Pacific Expert Network

Lavinia Dakei

Independent Consultant — Gender, Safeguarding & EVAWG

Oxfam in the Pacific

Highly experienced operations and management professional with over 15 years leading country office operations across the Pacific. Proven track record managing HR, finance, procurement, logistics, compliance, and administration in complex donor-funded environments including DFAT, World Bank, and UN-funded programmes across Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Kiribati, and Palau. Former Country Manager at Empower Pacific and Safe Families Program Manager at Oxfam Australia, with deep expertise in GEDSI, safeguarding, and multi-country programme delivery.

Ratu Filimone Tuivanualevu

Pacific Islands Forum Coordinator

Office of the PIF Chair at the United Nations, New York

Climate policy and diplomacy leader with over 7 years advancing national policy, Pacific regional frameworks, and multilateral negotiations. Former Director of Fiji's Climate Change Division and Fiji's UNFCCC Lead Negotiator on Loss and Damage and Adaptation. Technical lead on the Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility and Fiji's SOP for Planned Relocation. Currently coordinates Pacific Islands Forum engagement with United Nations processes in New York. Obama Foundation Leader, Fulbright Scholar, AOSIS Fellow, and Member of the IUCN World Commission on Environment Law.

Conway Pene

Principal GIS Consultant

NGIS

GIS and digital transformation specialist delivering enterprise geospatial solutions across Fiji and Australia. Provides strategic advice on GIS architecture, spatial data governance, and asset management platforms.

Dr. Glenn Finau

Senior Lecturer in Accounting

University of Tasmania

Pacific accounting, climate finance, and sustainable development specialist with experience across academia and international development. Works on integrated reporting, climate-related financial disclosures, and sustainability governance for Pacific organisations.

Joanne Maireng Sengebau

Secretary General

Red Cross, Palau

Senior public health leader with two decades of experience in health system strengthening, policy development, and emergency health response across Micronesia. Combines deep regional knowledge with international public health standards.

John Strickland

Director, National Emergency Management Office

Cook Islands NEMO

Highly experienced public safety professional with over four decades of operational leadership in the Cook Islands Police Service. Specialist in law enforcement, community safety, disaster response coordination, and Pacific island security.

Mereoni Ketewai

PhD Candidate, University of Otago

Former UN OCHA Humanitarian Affairs Officer

Humanitarian coordination and disaster risk management specialist with 15+ years across 14 Pacific Island Countries. Former UN OCHA officer with deep expertise in emergency preparedness, GIS for DRM, and post-disaster needs assessments.

Ratu Tevita Rarokolutu

DRM-DRR & Climate Change — Social Science Specialist

University of the South Pacific (PaCE-SD)

DRM, disaster risk reduction, and climate change specialist with a strong academic, research, and community engagement background. Teaching Assistant at USP's PaCE-SD; consultant to UNOCHA, FAO, UN Women, and the Australian Humanitarian Partnership. ERASMUS Mundus Scholar and Member of the World Risk Index Taskforce — Pacific Resilience Partnership.

Rosanna Maualaivao MacDonald

CEO, Pacific Islands Council of South Australia

PICSA / Malu Matriarchs Collective

Respected Pacific leader and strategic partnerships specialist spanning banking, governance, and international development across the Pacific. CEO of PICSA and Co-Founder of the Malu Matriarchs Collective; former Regional Director Pacific for Tetra Tech and senior leader at Westpac.

Ruci Sakalaki Kurucake

Senior Policy Officer, NDMO Fiji

National Disaster Management Office

Climate change, disaster risk management, and gender equality specialist with 15+ years in policy and community engagement. Most recently Senior Policy Officer at Fiji's NDMO with strong technical skills in data analysis, programme monitoring, and humanitarian coordination.

Wojciech Dabrowka

Climate Change Adaptation & DRM Specialist

Former Technical Adviser, NDMO Fiji / MFAT NZ

Seasoned climate change adaptation and disaster risk management specialist with 25+ years across the Pacific, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Former Technical Adviser to Fiji's NDMO and MFAT New Zealand; senior roles with UNOCHA, FAO, SPC, and AHA Centre.

Hon. Amenatave V. Yauvoli

Director, Fiji Office — SPREP

Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)

Distinguished Fijian diplomat and Pacific civil servant with over 35 years in international affairs, climate change, and sustainable development. Currently Director of the Fiji Office for SPREP. Former Ambassador to Indonesia, Director-General of the Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat, Fiji's Ambassador for Climate Change and Oceans, and Fiji's Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Has chaired the Group of 77 & China and the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body on Implementation.

