JPS’s Gibbs is new boss of MoBay Chamber
WESTERN BUREAU: T’SHURA GIBBS, the western regional director of the Jamaica Public Service (JPS), became the third female president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) when she upstaged the incumbent, Gloria Henry, by a comfortable 50-35 margin at the chamber’s annual general meeting in Montego Bay on Wednesday night.
The membership of the chamber subsequently elected Dittie Guise of the Montego Bay Convention Centre, Brian Brown of Livewire Action, and Cheddi Van Creighton of the Jamaica Observer to serve as first, second and third vice-presidents, respectively.
“My leadership will not be unilateral. It will be a collaborative effort,” said Gibbs in her short victory speech. “We will focus on three different pillars as we move the chamber forward. We will focus on our membership, our communication, and on relevance.
“We want to ensure that the chamber is the authority on everything Montego Bay, and western Jamaica by extension, and to make sure that we maintain our role as advocates for the benefit of our chamber members,” continued Gibbs. “We
also need to ensure that anybody that wants to do business in Montego Bay, this is the onestop shop, the authority on all the information that is needed to establish a business or vacation in Montego Bay.”
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Gibbs’s boss, Kelly Tomblin, president and CEO at the JPS, who had previously given the new chamber boss her blessing, was present to give Gibbs her support. Prior to the elections, questions were raised about whether Gibbs’s election would pose a conflict of interest in matters involving the business community and the JPS.
Henry, who was seeking her third term as president, cast aside her disappointment and congratulated Gibbs and wished her well.
“I want to congratulate the president and the members of the new board for stepping forward to lead the chamber. I wish them success in this role,” said
Henry, who is employed to the state-owned Port Authority of Jamaica. “Montego Bay is important to the economic growth of Jamaica, and the chamber should continue to articulate and drive those issues that are important to maintain that growth trajectory.”