Rollins receives Spain's Order of Civic Merit
Published:Monday | July 5, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Republican congressional nominee and tourism trailblazer, Michele Rollins joined the ranks of Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett last Thursday when she was conferred with the Order of Civic Merit for her outstanding contribution to Spanish investment in Jamaica.
Addressing an intimate gathering at the Rose Hall Great House in Montego Bay, St James, Spanish Ambassador Jesús Silva lauded the woman who was instrumental in transforming the tourism landscape in the resort capital by awarding her the title 'The Most illustrious Mrs Michele Rollins' on behalf of His Majesty King Juan Carlos I.
Rollins is currently running, in the United States, for Delaware's sole congressional seat.
"Michele Rollins has been someone who saw from the very beginning that the arrival of Spanish investors was a very positive trend for Jamaica and for its economic and social development," Silva said.
With her support, owner of the more than 900-room Iberostar Rose Hall Resort and Spa, Miguel Fluxa, was able to purchase the land on which he built three of the tourism capital's most beautiful resorts, employing some 1,000 tourism workers. Her latest project is to get Spanish medical group Hospiten to commence construction of their state-of-the-art facility on lands in Rose Hall.
Silva announced that construction on this project should start in August.
Modernism, high quality
He said Rollins' contribution not only created a huge amount of much-needed quality jobs for Jamaicans, but with her input, the investors have brought modernism and a high quality to the island's lifeblood industry - tourism.
The Montego Bay businesswoman, who is chairman of Rose Hall Developments Limited, owners of the Second City's Ritz-Carlton, is renowned as an individual of intense passion for people and has a sense of commitment for all sorts of social and charitable projects. She also sits on Spanish Jamaica Foundation advisory board.
"She has been one of the most active members, partnering with this prestigious institution in projects such as the Real Madrid school of social integration where children from the less privileged areas of Montego Bay receive education and guidance through the values of sports with the support of the Real Madrid Club, one of the most prestigious institutions in Spain," stated Silva.
With humility, Rollins listened attentively to the accolades strewn on her but, being a woman of few words and lots of action, the most she said was, "I don't know that I deserve this, but I consider this honour as very important in my life."
She acknowledged that the Spanish investment in Jamaica was rewarding in itself.
The ceremony was witnessed by Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett; Minister of Water and Housing, Dr Horace Chang, and friends of Rollins, former US Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson and husband Howard.