Shan Harriman brings a breadth and depth of professional and personal experience to her new role as Chief Executive Officer of Inclusion Cayman.
A certified public accountant, Harriman has worked in the private financial services sector as well as for the Cayman Islands government. She is a generational Caymanian and is the mother of a teenage daughter with disabilities.
Formerly known as the Special Needs Foundation Cayman, Inclusion Cayman’s mission is “to support the community in the commitment to cultivating and upholding values and practices that ensure the equal rights of ALL individuals and families, regardless of ability”.
(Read our January 2021 profile of the charity here.)
“We have lived an inclusive life. It’s one of the things I wanted for her since the time she was young,” Harriman said.
“I’ve been praying for a pathway where I could help other parents and could make their journey a little bit easier,” she said.
When the CEO job opportunity arose, she thought she could bring “empathy and insight” to the role.
“I’ve had the experience professionally. Having a child with disabilities gives you a little bit more insight into what the parents of children with disabilities face on a daily basis,” she said.
Since starting the job in April, Harriman has been busy with the non-profit’s various initiatives, focussed on the areas of inclusive education, employment and recreation.
She’s also been preparing for Inclusion Cayman’s annual breakfast event in June, which is the charity’s key fundraiser each year.
“My goals with Inclusion Cayman are to continue to advocate for persons with disabilities, and to form partnerships with various networks so we can grow the organisation in terms of getting people involved with what we are doing, and our mission to promote inclusion as a lifestyle in Cayman,” she said.