Former MP Abigail Camilleri is first woman chair of Gozo regional authority

Former MP Abigail Camilleri has been appointed the first woman chairperson of the Gozo Regional Development Authority (GRDA), while Juergen Attard has been named the authority’s chief executive officer.

The appointments were announced on Friday. Attard is an economist with experience in regional development, public policy and economic analysis. He has contributed to studies, research and policy documents covering economic, fiscal and regional development issues.

Before his appointment as CEO, Attard served as Senior Manager for Research and Policy at the GRDA, where he led research and policy analysis focused on regional and sustainable development.

He previously worked as a senior economist at the Central Bank of Malta. Attard holds a degree in Economics from the University of Malta and a Master’s in Economics from the University of York in the UK.

Camilleri, meanwhile, is deputy head at Sir Michelangelo Refalo Sixth Form in Gozo, where she has been involved in the school’s educational development, international project coordination and a range of educational initiatives.

She began her career as an Italian teacher in 2008 and went on to build extensive experience in educational leadership.

Camilleri holds a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Italian, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, a Master’s by Research in Italian and a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Management from the University of Malta. She also served as a member of the Maltese Parliament between 2022 and 2026.

During her career in education, Camilleri coordinated several Erasmus+ projects and international partnerships providing learning, cultural exchange and professional development opportunities for students and educators.

The Ministry of Gozo said the appointments would contribute to the GRDA’s work on the educational, social, cultural and regional development of Gozo and Malta.