Our Team

Suzette Cadiz has been an educator for 38 years. She opened and operated a Montessori school in the 1970s after graduating from the Association Montessori Inter-nationale London and then went on to teach for over two decades at a primary school. Suzette has pursued literacy development in children through associated professional development courses and spent four years as a lecturer for the Pre Primary London Montessori Centre in Trinidad. In 2010, she co-founded Let’s Read and continues to advocate for increased literacy throughout Trinidad and Tobago. Her wish is for all children from infancy through primary school to have access to books and become lifelong learners.

Alison de la Bastide has been a passionate educator for 30 years. She has taught at the preschool and primary school level in Trinidad and Tobago and abroad. Presently, besides her work with Let’s Read Alison facilitates teacher education workshops and is a volunteer coordinator at a Servol Junior Life Centre where she works with students 12-16 years old, to strengthen their literacy skills. Alison has completed many education courses including a London Montessori Diploma in Early Childhood Education, a B.Ed. degree in Elementary Education and a M.Ed. degree in Educational Administration and Leadership. Alison is a LEGO® Education and LEGO® Serious Play facilitator. Alison fervently believes that the ability to read is foundational to a successful education.

Marcia Steinburg has been an educator for over 30 years. She began teaching in Point Fortin, Trinidad and has taught in over nine countries. She is currently tutoring with an adult literacy organisation in Canada. It is through her experience with early childhood education and her current work with adult literacy that Marcia recognises the importance of a robust reading culture. As a co-founder of Let’s Read in 2010, Marcia’s focus is to provide every child access to a wide variety of books and promote a culture of reading. It is her greatest hope that all primary school children in Trinidad and Tobago have the opportunity to read for pleasure and develop a love of reading.

Stacey Merry is a former advertising agency executive and graduate of the University of Tampa. She holds a B.A. in Communications with a focus on Advertising and Public Relations. Inspired by the quiet but impactful work of the Let’s Read team and motivated by watching her young daughters discover a love of reading, Stacey joined the Let’s Read organization in 2018 to manage and grow the operations of the Book A Baby program.

Michelle Chong Tai-Bell’s current focus is consulting on the impact of accounting and regulatory change on the financial industry. She is a visiting scholar and short- term expert with the Monetary and Capital Markets Department of the International Monetary Fund and a Program Leader with the Toronto Centre. She was the Inspector of Financial Institutions (2016-2017) at the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago and prior to that, she was the Chief Actuary of the Bank (2013-2015). Ms. Chong Tai-Bell also has over thirty years of experience in executive and actuarial roles in the Caribbean financial industry. She was a Government representative on the National Insurance Board of Trinidad and Tobago (2013-2014) and on the Board of Directors of the Deposit Insurance Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (1997-2003). She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario (1982), a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, USA and a member of the Caribbean Actuarial Association (CAA). She has served as President of the CAA (1997-1999) and also serves on the CAA’s Governance Committee.

Angelique Parisot-Potter is currently the General Counsel of Massy Group, where she oversees the legal affairs globally, including commercial, litigation, industrial relations, regulatory and compliance matters, investigations and corporate transactions. She leads Massy’s Business Integrity programme, working with the Board, Executives and senior management to create a safe Speak Up and Listen Up culture.

Angélique has lived and worked all over the world. She spent 15 years in the oil & gas sector in senior roles such as Vice President HR, Business Administration & Compliance in Egypt; Senior Counsel, Ethical, Compliance & Governance in Trinidad & Tobago; Regional Commercial Counsel in Brazil and Commercial Counsel in the UK, where she is also qualified as a solicitor. She has experience in the financial, construction and environmental sectors. She is a member of Trinidad & Tobago Transparency Institute’s National Advisory Group for the Business Integrity Country Agenda, a director of the NGO Let’s Read and member of an education initiative project. Angélique studied at the University of the West Indies and the Hugh Wooding Law School.