Geoffrey Ian Hanley

Biography

Dr. Geoffrey Hanley is the Deputy Prime Minister of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis and Minister of Education, Youth Empowerment, Social Development, Gender Affairs, Aging and Disabilities, Ecclesiastical & Faith-Based Affairs, and Housing & Human Settlement. He has held the office of Deputy Prime Minister since August 2022. A career educator and public servant, Dr. Hanley gave 28 years of service across the education and youth sectors — as a teacher, Youth Director, Director of the People’s Employment Programme, and primary school principal - before entering national politics. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master of Science in Education, and a Doctorate in Leadership and Executive Management. A lifelong advocate for young people, he founded the St. Kitts National Youth Parliamentary Association in 2001 and has championed community development throughout his career. As Minister of Education, he leads the country’s National Commission for UNESCO, whose recent work spans biodiversity conservation, climate-smart agriculture, and youth-led environmental campaigns - reflecting his commitment to advancing the social and human dimensions of sustainable development in a Small Island Developing State on the front line of climate change.