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Directors

The Board of Directors of Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation comprises 12 members, a combination of  past and present GraceKennedy employees.  New directors are either nominated to the board by current directors, or GK staff, or named by the GK Group CEO.

Current Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation Directors

Senator Don Wehby, CD

Chairman

On July 1, 2011, Mr Don Wehby was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer of GraceKennedy Limited. Prior to this appointment, Mr Wehby held the position of Group Chief Operating Officer from October 5, 2009.

Mr Wehby first joined GraceKennedy Ltd. in 1995 as Group Finance Manager. He was appointed Deputy Finance Director in 1997 and in that same year was appointed to the Board of Directors of GraceKennedy Ltd. The following year, he was appointed Group Chief Financial Officer and in 1999 undertook the additional role of Chief Operating Officer for the Financial Services Division. In addition, he was charged with the responsibility for leading the Group’s local and international expansion especially as this relates to banking, investments and insurance services. He has directed the listing of the company in Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange sited in St. Kitts. Under his leadership, GraceKennedy acquired 100% ownership of First Global Bank Ltd., now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

During his tenure as Chief Operating Officer of the Financial Services Division, the division’s pre-tax profit rose from $280 million in 2000 to $1.417 billion in 2005, an increase of 406 %.

In December 2005 Mr Wehby relinquished his role as Chief Operating Officer of the Financial Services Division to take on expanded responsibilities as Group Chief Financial Officer, which included heading a new Strategic Planning Unit. In 2006, following the reorganisation of GraceKennedy he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer, GraceKennedy Ltd. and Chief Executive Officer, GK Investments.

In September 2007, Mr Wehby resigned from his positions at GraceKennedy Ltd. and its Board of Directors to serve for two years as Government Senator and Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.

Following his two-year stint in public service, he was reappointed to the Board of Directors of GraceKennedy Ltd. On his return to GraceKennedy on October 5, 2009. He is also a Director of several of GraceKennedy’s Boards including chairman of First Global Holdings GK Foods & Services Limited and GraceKennedy Money Services SRL.

Mr Wehby’s prior professional affiliations include Vice Chairman of the Diaspora Conference Implementation Council and Chairman of the Jamaica Cricket Franchise Development Company. In December 2014, he retired from the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) where he previously held the post of Vice-President of the PSOJ and Chairman of its Economic Policy Committee. His prior association with the PSOJ was that of Honorary Treasurer. He also served on the Boards of Food for the Poor, Cable & Wireless Jamaica and his alma mater St. George’s College (where he also served as a Director of its Endowment Fund Board up to March 2016). He previously a Director of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), and Chairman of its newly created Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee. He is an avid sports fan and was instrumental in GraceKennedy’s sponsorship of School Boy Cricket in Jamaica and the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys & Girls Championship.

The first Jamaican to win the Young Caribbean Professional Network’s (YCPN) Award, Mr Wehby was honoured as the International Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015 for his leadership in making GraceKennedy a major player in the global marketplace, his commitment to investing in downtown Kingston and to Sports. In May 2015, he received the key to the city of Miramar, Florida, from its mayor, Wayne Messam, for his work in the private sector, his two-year stint in government, and his overall contribution to Jamaica. The ‘Key to the City’ is an honour bestowed by a city upon esteemed residents and visitors. He was the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ) Distinguished Member Awardee for 2015. The award recognises a member who through service and achievements, has contributed to the prestige and status of the Institute and the Accountancy profession. Mr Wehby is the youngest recipient of the ICAJ award. Additionally, on Saturday, September 24, 2016, Mr Wehby was inducted into the St. George’s College Hall of Fame for Excellence and Achievement in Business, Community Spirit and Service to the College. On March 23, 2019, he received the G. Raymond Chang Award and was inducted into the Immaculate Hall of Fame. On June 29, 2019, Mr Wehby was recognised by the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) for his transformational leadership for the JSE’s Junior Market.

Mr Wehby is currently New Zealand’s Honorary Consul to Jamaica, following his appointment in September 2015. In March 2016, he was appointed by Jamaica’s Prime Minister, The Most Honourable Andrew Holness, as an independent Senator, which will once again allow him to offer his services by giving an independent, non-aligned voice in critical national matters, including among other things, helping to shape new legislation and amend existing legislation in need of reform. In September 2020, Mr Wehby was reappointed to the Senate allowing him to continue his service to Jamaica and his contribution to nation-building. He is also the Chairman of JAMPRO following his appointment in April 2016. JAMPRO is a government agency which promotes business opportunities in export and investment to the local and international private sector. On October 16, 2017, Mr Wehby received the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) for his sterling contribution to both the public and private sectors. He is also the Chairman of the Finance Commission for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kingston following his appointment on August 2019.

A Fellow Chartered Accountant, Mr Wehby holds both a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) and a Master of Science degree in Accounting from The University of the West Indies and has completed an Advanced Management College certificate course at Stanford University.

