Personalities OF 2013

Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

Dears, 2013 was indeed quite a momentous one! It was not quite the annus horribilis, but it was also not quite the annus mirabilis many anticipate 2014 will be!

It was, however, a year of great changes, and with those changes many rose to the challenges of the time while others wilted.

There was no denying, however, the resilience of the Jamaican spirit and the will of Jamaicans to win over circumstances and triumph not only in the court of public opinion, but also in the sporting arena, food, recreation, and politics.

It is with this in mind, that Outlook looks back at the year 2013 and the personalities who soared and those who did not!

The Top Personalities of 2013

1. Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller: The bane of the wannabes and those of suspect social background, but the beloved of the people as a shining example of the Jamaican dream.

2. Minister Dr Peter Phillips: Steadied the rocky national financial boat, and aiming for calmer waters.

3. Minister Phillip Paulwell: Being anointed the heir to the Portia Simpson Miller legacy and the PNP throne.

4. MP Audley Shaw: Provided an alternative to the lacklustre, do nothing but whine leadership that dogged the JLP throughout 2012 and 2013.

5. Tessanne Chin: United Jamaicans at home and abroad, in her quest to become the Voice. Her victory provided many lessons for those willing to learn!

6. Shaggy (Orville Burrell): The man with a vision for transforming the delivery of health care to the nation's children.

7. Dr Wykeham McNeill: Quietly transforming the nation's appeal as an international tourist destination, without blowing his own trumpet in the process!

8. Former MP Robert Montaque: Seen as the successor to the mantle of Bustamante and rightful heir to the JLP throne, despite his being without a political base from which to launch his campaign.

9. Michael Lee-Chin: Still standing tall.

10. P.J. Patterson: The elder statesman respected at home and abroad!

The 10 Biggest Losers of 2013

1. MP Andrew Holness: Proved a divisive force and a prisoner of the old guard! Nothing new and different here.

2. MP Everald Warmington: At times his bellicosity rivalled that of the most strident person.

3. MP Edmund Bartlett: Seemed to have backed the losing horse and then was sacrificed by a seemingly intemperate victor.

4. Daryl Vaz: The hoped for redemption with an Audley Shaw victory fizzed away like a descending comet.

5. Entertainers Lady Saw and Macka Diamond: Debased themselves, the entertainment industry and gender - to what end?

7. Queen Ifrika: Gays are living their lives and still earning while her intolerance has left her out in the cold.

8. Vybz Kartel: A symbol of what is wrong with the society when he was held up as a role model by those in high places!

9. Mr Vegas: In seeking to defame his one-time companion, exposed himself to ridicule.

10. Anne Shirley: Lost the respect of the entire nation!

The 10 Most Productive Personalities of 2013

1. Karl Hendrickson: Pioneering business leader whose family is the single most influential and powerful in manufacturing and the hospitality industry.

2. Kenny Benjamin: Transforming Kingston with philanthropy and civic-mindedness.

3. Christopher Issa: One of the unheralded giants of Kingston's new look and global positioning as a destination of choice.

4. Zein Issa-Nakash: The chairperson of the Portia Simpson-Miller Foundation - spearheading the effort to give back to those most in need!

5. Celsa Nuño: The Spanish ambassador to Jamaica, one of the more involved, dedicated and committed envoys to have served her country here.

6. Deika Morrison: A winning formula to galvanise the diaspora and unite Jamaicans around a common cause.

7. Madam Ginette de Matha: A shining example of how the Jamaican diplomatic missions abroad should and could work for brand Jamaica.

8. JPS's Kelly Tomblin: There are significantly less power outages now and consequently a more reliable service.

9. Businesswoman Thalia Lyn: A business leader with a very active sense of corporate social responsibility. Many in the private sector should copy her winning ways by giving back to the communities that support and sustain them.

10. Kingsley Cooper: Always pushing the envelope to take Brand Jamaica that much farther, globally, and truly transforming the social and cultural face of the nation's capital!

