UWI veterans get long-service awards
Published:Wednesday | December 19, 2012 | 12:00 AM
MORE THAN 100 employees of the University of the West Indies, Mona, were recognised for their long and dedicated service to the institution last Thursday evening at the Mona Visitors' Lodge.
"Long service bespeaks loyalty, commitment and a quality of what is sometimes called stick-to-it-iveness. These are characteristics which are basic to the success of any enterprise, any society, or any individual," said Douglas Orane, non-executive chairman of GraceKennedy Limited, who was the guest speaker at the ceremony.
"Functions like these serve to emphasise their importance and encourage people like yourselves to strive to achieve your lifelong goals," Orane added.
He also commended the institution on its growth since inception and the bright future that it holds.
"This is a city in the making. There is an excitement and a vibrancy of an institution pursuing a vision to be an outstanding enterprise readying itself for its journey through the 21st century," Orane said.
"I was particularly impressed with the many individuals drawn from across multiple units who executed so well as a team in birthing the UWI 5K event. If this is an indication of the power of the combination of talent, dedication and focus available to you all, then it certainly augurs well for the future of your institution," he added.
The non-executive chairman also noted that there is an exceedingly important trend when it comes to globalisation of the higher-education market and commended UWI, Mona, on investing in infrastructure and its people, while marketing itself to a wide spectrum of customers.
"We are indeed fortunate as Jamaicans to have a group of dedicated, loyal individuals like yourselves who are building this institution to successfully compete in our newly globalised world. Keep up the good work. You are in clear sight of achieving your goals," Orane said.