Heart + Knowledge for Community Work — Part 2

Dr. Paul Stansbie is a Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) in Grand Valley State University’s School of Leadership and Community Development. He joined GVSU from England in 2003, where he had spent nine years as a senior lecturer in Operations Management and International Tourism at University College Birmingham.

His academic career spans over 35 years, holding both teaching and administrative positions — Department Chair, Associate Dean and Acting Dean — with extensive international experience teaching on hospitality and tourism programmes at graduate and undergraduate levels in England, Hong Kong and the Maldives. Paul serves on a number of committees and community boards promoting access to HTM education.

Prior to his academic career, Paul spent several years working for Marriott Hotels and IHG in both the US and UK, holding a variety of managerial positions. He holds an MBA from the University of Nottingham and a PhD in Tourism Business Management from the University of Plymouth, England.

Thaïs Franken is a public administration and organizational scientist, lecturing in the bachelor’s and master’s programmes of the Department of Organization, Governance & Management at the University of Aruba. She is also a researcher at the Aruba Institute of Good Governance & Leadership, an independent, multidisciplinary competence centre focused on research and capacity building.

Her work centres on the creative industries, cultural heritage, civil society networks, public policy, NGO governance, and sustainable development. Since 2023 she has been pursuing a PhD on public value governance in small island states, examining how civil society organizations in Aruba and Bonaire contribute to public value within the multi-level governance structure of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Beyond academia, Thaïs actively contributes to the Aruban community, serving as a board member for several socio-cultural NGOs.

Dr. Sulima C. Geerman is Director of SABA, Aruba’s largest long-term care organization, and a part-time lecturer in the Master’s Programme in Governance and Leadership at the University of Aruba, where she teaches Managing Organizational Change. At SABA she leads the organization’s strategic and governance agenda and has led the development and implementation of SABA’s Governance Management System.

Dr. Geerman holds a PhD from the University of Amsterdam and has completed executive education at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in transformational leadership, healthcare quality improvement, financial management, and healthcare education. She has also completed executive training in corporate governance at the Themis Institute for Governance & Leadership and additional training in accounting and finance.

Before joining SABA, she held senior leadership positions at HOH, with responsibilities spanning quality and safety, clinical support services, and organizational improvement.

Nadine Willems-Antersijn is an Aruban facilitator, professional coach and founder of Momax Trainings & More. With 30 years of experience in HR, organizational management and training, she helps people and organizations strengthen leadership, communication and collaboration.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Haagsche Hogeschool and combines her professional expertise with a lifelong commitment to community service. A volunteer since the age of 15, Nadine understands the dedication that drives community organizations and the importance of supporting the people behind their mission.

Alongside her work with businesses and organizations, she currently serves as President of the Board of Wit Gele Kruis Aruba. Known for her direct approach, humour and interactive facilitation style, Nadine encourages participants to turn reflection into practical action.

Stephanie G. D. Croes is a social designer, education futurist and systems thinker working at the intersection of education, social innovation and futures literacy. She designs learning experiences, systems and participatory processes that help people and organizations navigate complexity, question assumptions and imagine alternative futures.

Her work spans education, government, civil society and community-based initiatives in Aruba and the wider Caribbean. Through Emerging Communities Foundation she creates spaces where young people, professionals and communities engage with design, systems thinking and foresight as practical tools for shaping change. Stephanie is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Educational Practice and Innovation, with a concentration in Education Systems Improvement.

Across her work, she is particularly interested in how small-island communities can move beyond simply responding to change and strengthen their capacity to intentionally design the futures they want to inhabit.