Mr Wehby is married with three children. He is an avid cricket fan and a member of the Kingston Cricket Club.

Joan-Marie Powell

Director

Joan-Marie Powell became a Director of the Board of Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation on January 16, 2014.

Ms Powell retired in 2013 from her career in the Financial Services Industry which spanned 40 years and nine Caribbean counties, the USA, Canada and the UK. At the time of her retirement, Ms Powell was the Managing Director of GraceKennedy Remittance Services Limited (GKRS). Ms Powell contributed to several improvements and successes at GKRS during her years of service. Her results-oriented approach, technical insight and operational expertise strengthened the company’s culture of innovation and saw GKMS expanding into new markets in the Caribbean and extending its service portfolio. In 2007, Ms Powell co-led the acquisition of 25% equity stake in GKRS by Western Union. Prior to her appointment as Managing Director in 2006, she was directly responsible for the international expansion of GraceKennedy Money Services (GKMS) and relationship building with key stakeholders. Under her stewardship, GKMS copped many top Western Union awards, including Agent of the Region and Outstanding Customer Service. Although she attributes GKMS’ success to teamwork, her track record is well known. In 2000, she was asked by the Dean of the Western Union University to assist in setting up a training unit aimed at improving the product offering and service quality delivery of the brand worldwide. In 2001, she became a member of the Board of directors of GKMS.

Ms Powell also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Aerotel Ltd (2011-2016), a subsidiary of Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority and acted as the General Manager of Aerotel from January to May 2015. In that role she worked with the Board to develop operating procedures in accordance with governing laws and regulations and was successful in recruiting a new General Manager for that company.

Ms Powell has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Immaculate Conception High School for Girls, her alma mater.  She has an avid interest in sports and is an active member of the Kiwanis Club of New Kingston. She is also a Justice of the Peace for the parish of Kingston.

Ms Powell holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) Degree in Management Studies and a Master of Business Administration (Hons.) in Management of Information Technology from The University of the West Indies.

Lloyd Anthony Lawrence, J.P. (Tony Lawrence)

Director

Lloyd Anthony Lawrence is the retired Global Brand Manager for GK Foods Limited and Past Chairman of the GraceKennedy Marketing Council. He was the Marketing Manager for Nestle Jamaica Limited, Managing Director of Hilo Food Stores and General Manager responsible for Marketing in the Retail and Trading Division of GraceKennedy Limited.

He is a Past Chairman of the Grace and Staff Community Development Foundation and was an invitee to GK Foods Advisory Board. He also served the Public Sector as Director of the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS), Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission and Junior achievement Jamaica. He spent many years in community service as a Rotarian and is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International.

Mr. Lawrence is a Graduate of the University of Baltimore, Maryland, where he did undergraduate and graduate studies in Marketing & Finance. He holds a Certificate in Strategic Marketing from the University of New Orleans and a Post Graduate Diploma in Executive Leadership from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He has completed several postgraduate courses in Management, Marketing and Food Sciences. He is also a graduate of the Nestle and GraceKennedy Executive Development Programme.

He is a past member of the American Marketing Association with many years of experience in Marketing and General Management. He has international work experience in the USA, Canada, Colombia, and Switzerland.

He is currently a chicken farmer who enjoys motor sports, classic cars, boating and the outdoors.

Marsha Cope-Riley

Director

Marsha Cope-Riley became a Director of the Board of Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation on April 10, 2015.

Mrs Cope-Riley joined GraceKennedy Limited in 2003 and currently serves in the role of Finance Manager at Dairy Industries (Jamaica) Limited (DIJL). She has held various positions during her tenure at GraceKennedy, including Internal Audit Manager, Management Accountant, Sales Manager and Finance Manager.

She is passionate about serving and caring for those in need, particularly youth and the elderly. She spends time coaching and mentoring youths through Grace & Staff’s mentoring programme and on an individual basis. Over the years, she has been associated with several non-profit organisations, and volunteers in numerous capacities. Some of her past and present involvements with charitable work include serving as a Board Member for St. Jude’s Primary School; Church Council President and Fund-Raising Committee Chair for St. Jude’s Roman Catholic Church; Treasurer for the St. Vincent De Paul Society; and Charter Member and VP Membership for the ICAJ Toastmasters Club.

Mrs Cope-Riley holds an Executive MBA from The University of New Orleans and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ). She is a past student of St Hugh’s High School for Girls.

Rachel Greenland

Director

Rachel Greenland became a Director of the Board of the Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation on April 10, 2015. In addition to being a Director, she is the Chair of the Visibility and Communications Committee.

