Iva Baker has always held a strong commitment to the development of St. Ann. Hence, she was recognized for her sterling volunteerism in the parish, by the St. Ann Municipal Corporatism on Heroes’ Day, Monday, October 16.
Volunteerism has always been embedded deep within the soul of this lover of St. Ann. Since her retirement over 15 years from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Mrs Baker’s life has been concentrated on giving back to her adopted parish in St Ann through various means.
Two of those have been a clothing programme for street people in Ocho Rios, where she would feed and provide clothing to them. She has also been an integral part of the St Ann’s Bay Improvement Committee. St Ann’s Bay, Mrs. Baker shared, has always been dear to her heart.
Several boards have benefitted from Mrs Baker’s knowledge and experience, including the Ocho Rios Crime Stop; St. Ann Development Company (SADCo) Marketing Committee; Ocho Rios Resort Board; Management Advisory Committee – HEART Runaway Bay; Jamaica Cultural Development Commission; Seville Heritage Management Committee and the Civic Affairs Committee and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA).
HUMBLED
For her work in tourism and her active involvement in the parish, she has received several accolades. She was very humbled in receiving her recent award from the St Ann Municipal Corporation.
“I feel very good. I feel very humbled that I would be given this award. I was not looking forward to anything, but having received it I am very grateful,” explained Mrs Baker in an interview with the North Coast Times.
Iva Baker, who was a native of Mavis Bank, St Andrew, migrated to England when she was 15. However, at the age of 25, Mrs Baker left her family and other loved ones behind to return to her homeland.
“I just wanted to make my contribution to my country (Jamaica) and I opted to come back home. I left my family and my loved ones and immersed myself in the hospitality industry and volunteerism,” Mrs Baker revealed.
When she returned to Jamaica, she initially worked with the banana board and then subsequently the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) in Kingston. She also did a stint with the now defunct Eastern Airlines.
Her association with the JTB spanned 22 years, of which 12 of these years were served in the Ocho Rios office. This move to the Ocho Rios office, saw her also moving from Kingston to make St Ann her home.
Mrs Baker retired as the regional manager for the JTB Ocho Rios’ office.
She journeyed into the field of hospitality due to her love for interacting with people, especially from different cultures.
With diverse experience gained in tourism as well as her wide exposure and well-developed sense of diplomacy, Iva Baker served as a director of the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce for 12 years. In 2002, she received the chamber of commerce’s tourism award.
In 2004, Mrs Baker was among the six (6) women in Tourism who were honoured by Caymanas Track (Courts Jamaica Oaks Day) for outstanding service to the hospitality sector.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Mrs Baker’s legendary involvement in the community has also been showcased through her role as a charter member of the Kiwanis Club of the Garden Parish and a past vice president. She is also the co-founder of the St. Ann Commission for the Homeless (a feeding and clothing programme for street people in Ocho Rios). She is also conceptualizer of the St. Ann Homecoming (Back-A-Yard), now the St. Ann Heritage and Homecoming Committee.
Iva Baker was commissioned as a justice of the peace (JP) in 1998 and has served creditably over the years. To her credit, she has never missed attending a petty session or Children’s Court, when scheduled so to do. She has given excellent service as North East zone representative between 2013 and 2016. For her sterling service, she was the recipient of the 2016 North East Zone JP of the Year as well as the 2016 Lay Magistrate Association of Jamaica (LMAJ) Golden Scale Award for the parish of St. Ann.
Currently, Mrs Baker has been volunteering her services to impart “good manners and etiquette” to such groups as Kiwanis Club of the Garden Parish, JCDC (Festival Queen), Ocho Rios High School, Jamaica Lifelong Learning and St. Ann’s Bay Methodist Church.
Mrs Baker currently resides in Draxx Hall, just outside St Ann’s Bay, and is married to Lloyd ‘Clive’ Baker, who she said is “extremely supportive of whatever I do.” She has a son, Dane and a grandson, Damani.
When not busy with her volunteer work, she enjoys relaxing at home.
GET INVOLVED
Mrs Baker is encouraging everyone to get involved volunteerism.
“I would encourage not only the young, but everybody who has the health and the strength to volunteer their services in whatever area they see fit, because in the end it is a very, very rewarding feeling to know that you are making a contribution not just to your community, but to Jamaica,” Mrs Baker posited.
