elected officers: Valrie Campbell, director of finance; Karen Mullings, vice-president of public relations and marketing; Jaeda Sutherland, vice-president of women and development; Arlene Young, vice-president of research and development; and Felicia Vargas, vice-president of membership and administration. Operations Manager Valerie Simpson serves as the ex-officio member overseeing the WiMAC Secretariat, which is housed at the Maritime Authority of Jamaica.