Jake Kheel, vice president of sustainability at Grupo Puntacana, will be honored by Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx) for more than two decades of leadership at the intersection of business, tourism and environmental stewardship.
Kheel has built his career around a central proposition: that business can be one of the most powerful — and often underused — forces for addressing environmental challenges.
It is an argument he has helped prove in practice.
Through his work in the Dominican Republic, Kheel has led sustainability programs that have become regional reference points, attracted international institutional funding, helped influence national legislation and earned recognition from leading global travel and tourism organizations.
His work spans areas that do not always naturally converge — the science and policy of environmental restoration and the commercial strategy needed to make sustainability viable over the long term.
At Grupo Puntacana, one of the Caribbean’s pioneering tourism enterprises, Kheel has helped advance initiatives addressing marine conservation, waste management, biodiversity, sustainable agriculture and community development, while demonstrating that environmental leadership can coexist with commercial growth.
Kheel is the author of “Waking the Sleeping Giant: Unlocking the Hidden Power of Business to Save the Planet,” which explores how companies can use their resources, influence and entrepreneurial capacity to help solve environmental problems while strengthening their businesses.
His recognition by CMEx reflects the organization’s longstanding focus on highlighting individuals whose work contributes to more sustainable, resilient and inclusive Caribbean communities.
For CMEx, Kheel’s career also underscores an increasingly important message for Caribbean tourism: sustainability is no longer simply an environmental objective. It is a business imperative, a competitive advantage and an essential part of protecting the natural and cultural assets on which the region’s tourism economy depends.
The 2026 CMEx Leadership Awards and Fundraiser will take place on Sunday, Dec. 6, at Loews Coral Gables Hotel in the Miami area.
The 2026 CMEx Leadership Awards and Fundraiser is powered by Platinum Sponsor the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism with Anguilla Tourist Board, Carnival Corporation and Tropical Shipping as Gold Sponsors.
Major sponsors include The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board & Film Commission, Marketplace Excellence Corporation, Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board, and the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.
Additional sponsors supporting the cause include Coco Palm (St. Lucia), Comfort Suites Paradise Island (Bahamas), Fond Doux Eco Resort (St. Lucia), Jade Mountain (St. Lucia), Ladera Resort (St. Lucia), Mount Cinnamon Beach & Wellness Resort (Grenada), Grupo Puntacana (The Westin Puntacana Resort), Round Hill Hotel and Villas (Jamaica), Secret Bay (Dominica), The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Tropical Attractions, and Vanessa James Media.
Proceeds support educational programs, youth development initiatives and professional training designed to empower the next generation of Caribbean tourism and media leaders.
For more details visit cmexmedia.org.
