Ric Todd

{{Short description|British diplomat}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2014}}

{{Infobox Officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|name = Ric Todd

|image = Ric Todd.jpg

|office = High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Cyprus

|term_start = 2014

|term_end = 2016

|predecessor = Matthew Kidd

|successor = Matthew Kidd

|office2 = Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands

|term_start2 = 2011[http://www.fptci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2839:new-governor-says-uk-committed-to-2012-elections&catid=18:local&Itemid=26 "New governor says U.K. committed to 2012 elections,"] fptci.com, 12 September 2011, accessed 10 December 2012.

|term_end2 = 2013

|premier2 = Rufus Ewing

|predecessor2 = Gordon Wetherell

|successor2 = Peter Beckingham

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|8|29|df=y}}

|birth_place = Crawley, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom

|death_date =

|death_place =

|spouse = Magdalena Todd

|alma_mater = Worcester College, Oxford

}}

Damian Roderic Todd (born 29 August 1959) is a career British diplomat who has served as Ambassador to Slovakia, Ambassador to Poland, Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands and High Commissioner to Cyprus.

Personal and career

Todd attended Lawrence Sheriff School, Rugby, then studied History at Worcester College, Oxford, and entered the Diplomatic Service in 1980. His diplomatic postings included:[http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U42073 TODD, Damian Roderic, (Ric)], Who's Who 2016, A & C Black, 2016 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2015)

In 2016 Todd left his post in Cyprus for personal reasons. He was replaced by Matthew Kidd who had preceded Todd as High Commissioner.[http://famagusta-gazette.com/ric-todd-steps-down-as-british-high-commissioner-in-cyprus-p34380-69.htm Ric Todd steps down as British High Commissioner in Cyprus], Famagusta Gazette, 6 June 2016

Criticism

Many Turks Islanders, including the Turks and Caicos Islands Conservation Society, criticized Todd's environmental record. While acting as Governor of Turks and Caicos, Ric Todd unilaterally amended a long-standing provision in Turks and Caicos law that prohibited the importation (and non-natural exploitation) of marine mammals in Turks and Caicos.

Despite the United Kingdom's ban on performing captive animals, Todd's amendment specifically allows for the importation and use of marine mammals for the purpose of "display, exhibition and performance" – the principal marine mammal this may be targeted towards is a likely dolphin attraction.{{cite news|last=Narine|first=Vanessa|title=Petition To Stop Dolphin Attraction Gains Momentum|url=http://tcweeklynews.com/petition-to-stop-dolphin-attraction-gains-momentum-p3190-1.htm|accessdate=16 November 2012|newspaper=Turks & Caicos Weekly News|year=2012}}

References