Ric Todd

Ric Todd
Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands
In office 12 September 2011[1] – 15 September 2013
Premier	Rufus Ewing
Preceded by	Gordon Wetherell
Succeeded by	Peter Beckingham
Personal details
Born	29 August 1959 Crawley, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom
Spouse(s)	Alison Todd
Alma mater	Worcester College, Oxford

Damian Roderic Todd (born 29 August 1959) is a career British diplomat. He served as Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands from 2011 to 2013 and has previously served as the British Ambassador to Slovakia and Ambassador to Poland.^[2]

Personal and Career

Todd studied History in university and began his diplomatic career in 1980. His diplomatic postings included:^[3]

• 1981–1984 British diplomat in South Africa in Cape Town and Pretoria
• 1985–1987 Foreign and Commonwealth Office, European Department
• 1987–1989 British Embassay in Prague, Czechoslovakia
• 1989–1991 Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Economic Relations Department
• 1991–1995 British Consulate in Bonn, Germany
• 1995–1997 HM Treasury and heads of 2 EU policy departments
• 1997–1998 Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Deputy Head of Economic Relations Department
• 1998–2001 HM Treasury and heads of 2 EU policy departments
• 1999–2001 British representative on the European Union Economic Policy Committee
• 2001–2004 British Ambassador to Slovakia in Bratislava
• 2004–2007 Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Finance Director
• 2007–2011 Ambassador to Poland in Warsaw
• 2010–2011 Regional Director for the Central Europe Network
• 2011–2013 Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands

Criticism

Many Turks Islanders, including the Turks and Caicos Islands Conservation Society have criticized Todd's environmental record. While acting as Governor of Turks and Caicos, Ric Todd unilaterally amended a long-standing provision in Turks and Caicos law that prohibited the importation (and non-natural exploitation) of marine mammals in Turks and Caicos. Despite the United Kingdom's ban on performing captive animals, Todd's amendment specifically allows for the importation and use of marine mammals for the purpose of "display, exhibition and performance" – the principal marine mammal this may be targeted towards is a likely dolphin attraction.^[4]

References

1. "New governor says U.K. committed to 2012 elections," fptci.com, 12 September 2011, accessed 10 December 2012.
2. "TODD Damian Roderic (Ric)", World Who's Who (2011).
3. http://www.gov.tc/portal/page/portal/G2G/CabinetDepartments/The%20Governor
4. Narine, Vanessa (2012). "Petition To Stop Dolphin Attraction Gains Momentum". Turks & Caicos Weekly News. Retrieved 16 November 2012.