Commissioners

Chairperson: Dr. Elsie T. Nghikembua

Elsie Tuleingepo Nghikembua is a Namibian citizen who has a sound and solid academic background and work experience relating to issues of public administration and management. She had the opportunity to serve as an academic at the University of Namibia and a practitioner within the Namibian Public Service and Public Sector. Amongst her Executive experience is having served as the Director of Specialised Services at the National Council where her duties mainly included providing procedural advice and administrative support to the Members of Parliament in the Chamber and Standing Committees.

Her Executive experience was further cemented when she served as the Deputy Executive Director of the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (NIPAM), a Member of the NIPAM Governing Council; and the NIPAM Training and Development Board. From a Corporate Governance perspective, she served as a Board Member of the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) and the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). Nghikembua was also a Senior Staff Member of the University of Namibia Business School. She is currently serving as a Commissioner of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) from October 2016 to September 2021. Whilst being a Commissioner at ECN, she was the Chairperson of the Commission’s Human Resources Committee.

Educationally, she holds postgraduate qualifications in Public Administration and Management. As part of her Executive Development, she completed the Senior Executive Fellows Programme (SEF) Certificate at Harvard Kennedy School (USA), Legislative Drafting Certificate at Tulane Law School (USA) as well as other courses at the University of Cape Town and the University of Stellenbosch. Her research interests are in Public Affairs and electoral governance.

Vacant

Vacant

Commissioner: Dr. Emmerentia Leonard

Dr. Emmerentia Leonard is an academic with over 12 years of teaching experience at university level and excellent research skills. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology and Social Work at the University of Namibia. She has over the years worked in a bilateral agency, public enterprise and the public service, and has gained experience in programme and project management, monitoring and evaluation, administration and social justice.

Dr. Leonard has extensive experience in corporate governance having been the Chairperson of the National Youth Service Board and a member of the Namibia Press Agency Board, as well as a board member of a Not-for-Profit Organisation. She chaired the Namibia Training Authority’s Health Care and Social Services Sector Skills Committee which advises the entity’s Board of Directors on relevant skills for the country within the sector and also served as a Subject Matter Expert for the Namibia Qualifications Authority. Dr. Leonard is an avid reader with a continued desire to better herself as an academic and leader through hard work and intellectual curiosity. She is driven by service excellence, integrity, commitment and values human relationships.

Dr. Leonard holds a Doctorate in Social Work, Masters of Business Administration, Masters in Development Studies and a Bachelor of Social Work. In addition, she has a Certificate in Corporate Governance and an Advanced Diploma in Project and Programme Management.

Commissioner: Dr. Gerson Sindano

Dr. Gerson Sindano is a scholar with a combined 14 years of research, teaching and administration experience at the University of Namibia and secondary school level. He is currently a senior lecturer in Language Development at the University of Namibia. He is a prolific writer and has published several academic papers and books. Sindano has over the years worked in public, parastatal and private institutions. He worked as a teacher, head of the centre at NAMCOL, political analyst, senior personal assistant and a Disciplinary committee member at the University of Namibia. Gerson Sindano holds a Doctorate in English (rhetorical) studies, a Master of Arts in English studies, a Bachelor of Eng. (Honours) Degree, a Bachelor of Education Degree, and an ICDL (International Computer Driving License)