CCAA Staff Biographies

CCAA Staff

Anton E. Edmunds
Executive Director

Anton Edmunds is the chief executive of Caribbean Central American Action, Caribbean-Central American Action (CCAA). He has served at CCAA as Director of Marketing, Director of Programs, Deputy Executive Director and Executive Director/COO.

Anton has worked throughout the region for over 18 years and has experience in strategic planning, political/economic risk analysis, corporate communications, government affairs and business development.

He recently served as Chief of Party for the organization’s successful two year US $3,000,000 maritime security initiative in Haiti. Before joining Caribbean Central American Action, Anton served as a consultant for private sector clients with business interests in the Caribbean.

From 1995-1997 he was the senior manager of business development for the economic development agency of St. Lucia. Based in New York, he directed investment missions in hospitality development, information processing and agribusiness and acted as team lead for activities in North America, the Americas and the Far East.

Prior to that, Anton worked with the Eastern Caribbean Investment Promotion Service (ECIPS), a business development organization of the Eastern Caribbean based in Washington, D.C. At ECIPS, Anton developed and managed marketing and investment campaigns for public and private sector clients in the Caribbean and North America.

He currently serves on the Board of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the Caribbean Hotel Association and the Caribbean Association of Industry & Commerce.

Anton possesses a Bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of America and a Masters Degree from the American University.

Rafael Chapman
Director of Finance and Administration

Rafael Chapman joins CCAA as the Director of Finance & Administration. He advises on and allocates funds to programs and monitors expenditures in connection with the financial plan set by the Board. He continually analyzes the financial condition of CCAA and prepares reports and recommendations resulting from his analysis. He is also responsible for the financial aspect of Human Resources for the organization, including management of payroll, employee benefits and tax reporting.

Rafael has over 10 years of profit and non-profit operations experience with firms in both the District of Columbia and Maryland. A jack of all trades, some of his specialties include organizational development, strategic planning and efficiency management.

He holds a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Howard University and a MA in Political Science from American University.

Kayyonne Marston
Associate Program Director

Kayyonne Marston is a Graduate Student at American University in Washington DC where she is pursuing a MA degree in International Economic Relations. Originally from Jamaica, Kayyonne earned her BA in Political Science from Florida Atlantic University in May 2006. Her broad research interest is contemporary Caribbean Political Economy and Economic Development with an emphasis on the intersection of trade, Globalization and Caribbean Integration. Before coming to CCAA, Kayyonne worked as a Graduate Assistant at American University.

Gwendolyn Rodriguez
Associate Program Director

Gwendolyn Rodriguez is a recent graduate from Seton Hall University. She completed her BA in Political Science, with a concentration in International Relations and with a minor is Spanish. Born in New Jersey, she has always been in touch with her Dominican heritage. She volunteered a summer with Caritas Mao-Montecristi, Dominican Republic where she aided in research and community outreach. Prior to CCAA, she completed a program with The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, through which she interned for the US Trade Advocacy Center at the Inter-American Development Bank. Her area of interest is Latin American economic development and regional integration.

Ana Vega
Associate Program Director

Born and raised in El Salvador, Ana Vega moved to Florida to pursue a BA from Florida State University, which she received in August of 2007. She completed a Major in International Affairs with a concentration in History and also a Minor in Hispanic Marketing Communications. Prior to graduation, she studied abroad for two years in Panama at the Florida State-Panama Campus, where she initially became engaged in studies on Latin American economic development and trade. Before coming to C-CAA, she moved to Washington D.C. to complete a program with The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, through which she interned at The Group of Fifty in Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.