The new Barbados government has announced changes to some of its heads of diplomatic missions including the island’s representative here in New York where Oral ‘Mackie’ Holder will replace Donna Hunte-Cox.
Several new appointments were announced at the end of August at which time Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Jerome Walcott, said that they will be part of the team supporting the island’s restoration and transformation programme and would play an integral role in engaging the world in the pursuit of Barbados’ growth and development objectives.
“We will do this using our tools of diplomacy, advocacy and representation. We will work to rebuild confidence in Barbados and to restore the country’s image and reputation internationally.
“We will strengthen Barbados’ partnerships in the bilateral, regional and international arena and seek to optimise the benefits that Barbados gains from these engagements…Finally, we will ensure that Barbados’ global diaspora becomes and is treated as a valuable asset,” Government Information Services reported Walcott saying.
Bajan New Yorkers will have in their new consul general, a man who was a personal assistant to former prime minister, Owen Arthur, and has been described as a shrewd strategist and political organiser.
He was deeply involved in culture having participated competitively in Crop Over for some 21 years producing an award-winning band, ‘Wednesday 2000.’
The consul general at New York is also a professional marketing consultant, speech writer, event planner, author and publisher will serve Bajan diaspora.
The full list of appointments announced is: High Commissioner-designate to Canada, Reginald Farley; Permanent Representative-designate to the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations (UN) office at Geneva, Chad Blackman; Ambassador-designate to CARICOM, David Comissiong; Consul General-designate at New York, Oral Holder;
Consul General-designate at Miami, Neval Greenidge; Consul General-designate at Toronto, Sonia Marville-Carter; and Deputy High Commissioner-designate at London, Reverend Charles Morris.
The new heads of overseas missions will take up their posts in early October.
Barbados’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Elizabeth Thompson, has already assumed duties.
Another of the recent appointments is Noel Lynch as ambassador to the United States.
