Oleta Williams is the Executive Director of the Guyana Protected Areas Trust, where she leads national efforts to strengthen the management and financial sustainability of Guyana’s protected areas system. She brings a strong background in environmental conservation, sustainable land management, and rural development, with more than a decade of experience in project coordination including public and international development service.

Ms. Williams who is a current PhD Candidate at the University of Guyana, holds a Master of Science in Environmental Conservation and Rural Development from the University of Kent (UK), where she studied as a Commonwealth Scholar, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Guyana. She is also a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), accredited by the Project Management Institute. She also sits on the current Executive Committee for the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Environmental Funds (REDLAC).

Prior to her current role, she served as a Multi-Project Coordinator to the FAO Guyana Office, Project Associate with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), supporting the development of Guyana’s National Action Plan to Combat Land Degradation. She has also worked with regional and international partners—including IICA and CUSO-VSO—to advance sustainable livelihoods and gender-inclusive development, particularly among women-led agribusinesses.

Committed to education and capacity building, Ms. Williams has lectured in environmental management at the University of Guyana and contributes regularly to national and regional forums focused on conservation and sustainable development.