Mrs Greenland is currently the Marketing Manager for the Insurance and Investment Division of the GraceKennedy Financial Group (GKFG). She joined the GraceKennedy Group in 2012 as Marketing Officer for what was then known as Jamaica International Insurance Company (JIIC). Since then she has achieved several promotions including Senior Marketing Officer, Senior Brand & Customer Engagement Officer and now Marketing Manager.

Mrs Greenland enjoys peer to peer coaching with fellow millennials, planning events, traveling, reading and volunteering for community activities. She holds membership in the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Mu Delta Chapter and is a Coordinator at Camp Yellow Bird – a camp for juvenile diabetics and their peers.

A past student of St. Andrew High School for Girls, Mrs Greenland holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications, with a minor in Economics from the George Washington University in Washington DC. She also holds a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Marylhurst University in Marylhurst, Oregon.

Jason Moses

Director

Jason Moses was appointed a Director of Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation on December 8, 2020.

Mr Moses has served as Project Manager – Financial Inclusion for the GraceKennedy Financial Group (GKFG) since October 2017.  Prior to his current role he has held several positions since he joined GraceKennedy in March 2011 as Corporate Planner for the GraceKennedy Financial Group. In April 2015, he was transferred to First Global Bank in the capacity of Customer Strategy & Business Intelligence Officer and then in January 2016, he was promoted to Assistant Manager – Customer Strategy, Products & Performance Management.

Mr Moses currently serves as President of the Southern Conference Basketball Association, a Jamaican basketball league which has been in existence for nearly 30 years. The SCBA League provides recreational and competitive activity for close to 530 young men from 30 teams based in and around the Corporate Area and the parish of St. Catherine. The League promotes community integration and participation in yearly personal development activities and is facilitated by over 100 support staff consisting of coaches, statisticians and club administrative personnel. The League has also assisted approximately 530 young men to access scholarships to local and overseas colleges. Mr Moses also serves on the board of the Jamaica Basketball Association (JABA).

Mr Moses holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Economics and Marketing, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management; both from the University of Tampa.  He is a past student of St George’s College.

Suzanne Stanley

Director

Suzanne Stanley was appointed a Director of Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation on December 8, 2020.

Ms Stanley has served as the Head of Corporate Communications for GraceKennedy since July 2020. Prior to joining GraceKennedy, she spent over 10 years at the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), where she served as Programme Director between 2010 and 2015, Deputy CEO between 2015 and 2017, and as CEO between 2018 and 2020. In her capacity as CEO of JET, she was responsible for strategic planning, oversight and development of the organization. Her tenure at JET also involved communication management, public and media relations and she was instrumental in the creative direction of numerous environmental campaigns.

Ms Stanley currently serves as a Director on the Board of JET and the Jamaica Musical Theatre Company (JMTC).

Ms Stanley holds a Master of Science in Environmental Change and Management with distinction from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Science in Geography with a minor in Geology (first class) from The University of the West Indies, Mona. She is an alumnus of the Georgetown Leadership Seminar, Georgetown University and a Certified Change Practitioner and her academic writing has been published in Environmental Policy and Practice in the Caribbean (UWI Press).

Kaydene DeSilva

Director

Kaydene DeSilva was appointed a Director of the Grace &
Staff Community Development Foundation on December 8, 2020.

She currently serves as Senior Human Resource Officer at Key Insurance Company Limited, a position she has held since GraceKennedy’s acquisition of Key in March 2020.

Miss DeSilva joined the GK Family when she was selected from over 750 applicants as one of 10 candidates to participate in GK’s inaugural Internship Programme in March 2013. Upon the successful completion of her internship, she was hired fulltime as an HR Associate in 2014. Following the establishment of GraceKennedy’s HR Shared Service Centre (HRSSC) in March 2016, Miss DeSilva was appointed Human Resource Officer, GK Corporate & HRSSC. Then in January 2017 she was appointed Talent Development Officer.  In that role, she provided support for the implementation of the Group’s talent management initiatives and programmes.

Miss DeSilva has a passion for helping people. She has always been an active participant in events held by the Grace & Staff and GraceKennedy Foundations. She is also involved in church activities, women’s ministry and the Acts of Grace Foundation. She enjoys planning events, traveling and spending time with her loved ones.

She holds a Master of Science in Human Resource Management and Training from the University of Leicester and a Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Dominican University in Illinois.

Tamara Thompson

Director

Tamara Thompson was appointed as a Director of the Board of Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation on December 8, 2020.

Mrs Thompson is the General Manager of Grace Foods & Services (GFS) and Consumer Brands Limited (CBL), having been appointed to the role in 2019 by the Group CEO after profitably running World Brands Services (WBS) and CBL.

