{{Short description|Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines since 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = Her Excellency Dame | name = Susan Dougan | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCMG|OBE}} | image = Susan Dougan 2019.jpg | caption = Dougan in 2019 | office = Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | monarch = Elizabeth II<br>Charles III | prime_minister = Ralph Gonsalves<br>Godwin Friday | term_start = 1 August 2019 | term_end = 5 January 2026 | predecessor = Frederick Ballantyne | successor = Stanley John | birth_name = Susan Dilys Ryan<ref name="rulers">[https://www.rulers.org/indexd3.html Profile], rulers.org; accessed 18 July 2020.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|url=https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Saint_Vincent.html|access-date=2020-06-24|website=www.worldstatesmen.org}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1955|3|3|df=yes}}<ref name="governorgeneral">{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.vc/index.php/home/governor-general|title=Governor General|publisher=Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|accessdate=2020-05-21}}</ref> | birth_place = Colonarie, Saint Vincent, British Windward Islands<ref name="rulers"/> <br /> (Now Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) | death_date = | death_place = | party = | spouse = Hugh Dougan | children = 3 | alma_mater = University of London<br />University of Southampton<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gov.vc/index.php/home/governor-general | title=Governor General }}</ref> }}
'''Dame Susan Dilys Dougan''' ({{née}} '''Ryan'''; born 3 March 1955) is a diplomat who served as the Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from 2019 to 2026.<ref name="searchlight2">{{Cite web|url=https://searchlight.vc/searchlight/breaking-news/2019/08/01/svgs-first-female-head-of-state-sworn-in|title=SVG's First Female Head of State Sworn In|website=Searchlight.vc|date=1 August 2019|accessdate=23 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/caribbean-breaking-news-featured/st-vincent-and-the-grenadines-gets-first-female-governor-general/|title=St. Vincent and the Grenadines Gets First Female Governor-General|first=Sheri-Kae|last=McLeod|website=Caribbean National Weekly|date=August 1, 2019|accessdate=23 August 2019}}</ref> She is the first woman to hold the office.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://barbadostoday.bb/2019/08/01/st-vincent-and-the-grenadines-has-first-female-governor-general|title=St Vincent and the Grenadines has first female Governor General|date=1 August 2019|website=Barbados Today|accessdate=23 August 2019}}</ref>
She was appointed Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George on 29 January 2020 <ref>{{Cite web|title=CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/3539156|access-date=24 June 2020|website=thegazette.co.uk}}</ref> and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's 2010 Birthday Honours List for services to education and to public administration.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/59453/supplement/43|title = Page 43 | Supplement 59453, 12 June 2010 | London Gazette | the Gazette}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Susan Dilys Dougan was born in the village of Colonarie in Saint Vincent. She holds a MA (Ed) in Curriculum and Evaluation from the University of Southampton, Hampshire, England.
== Career == Dougan began her career as a non-graduate teacher. Over a 34-year career, Dougan rose through the ranks of the teaching service to Headmistress of the St. Vincent Girls High School (2001–2004), and later served as Chief Education Officer from 2004 to 2009. She also served as Cabinet Secretary from October 2009 to September 2013.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Susan Dougan |url=http://www.caribbeanelections.com/knowledge/biography/bios/dougan_susan.asp |website=Caribbean Elections |accessdate=26 October 2020}}</ref>
Dougan has also served in several other national capacities such as Representative to the Organization of American States for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Representative to the Commonwealth of Learning for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Chief Shelter Manager for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
She was appointed as the Deputy Governor General in December 2014. She was sworn in as the first female Governor-General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines on 1 August 2019. She was administered the oaths of Office and Allegiance by High Court Justice Brian Cottle during a ceremony witnessed by state officials as well as relatives, friends, and the media.<ref>{{cite news |title=SVG gets first female Governor-General on Aug. 1 |url=https://www.iwnsvg.com/2019/07/21/svg-gets-first-female-governor-general-on-aug-1/ |accessdate=26 October 2020}}</ref>
== Gallery == <gallery mode="nolines" widths="150" perrow="5"> File:何震寰向聖文森國代理總督朵根（Susan Dougan）呈遞到任國書.png|Dougan with Ambassador Calvin Ho of Republic of China (Taiwan) to St. Vincent, 2018 File:TW ambassador with Dougan.jpg|Dougan and Ambassador Ho, 2018 File:Kovind meets Dougan.jpeg|Dame Dougan meets President Ram Nath Kovind of India, 2022. File:Realms Lunch Coronation Event (52872269906).jpg|Dougan conversing with William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales during a Commonwealth Realms Coronation Event at Buckingham Palace, 2023 File:Cooperation between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on Women Empowerment 17.jpg|Taiwanese ambassador Fiona Huei-chun Fan, Eloise Gonsalves (wife of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves), and Dougan at the Women's Empowerment Project Showcase in the Court House Yard, 2024<ref>{{Cite web |title=Women's Empowerment Project Showcase |url=https://allevents.in/kingstown/womens-empowerment-project-showcase/200026299518442 |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=AllEvents |language=en}}</ref> </gallery>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{commons category}} {{s-start}} {{s-gov}} {{s-bef|before=Frederick Ballantyne}} {{s-ttl|title=Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|years=2019–2026}} {{s-aft|after=Stanley John}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dougan, Susan}} Category:Living people Category:1955 births Category:Alumni of the University of London Category:Alumni of the University of Southampton Category:Governors-general of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Dames Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines women in politics Category:Female governors-general Category:People from Charlotte Parish, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Category:21st-century women politicians Category:20th-century women educators Category:21st-century women educators Category:21st-century Saint Vincent and the Grenadines people