Montego Bay chamber clash - JPS executive to challenge sitting president
Published:Saturday | April 8, 2017 | 12:00 AMMark Titus
President of the influential Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gloria Henry, seems undaunted by a possible challenge to her bid for a third term and has expressed confidence that her work will speak for her.
Henry is expected to face off with the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) executive T'Shura Gibbs when members of the chamber meet for their annual general meeting on April 26.
"I have accepted the request of members of the board to continue, which is in keeping with the constitution that allows executive members to serve for three years," Henry told The Sunday Gleaner.
"So ... (I will get to) complete some of the projects that have started, that are still in a delicate stage of development," added Henry, who was elected president of the chamber in 2015.
PROJECTS
Among the projects initiated by the executive Henry leads are the Business Leaders Wall of Excellence; the MYMOBAY clean-up initiative; and the Invest MoBay business and investment conference.
But her track record might not be enough, as Gibbs, the regional director for JPS West, is being heavily touted to replace the incumbent.
Gibbs, who is expected to be nominated from the floor at the AGM, advised Henry and the board of directors of her intention to challenge for the leadership via email, after getting the blessing of her boss Kelly Tomblin, CEO and president of JPS.
"I was recently approached by a few seasoned and influential chamber members who suggested that I consider running for the presidency of the chamber. I am mindful that the chamber has benefited from some very strong leadership over the years and consider it an honour that I should be seen in a similar light," said Gibbs in an email seen by The Sunday Gleaner.
"Having deliberated on this for a few days and satisfied myself that I could bring additional and positive value to the organisation, I have decided that it is a challenge and opportunity that I will pursue," added Gibbs.
If successful, Gibbs will become the third female to lead the 85-year-old chamber, behind the late Pauline Reid and Henry, and brings with her more than 20 years of experience in customer service and operations management, mostly in the airline industry.