Fagamalama Violet Wulf-Saena

Founder & Executive Director

Climate Resilient Communities / Former Principal Climate Change Officer, Government of Samoa

Climate change professional with over 15 years of experience in conservation planning, ecosystem-based management, climate change adaptation, and community-based environmental solutions. Founded Climate Resilient Communities, a 501(c)3 CBO growing to 14 staff and $2.1M revenue. Former Principal Climate Change Officer for the Government of Samoa; Stanford Distinguished Visitor & Lecturer; and featured in PBS, KQED, and Rockefeller Foundation profiles.

Robson Silas Tigona

Senior Lecturer — Environmental Science, Climate Change & Earth Science

National University of Vanuatu (NUV)

Environmental scientist and climate specialist with over 20 years of experience in weather and climate services, academia, and community resilience across the Pacific. Former Principal Scientific Officer at the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazard Department (VMGD); published researcher on seasonal rainfall prediction in the Southwest Pacific; and member of Vanuatu's UNFCCC Taskforce and Red Cross National Board.

Talei Tora

Communications Consultant — Programme Specialist

UN Women Fiji Multi-country Office / RedR Australia Trainer

Strategic communications and project management specialist with over 19 years of experience across the Pacific. Currently leading communications for UN Women's Women's Resilience to Disasters Programme and delivering RedR Australia's HEAT and EHP training. First Fijian woman deployed locally to the SPC GEP programme; key contributor to the US$1.5M Pacific Energy Gender Initiative grant.

Vasiti Soko

Principal Consultant & Regional Lead

ViPACT Consulting / Former Director, NDMO Fiji

Accomplished humanitarian and climate resilience leader with over 20 years managing complex, donor-funded programmes across the Pacific. Former Director of Fiji's NDMO; UNDRR International Women Leadership Award recipient; published author on Loss and Damage and Coastal Resilience; and recognised internationally for inclusive, community-centred disaster risk reduction.

Savannah Dantin

Director & Lead Consultant

Pacific Resilience Consulting / Chair, Pasivika Konnect Foundation

Disaster Risk Management and International Engagement Consultant with 7+ years across emergency management and international relations. Former Advisor at New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and member of its Pacific Rapid Response Team. Now leads Pacific Resilience Consulting, delivering DRM evaluation and technical support to the Pacific Community, Fiji NDMO, Australia DFAT, and NZ MFAT. Masters in Disaster Risk Management & Development (First Class Honours, AUT).

Fabian Randerath

DRR Communication Consultant & Head of Digital

Fijian Broadcasting Corporation / Chair, Resilience Committee

Fiji-based Communication Specialist and Video Producer with over 15 years of experience designing and delivering disaster risk reduction (DRR) communication strategy, public awareness campaigns, and documentary content across the Pacific. Executive Producer of internationally co-produced UNDRR/ABU documentaries on SIDS resilience; chairs the Resilience Committee at Fiji's national broadcaster and represents FBC in national early warning and Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) stakeholder processes.

Marika Alice Kulbach Moala

Disaster Manager

Tonga Red Cross Society

Accomplished humanitarian and disaster management professional with over five years of experience in emergency response, community resilience, and program coordination in Tonga and Australia. Led preparedness programs integrating Tonga Red Cross into national emergency response systems, trained over 100 volunteers across three island divisions, and coordinated relief operations for TC Harold, COVID-19, and the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha'apai volcanic eruption and tsunami. Holds a Master's degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from Charles Darwin University.

Saimoni Bebenisala

Enterprise Risk & Resilience Executive

Business Resilience & Emergency Management Specialist

Senior police, security, risk, and resilience leader with more than 19 years across strategic operations, enterprise risk, business continuity, emergency management, national security, protective security, policy development, incident management, and regional capability building. Combines operational command experience with executive reporting, academic facilitation, exercise design, and multi-agency coordination — trusted to lead high-pressure assignments, translate complex risks into practical plans, and strengthen institutional readiness across Fiji and the Pacific.

Mohammed Abdullah Bin Shorab

National NDC Coordinator — Fiji

NDC Partnership / UNOPS · Ministry of Environment and Climate Change

Climate and geospatial specialist with over eight years spanning NDC coordination, GHG inventories, GIS and remote sensing, forestry monitoring, drone operations, and blue carbon and coastal restoration across Fiji. Currently coordinates Fiji's NDC3 development across 5 sectors, engaging 10 government ministries and 20+ civil society organisations. Established Fiji's first government LiDAR-equipped drone program and led forest and land change detection across Fiji's full 1.8 million hectare land area. Chevening Scholar with an MSc in Environmental Conservation and Management (Distinction) from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

Angela Manchester

Founder & Principal Consultant

APACEO / NZ Focal Point, Pacific GIS & Remote Sensing Council

Geospatial professional with 15 years' experience in the industry, including 13 years on the vendor side at Hexagon spanning technical support, training, customer success, and account management for Australia and New Zealand. Holds a Master of Business Development with Distinction and is now building an independent business focused on Capability Development in Earth Observation, delivering vendor-neutral training to grow practitioner skills across the sector. Currently serves as New Zealand's Focal Point for PGISRC and sits on the board of PHS Charity Trust.

