ABOVE: Judy Meana, Vice President of the Panama Diamond Exchange.

The Panama Diamond Exchange has announced the appointment of Judy Meana as the organization’s vice president. Ms. Meana, who until today has served as PDE’s Director of Communications, will be responsible for the Latin American diamond bourse’s overall marketing and communications strategy and operation. She is the first women internationally ever to have been appointed as a diamond exchange vice president.

Prior to joining PDE, Ms. Meana was the Panamanian Communication Manager of the multinational electric company Union Fenosa. She also served as Panama’s government spokesperson during two presidential terms, as Communications Director of the Ministry of Government and Justice and Communications Director of the Ministry of the Presidency. During this period, she was invited by the U.S. Southern Command to Washington, D.C., for training in information management in security and crisis situations.

Ms. Meana began her career as a journalist at the age 19 as a news anchor and television reporter, earning a National Journalism Award. She was the recipient of a Spanish government scholarship for journalists from Latin America to study journalism and news programming production in Madrid.

“We are most fortunate to have a person with Judy’s knowledge and talent with us at the Panama Diamond Exchange,” said Eli Izhakoff, PDE’s Founding Chairman. “With a wealth of experience in both the corporate and government sectors, she is uniquely equipped to lead PDE’s communications and marketing effort.”

“I am most excited to be taking on this new challenge,” Ms. Meana said. “PDE is breaking new ground in Latin America, and we believe it will transform the region’s diamond, gemstone and jewelry sectors, accelerating growth and creating a range of business opportunities. We are on the cutting edge, and that is a wonderful privilege.”