The 10 Most Interesting Personalities of 2013

1. Lascelles Chin: Motivated by the cause of the common man, his business model is geared towards satisfying their nutritional needs on their meagre budget while lauding those who give of their best in service to the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the Jamaica Teachers' Association and the nurses.

2. Chris Blackwell: While the majority of the players in the tourism sector have been chasing the tourist with the Pepsi-Cola budget and taste, Blackwell and his Island Outpost business model have targeted the more upscale market - providing a classier alternative for the travel-weary vacationer!

3. International singer, actress and diva Grace Jones: Has made the trek back to Jamaica each winter for decades now, and spends her winters in reasonable anonymity at her North Coast home while catching up with family and friends still domiciled on the island.

4. Dr Fritz Pinnock: Head of the Caribbean Maritime Institute, should be made pointman on the expected logistics hub.

5. Francesca von Habsburg: Has been a source of strength to the people of Portland. Her dedication to helping to uplifting them economically and educationally is unquestioned.

6. Herbie Miller: The director/curator of the Jamaica Music Museum, is himself a treasure chest of knowledge and an international powerhouse and authority on jazz.

7. Theresa Roberts: Europe's single largest collector of Jamaican art and Jamaica's unofficial ambassador at large, whose passion and conviction is the selling of Jamaica and all things Jamaican to European high society!

8. Usain Bolt: The enigmatic sprinting sensation, avoids the glare of the headlights while quietly forging ahead.

9. JAMPRO's Dianne Edwards: Taking Brand Jamaica to the international marketplace instead of sitting and waiting for the marketplace to come to Jamaica.

10. Barry Moncrieffe: The artistic director of the National Dance Theatre Company, Making the transition from the Nettleford era to the post-Independence, techno-savvy generation.

The 10 Hottest Spots of 2013

1. The Spanish Court Hotel: Kingston's crowning jewel. The Rojo restaurant simply unequalled in its culinary offerings and sense of regal style.

2. Round Hill: Montego Bay's bastion of the good life and home to the international jet set and the famous.

3. Plantation Inn - in Ocho Rios: Olde worlde charm and unequalled grandeur! Nothing ritzy or glitzy here, just olde fashioned elegance and continental splendour!

4. Uncorked: Kingston's finest wine bistro and cheese merchants.

5. Hope Zoo: Making Kingston come alive again as a family destination, especially on weekends!

6. Majestic: The finest Japanese sushi bar and restaurant nestled beautifully in the magnificent gardens of Villa Ronai, in Old Stony Hill, is not just fabulous dining, but edible art!

7. Norma's cookshop on Whitehall Avenue, in Kingston: the very best of cuisine a la gran mere, as against mass cuisine.

8. Ocho Rios Jerk Centre: Simply one of the island's best places to enjoy the island's most celebrated jerk cuisine!

9. Dunn's River Falls: Still the island's leading natural attraction and rightly so as this prized meandering waterfall is one of the seven wonders of the island of Jamaica.

10. Blue Lagoon in Port Antonio: One of the seven wonders of the island - serenely beautiful and oh so therapeutically calming!

The 10 Most Inspiring Moments of 2013:

1. Tessanne Chin being declared the winner of 'The Voice'.

2. Javon Francis: Silver-winning leg of the 4x400 relay in Moscow.

3. Usain Bolt's historic exploits at the Moscow Games.

4. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce: Double gold-medal winning performance at the Moscow Games.

5. Asafa Powell: Making the transition from sprint phenom to business mogul and pin-up model.

6. The NDTC Easter Sunday Morning of Movement and Music: Truly a home-grown world-class ensemble.

7. Gina Hargitay's run in the Miss World contest.

8. Alia Atkinson making winning aquatic waves.

9. London-based charity - A Chain of Hope - A group of doctors and their support staff whose annual treks to the Bustamante Hospital for Children, saw them performing remedial and/or corrective heart surgeries on infants and others who otherwise could not afford it, free of cost!

10. Rallying around the flag and the Reggae Boyz.