AS CHAIRMAN OF AIR JAMAICA

TONY SERVED as chairman of Air Jamaica from 19801989 and, during his tenure, the national carrier’s fleet was upgraded with new wide-bodied Airbus A300 aircraft. He also ingenuously convinced the chairman of British Airways to make the Concorde available for a rotation of 12 flights during the winter tourist season, a very successful strategy that boosted Jamaica’s global tourism image; which was vital for recovery, considering the downturn of the 1970s. The Hart Group has been, and continues to be, in the forefront of sports development in St James in cricket, football, netball and athletics. The group was one of the first companies in Jamaica to introduce AIDS education and understanding to its employees. The Hart Group has a scholarship programme in place for all qualifying employees’ children attending primary and high school. On the political side, Tony started as the campaign manager for Dr Herbert Eldemire in 1959, who became the minister of health for Jamaica. Tony was a parish councillor for six years, ran and lost in the general election in 1972. Much later with Bruce Golding, he joined a group from the Jamaica Labour Party to form the National Democratic Movement. He has served as chairman for a number of government boards, including Air Jamaica, Grains Jamaica, the Coconut Industry Board, and the Caymanas Race Track, and as the director for many other companies and government agencies, such as the Bank of Nova Scotia, the Jamaica Development Bank, the Jamaica Industrial Development Corporation and the Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College. More recently, Tony has spearheaded the refurbishment of Doctor’s Cave Bathing Club – appropriate, given that it was donated to the town by his great grandfather, and also the Montego Bay Yacht Club.