Kandi-Lee Alexandria Crooks-Smith, who was born in Kingston, has always had an interest in working with young people. This passion led her to The Mico University College where she graduated as a trained teacher in 1999.  She is now the Principal of the Allman Town Primary School.

 

Mrs. Crooks-Smith has been teaching since 1998, starting with her tenure at the Constant Spring Primary and Junior High School. The decision to join the Allman Town Primary School family opened the door of opportunities.  Within a few years she was promoted to Senior Teacher, and has been Principal since September 2008.

 

Service to her community is integral to her passion for her students’ success, and to her own personal growth and development. Kandi-Lee has contributed by being the Director of Children’s Activity through a Child Evangelism Outreach Programme, with motto, ‘Every Child Needs Christ’. She is also a volunteer with the St. Paul’s United Church’s After School Remedial Reading Programme for students in Kingston. She is currently the coordinator and teacher for the Allman Town Primary School Parenting Study Circle, and the faculty advisor for the Optimist Club at the school and at the St. Mathew’s Church.

 

This outstanding and success-driven educator has fostered a special relationship with the parents of students attending the Allman Town Primary School by teaching them about the Child Care and Protection Act. She also guides them as they pursue small business ventures.

 

Kandi-Lee Alexandria Crooks-Smith it is with pride and confidence that the members of the Governor-General’s Achievement Awards Committee of Kingston have selected you as a worthy recipient of the Governor-General’s Award of Excellence for the parish of Kingston, in the year 2009.

 Roberto Nicholas Moreland, known to his colleagues as “Pilot”, was asked by his mother “what would you like to be when you grow up?” This is a typical question asked of young children especially by their parents, and young Roberto proudly said, “a Pilot.” His shocked mother asked him for another option just in case this one did not come to fruition, and he replied, “I have no other plans, I will be a Pilot.”

 

Thus began the career path of Roberto Moreland.  He grew up in Kingston 14 and, faced with limited resources, was fortunate to have had parents who valued education and who supported him as best as they could. His life story is filled with determination and pride in his achievement despite the odds faced in a socially and economically challenged community.

 

Roberto admits that when he was younger he did not exercise the best judgement at all times, but he had very strict parents who sought to ensure that he adopted the appropriate values and attitudes to achieve success. His friends had to foster similar values, and his parents were very cautious about the different community youth clubs he joined. Voluntarism was a part of his commitment, and he and his colleagues cleaned and painted pedestrian crossings and parks. He fondly recalls his mother reminding him that “the devil finds work for idle hands,” so he kept busy by participating in positive activities.

 

A proud graduate of the Papine High and Mona High Schools, Roberto, after many hours of studying, worked to fulfill his career dream, and gained acceptance to the Caribbean Aviation Training Centre. This was a very costly programme, and after two and a half years of sacrifice and long hours of studying, he finally graduated in 2009 as a licensed private pilot.

 

Roberto Nicholas Moreland, the members of the Governor-General’s Achievement Award Committee of Kingston are proud to have selected you as a worthy recipient of the Governor-General’s Youth Award of Excellence for the parish of Kingston, in the year 2009.

 

Dr. Odelley Lemonia Henry was born and raised in Wilton Gardens, more popularly known as Rema in Kingston. While attending Trench Town Primary School he was surrounded by negative influences but chose to excel despite the challenges he faced.

 

He was successful in the Common Entrance Examinations and was placed at the Trench Town High School. During his secondary education, violence often erupted in his community and the school was at times left with a limited number of teachers for the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) level students. He, however, was successful in six subjects.

 

Dr. Henry’s first job was working in a bakery until he was introduced to the sixth form programme at the Excelsior Community College, where he obtained four A’ level subjects. He moved on to The University of the West Indies and read for a Bachelor of Science Degree with a double major in Chemistry and Bio-Chemistry. Graduate and post graduate studies lead to a Ph.D in Biotechnology, and at the Mona School of Business, a Masters in Business Administration.

 

A member of the Board at the Trench Town Primary School, Dr. Henry has pledged to give back to the community of his birth.  He conducts regular workshops with parents and guardians, focusing on good parenting techniques, and fostering the academic development of their children. He is described as a humble, reliable and honest professional.

 

Dr. Odelley Lemonia Henry it is with pride that your colleagues and the members of the Governor-General’s Achievement Award Committee of Kingston select you as a worthy recipient of the Governor-General’s Achievement Award for the parish of Kingston for 2009.

 

Bradley Orlando Lecky is described as being “a community man,” who used his business skills and passion for “social action’ to galvanize positive community development; and through his personal benevolence financed projects, ensuring that persons in under-served communities got a “second chance.”

 

Following jobs with sundry companies including Tastee Limited and Sugar & Spice Limited, where he acquired baking skills, Mr. Lecky attended cooking classes at Casa Monte Hotel School, where he furthered his baking expertise, particularly the making of patties and other pastries. He also completed a JAMAL, (now Life Long Learning) Training Programme at St. Stephen’s Church, then studied studio recording at the Community Production & Training Centre (CPTC).

 

In the late 1980s Mr. Lecky moved to a one-bedroom house, in Rollington Town where he started a small bakery, which grew to become one of the largest bakeries in East Kingston. In the 1990s Mr. Lecky migrated to Florida, USA, where he established a business and continued his social work through the Broward Coalition for the Homeless, and was an active participant in the Inter-Faith Advocacy Committee.

 

Mr. Lecky was born in Kingston, and grew up in the parish of Portland, where he attended Fair Prospect Primary. When his family returned to Kingston he attended St. Andrew Primary School, Tivoli Gardens Secondary School; and pursued continuing education courses at Invincible High School and Cambridge High.