Mrs Thompson’s career at GraceKennedy started in 1996 where she began as a Manager-in-training in the Foods Division. Throughout her tenure Mrs Thompson has performed in several key areas of GraceKennedy’s business including sales, product management, and trade marketing. In March 2012 while serving as Food Service Manager of Grace Foods & Services Company (GFS), she was seconded to WBS to serve in the post of General Manager. Following the acquisition of CBL by GraceKennedy in July 2017, Mrs Thompson assumed oversight management responsibility of the CBL portfolio, in addition to her role as General Manager of WBS. Over the years, she has built a solid reputation in the business for returning consistent double-digit profits.

She is also known as being a very caring individual, who frequently volunteers with the Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation. A past student of Immaculate Conception High School, Mrs Thompson holds an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) from Florida International University (FIU) and has participated extensively in training courses in Leadership Development, Managing Diversity in a Global Company, and Coaching for Excellence.

She is also a certified Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Professional and is a subject matter expert on mitigation of food safety risk in food manufacturing and distribution.

Rory Burchenson

Director

Rory Burchenson was appointed a Director of the Board of Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation on December 8, 2020.

Mr Burchenson is Head of Digital Transformation for GraceKennedy Money Services (GKMS). Since joining GraceKennedy in February 2018, he has spearheaded transformational programmes in business intelligence, new website launches for GKMS, process improvement, and digital staff engagement. Before joining GraceKennedy, Mr Burchenson was the Innovation and Digital Marketing Manager for Red Stripe where he led the development and launch of Red Stripe Sorrel, Red Stripe Lemon and many other innovations that saw record revenue growth for the company.

A past student of Wolmer’s Trust High School for Boys, Mr Burchenson is currently pursuing his Master of Science Degree in Business Intelligence and Big Data. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Human Resource Management from The University of the West Indies and multiple certifications in Mobile Marketing, Project Management, Consumer Logic, Innovation, and Agile Leadership. Giving back is a way of life for Mr Burchenson who hails from the small community of Dallas Castle in East Rural St Andrew.

Working with people to become their best selves has helped him to foster his purpose in life, in keeping with his personal mantra – “Every breakthrough starts with a belief.”

Robert Arthurs

Director

Robert Arthurs became a Director of the Board of Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation on December 8, 2020.

Mr Arthurs has worked alongside senior management within the GraceKennedy Foods Division for eight years. He joined GraceKennedy in March 2013 as an Accounts Receivables Clerk at the Grace Food Processors Division in Savanna-la-Mar. He was subsequently promoted to Inventory Cost Controller in October 2013. In September 2016 he was transferred to GraceKennedy Limited where he was appointed Business Auditor. He now serves as an Accountant for GK Foods in the Central Finance Unit (CFU).

From an early age, Mr Arthurs recognised that “It is not about the resources you have access to but how resourceful you can be to the neediest among us.” He has been involved in several charitable projects, including the distribution of tablets to Jamaican high school students and groceries to parts of rural Jamaica. In 2019 Mr Arthurs was involved in a three-part project team which distributed over 200 lunches to the less fortunate. He has also conducted devotional sessions at the SOS Children’s Village in St Andrew and provided lunch and care packages to children at the Mount Zion House of Refuge Children’s Home.

Mr Arthurs holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, Finance & Banking from The University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech).

Kimberley Lue Lim

Director

Kimberley Lue Lim was appointed Director of the Board of Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation on December 8, 2020. She also serves as a mentor and volunteer with the Foundation.

Miss Lue Lim is a Global Category Manager at GraceKennedy Foods with over 10 years of experience in international brand marketing, advertising and product management. She leads the development of global campaigns, drives product innovation projects and executes results-oriented programmes to extract brand growth for GraceKennedy.

Aside from her focus on brand building, Miss Lue Lim has a passion for Jamaica and aims to contribute to its continued development by harnessing its growth potential through its people and unmatched culture. She has years of experience in diaspora engagement, having volunteered with the Jamaica Consulate on special projects. She has also served in positions of leadership for organizations such as Jamaica Impact, Inc., a New York-based charitable non-profit organization which consists of a diverse group of Jamaican professionals and friends of Jamaica.

A graduate of Immaculate Conception High School for Girls, Miss Lue Lim holds a Master of Science Degree in Global Affairs: Private Sector, International Business and Economic Development from New York University.

Secretariat

  • CEO – Sandrina Davis – 876 932 3028
  • Counsellor – Dr Curtis Sweeney – 876 932 3501
  • Accountant – Bronia Sinclair – 876 932 3266
  • Field Officer – Michelle Peters-Mullings – 876 932 3503
  • Field Officer – Tameica Lewis – 876 932 3526
  • Field Officer – Marjaalaine Francis – 876 932 3457
  • Project Officer – Daniel Jarrett – 876 932 3504
  • STEM Administrator – Yvonne Eubank 876 932 3504
  • Administrative Assistant – Yanique Clarke – 876 932 3036

Email: graceandstaff@gkco.com

Location

The secretariat is located at 2 Duke Street (Corner of Duke & Harbour Street – entrance on Harbour Street).