For almost 40 years, I have been involved in community service; first as a high school volunteer adult literacy teacher, then as an event planner for various charitable causes and now as a manager of a nonprofit organization. I can, from personal experience, testify that education is one of the best pathways to progress. I am committed to providing opportunities to help young people access higher education, particularly those who are underserved.
My work experience has been in commercial/retail banking, telecommunications, remittances (quasi-financial services) and now into the nonprofit arena. Currently, as the Executive Director of the American Foundation for The University of the West Indies (AFUWI), a nonprofit Foundation whose mission is to assist and facilitate higher educational opportunities for Caribbean nationals, particularly those with financial challenges and to support the growth and development of the University of the West Indies (UWI) as it seeks to play a pivotal role in the development of the Caribbean region. This is done by raising funds for scholarships, securing grants and establishing mutually beneficial strategic partnerships with ‘best in class’ organizations and tertiary institutions. In the past 4 years, AFUWI has awarded approximately 50 scholarships annually, with an average of $3,000 per student and donations of over $1.M in equipment, furniture, computers, and books.
The UWI community is made up of the 17 member countries of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts’s & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago and Turks & Caicos.
I am happy to be of service to others, whether in a personal capacity or in my professional sphere. I am privileged to be able to offer useful help to others in need in such ways that they can make positive and impactful changes for themselves and others in their communities.
My formal education includes a Masters in Non-Profit Leadership, Fordham University, NY, an MBA from Nova SouthEastern University, Florida and a BSc in Management Studies from the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, Kingston Jamaica. I enjoy reading, listening to music and best of all, spending quality time with my teenage daughter.
I am passionate and excited about the wonderful possibilities and opportunities for the future, in particular, as it relates to the collective talent of the peoples of the Caribbean region. I truly believe the best is yet to come!