Dr. Joeli Varo

Head of Department — Land Management & Development

University of the South Pacific / World Bank & ADB Consultant

Geomatics engineer and urban planning specialist with a PhD in Geomatic Engineering and an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning & DRR. Leads a 12-nation Pacific transport feasibility study for USP and ADB, and serves as World Bank Team Lead for Tonga's urban hazard and GIS programme. Has delivered ADB, World Bank, UNESCAP, UN HABITAT, and Korean Government-funded projects across Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Pacific region — spanning hazard mapping, drone surveys, spatial planning, and disaster risk reduction. Asia-Pacific President of the Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy (CASLE) and published researcher in flood, earthquake, and landslide hazard zonation.

Josefa Babitu

Comms Coordinator, Pacific Vigil · Marketing Officer, Divine Fijians Home Care

Pacific Vigil / Divine Fijians Home Care

Communications and marketing professional currently serving as Marketing and Communications Officer at Divine Fijians Home Care in Northern California and Communications Coordinator for Pacific Vigil, a resilience intelligence platform delivering disaster briefings, humanitarian updates, and climate intelligence across the Pacific. Before relocating to the United States, he served as Media Officer for Fiji's National Disaster Management Office (NDMO). He also worked as a journalist with the Fiji Sun and as a student reporter for the Asia Pacific Report, covering the COVID-19 pandemic and regional issues. His career spans journalism, government communications, humanitarian response, and healthcare communications.

Dr. Richard N. Crichton

Lecturer — Disaster Risk Management & Climate Resilience

University of the South Pacific / UNITAR Regional Coordinator

Accomplished academic and sustainability scientist with a Doctor of Sustainability Science from the University of Tokyo (MEXT Scholar) and extensive experience across the United Nations, FAO, UNDP, and NZ MFAT. Currently delivers postgraduate disaster risk management and climate change courses at USP and serves as UNITAR's Regional Training and Development Coordinator for the Pacific and Asia. Published researcher on sea-level rise adaptation, coastal resilience, and community-based climate adaptation across Pacific Small Island Developing States. National Disaster Assessment team member for Tropical Cyclone Evan and a Red Cross First Aid volunteer.

Commander Jervis Marvin Robinson

Director, Fiji Hydrographic Service & National Hydrographer

Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) — Fiji Navy

Commander Jervis Marvin Robinson joined the Republic of Fiji Military Forces on 03 March 2007 and was commissioned into the Republic of Fiji Navy as an Ensign on 14 May 2010. Throughout his naval career, he has held seagoing and shore-based appointments including Navigation Officer and Executive Officer onboard several patrol vessels. On 05 December 2019, he was appointed Commissioning Commanding Officer of the Fiji Navy Survey Vessel, RFNS Volasiga. A specialist hydrographic surveyor, Commander Robinson has served within the Fiji Hydrographic Service in several capacities — including Senior Hydrographic Surveyor — before assuming the appointment of Director Fiji Hydrographic Service and National Hydrographer. He is a graduate of the University of Plymouth (Postgraduate Diploma in Hydrographic Surveying), an internationally qualified Category A and Category B Hydrographic Surveyor, and holds a Master of Military and Defence Studies from Deakin University, Australia. He has also undertaken advanced hydrographic training at HMAS Penguin, Australia, and HMS Drake, United Kingdom. As Director, he is responsible for hydrographic services, nautical charting, maritime geospatial information, and hydrographic governance within Fiji. He serves as Vice Chair of the South West Pacific Hydrographic Commission (SWPHC) and represents the Pacific region on the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Council. Commander Robinson served on peacekeeping duties with the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in Egypt from 2021 to 2022.

Doni B.C. Wainiqolo

Urban Development Specialist & PhD Researcher

University of the South Pacific / University of Bergen

Urban and regional planning specialist with 17+ years in land governance, climate resilience, and community-led development across Fiji and the Pacific. Contributing Author to the IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change; currently pursuing a bi-institutional PhD.

Monit Lal

Senior Disaster Management Officer

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), CCD Pacific

Master's-qualified disaster management and humanitarian operations professional with 6.5+ years of experience leading preparedness, emergency response, recovery, PMER, information management and cash programming across the Pacific. Proven in multi-sector operations, donor-funded programs, budgets, compliance and partnerships with governments, UN agencies and Red Cross Red Crescent partners. Surge leadership across the Cook Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu combines strategic coordination, disciplined delivery, data-driven decisions and National Society capacity strengthening.