 

Bradley Lecky, the Founder and Manager of the Rollington Town Drum Core, was also Chairman of the Eastern Jamaica Youth Empowerment Benevolent Society. He is currently Chairman of the Board of the Rollington Primary School; a member of the Lay Magistrates’ Association of Jamaica; a member of the Board of the Small Businesses Association of Jamaica (SBAJ), the Agro-Business Council, and former member of the Board of the Marching Band Association of Jamaica.

 

Mr. Lecky has been recognised by many public and private entities for “service above self,” including—the Ministry of Education, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the Police Community Relations Branch/JCF; The Jamaica Observer; Vaz Preparatory School, Eastern Development Production Association, and the Rollington Town Citizens’ Association.

 

To Bradley Lecky, a husband, father, a Justice of the Peace and a Minister of Religion, his community work is his ministry; and he has saved many lives through his passion for finding the right project to “teach a man to fish.”

 

Bradley Orlando Lecky, it is with pride and confidence that your colleagues and the members of the GGAA Parish Committee, have selected you as a worthy recipient of the Governor-General’s Achievement Award for the parish of Kingston in the year 2008.

Nora Viola Henriques has given a lifetime of professional service in nursing and as a volunteer at the YMCA in Jamaica for more than 40 years. She was the first female to be appointed Chairman of the Board of the YMCA, and served in that capacity from 1985 to 1987 and from 1989 to 1991. She also served as President of the National Council of YMCAs in Jamaica from 1990 to 1991.

On December 25, 1943 in a small district of St. Elizabeth called Roses Valley, Laban Allan Roomes, the eighth of sixteen children was born in a humble home.  Young Laban and his siblings benefited from the love and care of their father, the late Edwin Theophilus Roomes, a small farmer, and mother Imogene Roomes, a dress-maker, homemaker and shop keeper, who managed the family finances.

A Justice of the Peace, Alfred Duncan was born in Portland in 1929.  He was the child of a farmer and a shopkeeper mother.  As a boy, he helped his father to rear animals and traveled long distances to buy goods for his mother’s small shop before going to school.

Dr. Omri Evans has big plans for the future effectiveness of the Governor-General's Achievement Awards. He says he believes that all those who have received the G-G's awards should come together in a fraternity to work on major community projects that would help more people.

Errol Courtney Greene was born in the little district of Byles, near Kitson Town in the parish of St. Catherine on August 10, 1954 to Cynthia Morgan and Cochrane "Bill" Greene. Courtney, as he was called by his mother is the first child for both parents.

Kevin O’Neal Brown was born in Kingston on November 4, 1975, and is the fourth of six children, growing up with his father and five siblings after his mother left the family. His father had to manage school fees, food and other family needs on a meager Postman’s salary.

The name Claude Packer is synonymous with Mathematics Education. His impressive contribution to the field spans several decades and several generations.

Picture this: A young man born in one of the poorest sections of Kingston in the 1950s. He learns from early to compete for attention and resources with eight other siblings under the guidance of a mother who rules with an iron hand and a velvet glove, prayer and sacrifices. Forty-six years later, he’s one of only three neurosurgeons in the entire country. Today, Lee Marvill Martin has repaid his mother Zedrene`s perseverance and love by paying tribute through his work.

Morin Seymour, the last child in a family of five boys, was born on April 6, 1945 at Mount James, St. Andrew.  His father, a farmer, augmented the family's income by assisting the parish's tax collectors in the off-season while his mother marketed the family's produce and substituted for the district's post mistress. Being the last child had its privileges since young Morin often remained home with his father on the days that his mother and brothers sold produce at the market.  However, like many children of his day he had to assist with the daily chores such as tethering the cows, some miles away from home.

This 78 year old gentleman born to modest circumstances lost his mother when he was 3“ years old. Due to this and the hard times prevailing, his father took him and his brother to live with William and Irene Shout two of the best known Christians in Four Paths. Though they were taught Christian principals Oscar was often hungry and many nights went to bed on sugar water and biscuits and was ...

Eric Daniels was born in Potsdam District, St. Elizabeth, 75 years ago the son of Richmond Daniels a chauffeur and his mother an uncertified midwife and housewife. He attended Epping Forest Elementary School in the Potsdam District up to grade 5. He came to Kingston in 1936 and became an apprentice mechanic at Kingston Industrial Garage. He subsequently worked at the Bab's Bus Company as a ...

Lorraine Ross was born in St. Thomas in 1957, the second of eight children of Theophilus a farm-worker and subsequently carpenter and Ella housewife and subsequently higgler. Her parents separated during her childhood. Lorraine attended Manchioneal Primary school, but because of the family's grave financial problems was sent to Kingston at age fourteen to live with relative. There she attended ...

Crafton Miller was born in St. Elizabeth in 1930 the youngest of 14 children of farmer Arnold and housewife Margaret Miller. He first attended Rose Hall elementary school where he passed the first, second and third Jamaica Local Examinations. But while attending school he assisted in all the farming activities of the family and a small grocery shop so that he was able to save sufficient funds to ...

Donald Golaub was born at Three Miles River, Georges Plain in Westmoreland in January 1945, the first of fourteen children (seven boys and seven girls) of his father Sylvester, a cane cutter and his mother Saberau Golaub in a very humble household. Donald couldn't help seeing what a struggle it was for his father to make ends meet and he recognized that his father would be unable to make any ...

Poverty and a cruel twist of fate would have forced some to a life of uncalculated risks and reckless abandon, but not Joseph Jesse Williams. This youth from Stokes Hall, St. Thomas did not resign himself to become a victim of adverse situations even when his train to success derailed in 1935, following the death of both his parents. At that time, he was doing very well as a sixteen year old ...