Her Excellency Dame Susan Dougan, Governor-General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, has announced that she will demit office on January 5, 2026, according to a report from state-owned NBC Radio.
Dame Susan was appointed Governor-General on August 1, 2019, making history as the first woman to hold the position. She succeeded the late Sir Frederick Ballantyne and has served as the monarch’s representative, carrying out constitutional, ceremonial, and community duties throughout her tenure.
A retired educator, Dame Susan’s public service career spans more than three decades. She began as a non-graduate teacher and rose through the ranks of the education system, serving as Headmistress of the St. Vincent Girls’ High School from 2001 to 2004, and later as Chief Education Officer between 2004 and 2009. She went on to serve as Cabinet Secretary from October 2009 to September 2013.
Her national service also included roles as St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ representative to the Organization of American States and the Commonwealth of Learning, as well as Chief Shelter Manager. She was appointed Deputy Governor-General in December 2014 before being sworn in as Governor-General in 2019.
Dame Susan is a graduate of the University of London and the University of Southampton. In recognition of her contributions to education and public administration, she was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010 and later appointed Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (GCMG) in 2020.
Her departure will mark the end of a historic chapter, closing the tenure of the nation’s first female head of state and one of its most accomplished public servants.
