International Women’s Day 2021 - Celebrating the Women of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands (CAACI)

In in field highly dominated by men, over 50% of positions held at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands (CAACI) are by women. Women have been making a significant contribution to aviation since the Wright Brothers' first 12-second flight in 1903. Blanche Scott was the first women pilot, in 1910, when the plane that she was allowed to taxi mysteriously became airborne.

Today marks International Women's Day which is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.

Every day our female staff rise to the challenges with grace and dignity while balancing many tasks, responsibilities and obligations both professionally and in their personal lives.

Today, two senior positions on the CAACI executive team – the Deputy Director-General, Economic Regulation & Administration and Director of Finance & Compliance are held by women. Below is a highlight of our female staff:

Jane Panton

Director, Finance and Compliance

When Jane joined CAACI 14 years ago, the only knowledge she had of aviation related to her personal travel experiences with airlines and airports. Within her first month, she was introduced to the vast world of the aviation industry– everything that supports aircraft moving people from point A to point B – which involves an incredible amount of contributing elements of people, their skills and technology.

The Finance and Compliance Division at the CAACI, a team of all talented and hardworking women, is the first point of contact for new aircraft registrants to the Cayman Islands Aircraft Register. Being in touch with aircraft owners, management team and their agents all over the world, on both the private and commercial sides has provided her with a new appreciation for and brought this vast, exciting and interesting industry into a more personal perspective for her as many of them are women in what used to be a male dominated industry.

Jane is the Founder and Chairperson of the Alex Panton Foundation - a charitable initiative aimed at increasing the awareness, advocacy and support for mental health issues in our youth.

Joni Wood

Accounts Supervisor

Joni started at the CAACI in August 2004 as an Accounts Officer with very little knowledge of Aviation. Over the past 17 years she has been afforded the opportunity to complete her Bachelors of Science in Finance, and is currently one exam away from completing her ACCA to becoming a Certified Charted Accountant. Joni has grown and excelled since she was first hired and has been promoted to the post of Accounts Supervisor often deputising for the Director of Finance & Compliance. She has completed training in the fields of Compliance and initial aviation registration, and has come to learn and love so much about the industry.

Bethany Walton

Internal Control & Statistics Officer

Bethany has worked with the Registry for the past 7 years and is currently pursuing the ACCA qualification. As the Internal Control and Statistics Officer, Bethany is responsible for developing and conducting internal control processes and procedures and act as a liaison between the Air Safety Regulation (ASR) and the Financial & Compliance Divisions. Her main function is to ensure that proper accounting and documenting procedures are adhered to.

Chastine Sequeria

Accounts Officer

Brand new to the aviation industry y, Chastine has only been with us for 3 months and has a BS – Accounting and is working towards her ACCA. Chastine’ first job was in customer service. She then took a finance-related position in 2005 and has been working in the field since.

Nicoela (Nikki) McCoy

Deputy Director, Economic Regulation and Administration

Nicoela has been with the CAACI for over 18 years and comes with a background in business development and integrated communications having completed her post-graduate Masters of Business Administration (MBA). She is responsible for the Economic regulatory regime (licensing of foreign registered aircraft/operators, government negotiations in bilateral and open skies agreements), in addition to all the Administrative functions of the CAACI (office administration, human resources, IT, and the marketing and business development initiatives).

Prior to 2002, Nicoela was the Marketing Coordinator for Cayman Airways for a short stint and then appointed as the Public Relations Manager for the CI Department of Tourism, which afforded her diverse travel experiences managing the global tourism communications initiatives, and afforded her an intro to air transport and airport operations. Since being at the CAACI, Nicoela passed with distinction the ‘Aviation Law’ and ‘Managing Aviation Policy and Regulation’ and ‘Civil Aviation Management’, courses offered by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). These courses are designed for senior level civil aviation regulators.

In 2017, Nicoela was the first woman from the Cayman Islands accepted to the International Aviation Women’s Association (IAWA). IAWA promotes and advances women in the aviation and aerospace industries throughout a global network.

Nicoela is a founding member of Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI); a current board of the R3 Cayman Foundation (charitable organisation focused on Readiness, Relief, & Recovery for emergencies/crises in the Cayman Islands) in addition to her support to numerous other charitable initiatives.

Elaine Whorms

Air Carrier Licensing Officer

Elaine started her career in aviation with Cayman Airways as a check-in agent. She moved to the position of administrative assistant for the airport ticket office assisting the Senior Manager Airport Operations. In 1998, when working check-in with Cayman Airways Elaine was the the first person to know all four check-in systems Cayman Airways, US Airways, British Airways and Delta Airlines. Elaine joined the CAACI in January 2008 as the Air Carrier Licensing Officer. In her position Elaine is responsible to process applications for operating permits for scheduled and non-scheduled commercial aircraft operations (charters and scheduled airline carriers that serve the Cayman Islands including air ambulances) and she is the official travel coordinator for staff travel. Elaine is known for her can-do attitude and for providing a high level of efficient service to the clients of the CAACI.

Melanie Hulse

Business Development Officer

Melanie Began working in aviation after university at the National Flag carrier, Cayman Airways, as a marketing officer in 1995 and retired from the airline 13 years later as a Manager of Marketing. After a hiatus from the airline industry, joined the Authority as Business Development Officer over 4 years ago. Melanie coordinates the marketing and integrated communications programmes including the CAACI’s attendance at global tradeshows, public relations and events planning. Melanie is an avid animal lover and spends a lot of her time, assisting with animal rescue.

Jasmine Jackson

Administrative assistant/receptionist

Jasmine has been with the Registry for over 3 years and is the cheerful voice and face of the CAACI that many persons encounter on a daily basis. As a new comer to the aviation she has gained a new perspective of the industry since working for Civil Aviation and has been instrumental in administratively supporting the regulatory divisions.

Yvonne Gray-Tomlinson

HR/Office Administrator

Started her career in aviation directly out of high school and has over accumulated over 42 years at the CAACI. Beginning her career as receptionist and she has progressed through many different job roles including in the accounting division and now leads the CAACI’s HR Administration. Yvonne has completed a certificate in Personnel Practice from the Carter Institute of Personal Development, UK. Yvonne has amassed a rich institutional knowledge of the CAACI and the local Cayman aviation industry.

Christine Savage

Technical Officer – Oversight Planning

Christine spent 11 years at GE Aviation, starting in Field Service Engineering in Paris finishing in Commercial Sales in Dubai negotiating multi-billion dollar contracts. Her qualifications are notable with a Bachelors of Engineering with a concentration in Aerospace Engineering and a Masters in Gas Turbine Engineering. With the Authority for over 3 years she is learning the regulatory landscape, with responsibility to plan and monitor safety oversight and certification functions in respect of Cayman registered aircraft and entities in accordance with CAACI internal policies and international aviation safety standards. Christine’s other interests outside the CAACI include a keen interest in environmental issues and balanced development.

Juliet Rankine

Technical Officer

Juliet joined the Registry over 5 years ago as the receptionist and has moved on to the post of Technical Officer in the Air Safety Regulation division With responsibility for processing regulatory certificates and personnel licences related to the CI Aircraft Registry.

Today we celebrate this dynamic and diverse group of women who enrich and enhance the CAACI and the Cayman aviation industry.