Brigadier General is TT’s ambassador to US

Phillips-Spencer is a military officer with more than 35 years of professional experience since his enlistment in the Defence Force (TTDF) in March 1981. He served as Vice Chief of Defence Staff of the TTDF. He is currently the executive secretary of the Pro Tempore Secretariat for the Twelfth Conference of Defence Ministers of the Americas.

Phillips-Spencer has tertiary education training in economics and in international relations, holding a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the UWI, St Augustine (1992), and a Master of Science, international relations, also from UWI, St Augustine (2011). He was chairman of the Ebola Prevention, Information and Response Team up to 2015.

Byam served as deputy chief of mission at the TT Embassy in Washington from 2007 to 2009.

He also served as consul general in Sydney, Australia (2006) and acting high commissioner in Kingston, Jamaica (1999 to 2003). He is also currently listed as the charge d’affaires in Brasilia, Brazil.

“The new heads of mission will work to deepen bilateral and multilateral partnerships as they seek to advance the interests of Trinidad and Tobago globally,” the ministry said in a media release yesterday. “They will be guided by the Government’s policy framework which outlines national security; energy; trade and industry; healthcare; education; agriculture; tourism; small business development and entrepreneurship as some of the key areas of the national development agenda that form part of their remit.” The ministry also announced that Garth Chatoor will take up the position of high commissioner to Canada while Roger Gopaul will be the high commissioner to South Africa