Artneal Jones
The St Ann Chambers of Commerce held its fifty-ninth annual general meeting on Thursday, July 17 at the John McDowell Conference Center in Pineapple, Ocho Rios, St Ann. The meeting was well attended by members of the Chamber and also members from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), Custos Norma Walters, President Oral Heaven, and other officers and administrators of the Chamber. Heaven thanked the directors, members, and staff for the opportunity to have served as president and for electing him to serve another year. “Our mission is to create and maintain an environment conducive to the growth and sustainable development of the parish of St. Ann by advancing the interests of the business community through effective lobbying, communication and networking,” he said. He said that although the year was filled with challenges for business interests, they managed to pull through due to resilience and proper planning. “The year 2013/2014 was indeed a challenging one for individuals and business operators. Despite that, we are here today as a result of our resilience, strategic planning and efforts executed last year. This demonstrates our strength and will to survive despite the odds,” said Heaven, manager of Sagicor Ocho Rios. In addition, Heaven spoke about isolating the Chamber from been a “talk shop,” meaning they don’t want to procrastinate in their efforts but want to start showing action, as the St Ann Chamber of Commerce looks forward to celebrate its Diamond jubilee next year. The executive for 2014/2015 sees Oral Heaven as president, Sharon Sinclair first vice president and Marino Maffessanti as second vice-president. Seven new directors were elected. They are: Marilyn Burrowes, Keith Garvey, Carol Bourke, Haresh Shivanani, Howard Isaacs, Desmond palmer and Norbert Nelson. Custos Norma Walters, a former president congratulated the members for their hard work, zeal and enthusiasm contributing towards Ocho Rios town and encouraged members not to feel guilty if they are recognized as a social club. “There is more work to be done so let’s move on,” she said. Richard Donaldson was recognized by the Chamber for his contribution to the work of St. Ann Chamber of Commerce in the betterment of the country.
