Carolyn Trench-Sandiford is a Belizean urban planner and politician who has served as Speaker of the country's

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

since December 2020.

Education

Trench-Sandiford was born in Belize City. She studied Physical Planning and Environmental Resource Management at the University of Technology, Jamaica and Law at the University of London. She undertook a Masters in Environmental Law and Management at

Aberystwyth University , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...

in Wales with a scholarship from the Protected Areas Conservation Trust.

Career

Trench-Sandiford is an urban planner and is CEO of her own firm. She served as President of the Belize Planners Association from 2016 until December 2020. She was co-convenor of the Caribbean Planners Association, was recognised as a United Nations global evaluation expert and was named by ''The Planner'' as one of its "Women of Influence" in 2018. Trench-Sandiford was known as a "social advocate, speaking out for the constitutional rights of vulnerable and marginalized groupings of people and communities. and on

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

. On the anniversaries of Belize's independence in 2014 and 2016, she published articles called "Quo Vadis Belize? Where are we going Belize?" outlining her understanding of the country's needs to move forward.

Political career

Trench-Sandford is a member of the People's United Party and served as party chair from 2010 as well as one of its Deputy Leaders for a time. In 2006 she was nominated as a candidate for the party in both the Collet Division and Belize City Council. She was defeated by the UDP's Patrick Faber in both the

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

and 2012 general elections. Trench-Sandiford was selected and sworn in as President of the

on 11 December 2020.

Personal life

Trench-Sandiford is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

References

External links

Political History with Carolyn Trench-Sandiford
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trench-Sandiford, Carolyn Living people Year of birth missing (living people) People from Belize City Alumni of the University of London Alumni of Aberystwyth University Urban planners Women urban planners People's United Party politicians Belizean women in politics Members of the Senate (Belize) Chairs of upper houses Women legislative speakers 21st-century women politicians