Overview

Final Nominations (updated as of November 11, 2003)

President:

Vice President:

Treasurer:

Secretary:

Membership Chair:

Candidate Bios

Heather Anderson - Nominee, President

“When you learn, teach. When you get, give.”
-Dr. Maya Angelou

Heather Anderson has been the Director of Operation for the Haitian Women’s Program in Brooklyn, New York since March 2002. Haitian Women’s Program, is a 22 year old nonprofit organization which serves the growing health, education, housing, legal and other social service needs of Haitian and other Caribbean immigrants. In this role she has oversight of key program areas which include; human resource development, contract management, program evaluation, grant writing and strategic program development. Heather has more than 5 years of experience in planning and administering programs in the nonprofit sector in the United States and the Caribbean. She has also worked in the legislative arena in Washington on Capital Hill as well as at the United Nations.

Heather has been actively involved in Jampact for two years. She has contributed to the legislative agenda of the Think Tank Committee as well as provided sound professional advice to other active committees such as Fundraising and Membership. Heather’s overall mission if elected is to build Jampact’s organizational infrastructure and help the membership to refocus on its mission of contributing to the policy debate in Jamaica in a more meaningful and realistic way, expand charitable giving to reflect the diverse demographic of the JAMPACT membership, create an environment that will retain current members and increase future membership.

Heather is an avid reader, traveler, tennis player, and carnival enthusiast.

Meredith Chase-Mitchell - Nominee, Membership Chair

Meredith Chase-Mitchell, born in Brooklyn New York and raised on Long Island, has devoted her professional career to the not for profit sector for the past 5 years. After earning her BA in Political Science from Adelphi University and her MA in Urban Affairs from the City University of New York at Queens College, she has worked with populations that are underserved and under represented. Meredith completed a year of law school outside of Boston and after her first year realized that she preferred working with the public one on one. She returned to New York City and has utilized her educational background to spearhead numerous programs that have provided services to homeless adults in NYC, children in the South Bronx, Public Assistance recipients in Brooklyn and most recently incarcerated women in NYC. Her expertise lies in program development and implementation. She was an invited speaker on a panel at Medgar Evers College in the Career Leadership Institute on careers in Public Administration in spring 2003 and fall 2003 and facilitated mock interviews for the Career Management office. She has also volunteered extensively throughout NYC in conjunction with her full time obligations.

In addition to these feats Meredith is an active member of community organizations such as Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc, of which she serves as the North east Region PR chair, The Legal Association of Women, of which she served as president for the 2000-2001 fiscal year, and Jampact- a not for profit organization that makes positive contributions towards the improvement of social and economic conditions in Jamaica.

Keisha-Gaye Graham - Nominee, Vice President

Upon arriving in New York from Jamaica in the fall of 1997, I thought it would have been a struggle to maintain a strong connection with the Jamaican community. However, I soon realized that this would not be the case. In the spring of 1998, I began working as a cashier with Golden Krust Bakery while attending fulltime classes at Baruch College. I quickly found myself assuming such roles as payroll and store manager, and yes, even baker. Day to day I was engaging other Jamaicans in New York. It felt, in many ways, as if I had not left the shores of Jamaica. This experience made me realize that I could remain as connected to my homeland as I wanted to be.

While at Baruch, I continued to explore other employment opportunities. These included positions at Emigrant Savings Bank and Cullen & Dykman law firm. I graduated from Baruch in 2002, and since then I have worked as an analyst with TIAA-CREF. TIAA-CREF is a not-for-profit organization, and one of the largest pension fund companies in the world.

Unlike most members, my involvement in JAMPACT began while I was still a senior in college. I have been a member of JAMPACT for the past three years, and over this time I have worked on the Membership, Fundraising and Think Tank Committees. Most recently, I worked with the Think Tank Committee, where I played an integral role in planning and launching our last panel discussion, ‘Fueling the Entrepreneurial Spirit’. During my time as a member, I have seen the organization grow in membership and strength, and I have also experienced some growth of my own. I wholeheartedly believe that as a member of the executive, working alongside a committed and dynamic team, and our talented and diverse membership, we will continue to fulfill JAMPACT’S mission with unwavering loyalty. Our Diaspora plays a vital role in Jamaica’s future, and JAMPACT needs to be at the forefront of this charge. Together we can make a tremendous impact on Jamaica’s survival and success in this global economy.

