Photo: Hon. Francis Fonseca and Godfrey Smith

by Marco Lopez

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Dec. 14, 2023

Today was a historic day for the University of Belize, with the election of a new Board of Trustees. Godfrey Smith was elected as Chairman. He succeeds former Chairman Anthony Sylvester, Jr., who was recently sworn in as the new Attorney General of Belize, back in July.

The university’s trustee board elections took place at a meeting this morning on the main campus in Belmopan. The Vice Chairman, Major Lloyd Jones was reelected to that post. Other elected members include Cresencio Sosa, Jr., Luke Martinez, Victoriano Pascual, Timothy Dami, Jacqueline Welch, and Yvonne Palma.

Of the board members, also returning are Sosa and Palma, who represent the Industry Sector and Ministry of Education, respectively.

Sylvester served on the Board of Trustees for a little over two years before his departure.

Smith, who is a well-known Belizean senior counsel, has served as a High Court Judge, a Justice of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, a former Attorney General, and is in private practice.

His election to the UB Board of Trustees should, as was said of his time on the Eastern Caribbean Court, “add great competence” to the leadership of the university.