Biography
Emma Hippolyte is the fifth child of Mary Winifred and Jean Haynes Hippolyte of Soufriere.
Her early education took place in Soufriere, while she studied Secretarial Science at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in Castries. She obtained her professional accounting certification in Canada and her Fraud certification in the USA.
Emma’s career can be summarized as follows:
Over 30 years of service in Senior Management positions in the Public and Private sectors, nationally and internationally, in the areas of Government, NGOs, internal and external auditing, management, banking, finance and social security. Actively served and shaped the NGO, social and philanthropic landscape and helped develop the micro and small business sector nationally and regionally.
Emma is interested in the development of our people, small business community, youth, women, character building, integrity, ethics, good governance and evangelization.
Her major achievements: Receiving an OBE, from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in 2006 for her contribution to Government and Society; Heading the Social Security Organization in St. Lucia and in 2000 successfully implemented parametric changes to the Fund for future sustainability; establishment of the National Community Foundation, NCF to enable St. Lucians to embrace philanthropy and providing a mechanism for the poor and needy to obtain assistance in health care and education; led the Universal Health Care Committee and started free testing and medication for persons with hypertension and diabetes; Member of the National Economic and Social Council of St. Lucia – set up by Parliament to advise the Government on Economic and Social matters; Director of Audit of St. Lucia and at one time the only female to hold the position in the Commonwealth; represented the OECS on the Board of Auditors of the OAS.(2001-2003); Selected as Executive of the year 2001, a Government Senator, 2007 to 2011 and a Minister and Parliamentary Representative for Gros Islet 2011 – 2016; in July 2020, raised $110,000 for Soufriere mothers to assist with coping with the economic effects of the COVID 19 Pandemic.