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Marks meets the diaspora

Published:Sunday | October 23, 2011 | 12:00 AM
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Jamaica's ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks (third left), is in discussions with (from right) Jamaica's honorary consul to Illinois, Lloyd Hyde; director of marketing and sales at the Seneca Hotel and Suites, Michael Foster; Dr Donald and Delores Pettis, and Valerie Richards, president of Chicago Concerned Jamaica Association, at a reception held in her honour on Monday, October 10.
Jamaica's ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks (centre), with participants at the Global Leaders Women's Summit at the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago on Tuesday, October 11. From left: Julie Hussey, Stasia Kelly, Jayne Risk, ambassador of the Principality of Lechteinstein to the USA; Claudia Fritsch, Claudia Solomon and Stephanie Sozel. - JIS photo
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Derrick A. Scott

JIS, Washington, DC:

Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks, answered concerns by the diaspora leaders in Chicago, Illinois, during a recent two-day visit to the state from October 10-11. She said that the Government had made steady progress within the past year and half to tackle crime and also continue to take bold steps in getting the country on a solid macroeconomic footing.

Citing examples of Jamaica's macroeconomic progress, the Jamaican envoy listed the movement in the Treasury rate now down to 6.5 per cent, the lowest in 32 years and the inflation rate at 2.5 per cent within the last six months and the country's achievement of 2.1 per cent gross domestic product growth in the last quarter.

Ambassador Marks, attending a reception in her honour hosted by Jamaica's honorary consul to Illinois, Lloyd Hyde, and members of various Jamaican organisations in Chicago on Monday, October 10.

Partnership

The reception was one of two events she attended and more than 85 members of the business and civic communities were present. Representing the city of Chicago was the director of community liaison, Arnold J. Romeo.

Regarding the role of the diaspora, Marks said the time had come for a collective focus and partnership to engage and harness the intellectual and financial capital within the diaspora for Jamaica's development.

She noted that the diaspora sends nearly $2 billion in remittances annually to Jamaica which was not only important in supporting the economic base of the country, but also challenged the audience to look at new and creative ways to invest in Jamaica including joint ventures with existing small- to medium-size firms. She emphasised, "If there was ever a time to do business in Jamaica, it is now."

She also commended the various organisations for their work in support of health, education and community projects and encouraged them to continue supporting these essential social programmes at home.

During the visit, Marks was a featured panellist at the Dubb, Lupton, Alsop (DLA) Piper law firm's Global Women's Leadership Summit, held at the Peninsula Hotel in downtown Chicago. She address issues and challenges faced by female leaders and the diplomatic tools utilised to break the "marble ceiling". She also focused on the key role of diplomacy in global business.

The two-day conference saw some 300 female leaders from around the USA participating DLA Piper is a global law firm with 76 offices across 30 countries with more than 4,200 attorneys-at-law.

Hyde commended Marks for her outstanding work in the relatively short time that she had been in the post and urged her to continue to strengthen the relationship between Jamaica and the United States, improve trade relations and foster a stronger relationship among members of the Jamaican diaspora.