Horace Grant - Nominee, Vice President
At Work:

Previous Education:
Yale University, BA in History (2002)
Senior Thesis: Persistent Colonialism: The Plantation Economy, Bauxite and Socio-Economic Change in 1960s Jamaica
Other Academic interests: Considerable Coursework in the Departments of Ethnicity, Race & Migration; and Economics.

Extracurricular Involvement include:
President, Yale College Caribbean Club

While I officially joined the JamPact family in the Fall of 2002, I have had a sporadic relationship with the group as a periodic visitor and participant in a number of Christmas Basic School visits. Having moved to New York last year, I have been afforded greater opportunity to participate and contribute more regularly and am currently working within the Think Tank Committee to complete the third of our series of Panel Discussions on Development in Jamaica.
I believe that my professional work within History gives me a perspective that allows me to fit JamPact’s relationship with Civil Society and the government within a broad historical perspective. This has shaped my commitment to ensuring that JamPact is not merely a conduit of the government’s message but is instead an independent voice and alternate venue for discussion on the Jamaican situation. My status as a graduate student, has made me especially attuned to the question of cost sustained a commitment to making the organization more affordable and more appealing to all Jamaicans.

Michael Robinson - Nominee, President
(Current JAMPACT Fundraising Co-Chair)

Michael Robinson is recent graduate of Columbia Business School, where he now serves as Assistant Director of MBA Admissions with a focus on Minority Recruiting. Prior to his tenure in higher education, Mr. Robinson ran an independent music publicity firm specializing in hip-hop and Caribbean music. During the firm's seven-year existence, Mr. Robinson represented some of the biggest names in contemporary reggae and soca music including reggae stars Buju Banton and Shaggy, and soca star Machel Montano. He worked closely with VP Records, the largest distributor of Caribbean based music in North America. Mr. Robinson has extensive ties to Caribbean American media outlets and has served as a media consultant for the Caribbean Broadcast Union. Mr. Robinson also worked for Panasonic's Strategic Alliances Group as a Business Development Analyst. There he assessed potential joint ventures by creating financial models, which assessed the economic viability of proposed strategic relationships between Panasonic and its potential partners.

Aduke Thelwell - Nominee, Secretary

A recent addition to the Jampact family, Aduke Thelwell is a recent Swarthmore College graduate and former Jamaica Government Scholar who brings with her considerable enthusiasm and commitment to service. While at Campion College, Aduke served as President of the Interact Service Club, helping to raise JA$80,000 for victims of the 1999 hurricane in Honduras, organizing the monthly feeding of 80 homeless persons and boosting the club's membership by over 80 percent during her tenure. For these and other service contributions, Aduke was, at the age of 18, honored by Rotary International with a Paul Harris International Fellowship.

In college, Aduke cofounded the Swarthmore Rotaract Service Club, serving as the organization's Secretary and then President. As President, Aduke organized fundraisers for a children's home and battered woman's shelter, coordinated an international exchange that sent a Rotaractor to Spain for a year, and more than doubled her membership body.

Aduke is currently employed as a Research Associate at NERA Economic Consulting. She has both the time and energy to dedicate to Jampact, and offers' several creative ideas: "As an experienced webmaster, I'd like to see the aesthetics and usefulness of the Jampact website improved; since the site is the communications hub of the organization, an online message board is also a necessary addition. Because I understand that high membership turnover is an issue, I think it is time to start sending automated reminders to members who miss three consecutive meetings. Jampact is a wonderful organization and we need to make it easier for people to stay involved."

Sharon E. Watson - Nominee, Treasurer

Education:
Hunter College - Bachelor of Science, Accounting – cum laude

Occupation:
Accountant

Affiliations:
Jampact Think Tank Committee
National Association of Black Accountants
American Society of Notaries

Summary of qualifications:
Born and raised in Portland, Jamaica, in a close-knit family, where hard work, integrity and honesty were instilled at an early age.

Attained a Bachelors of Science Degree in Accounting from Hunter College, with Honors.

Currently a Finance Manager with a private, not-for-profit fund. With over ten years progressive experience in the accounting field, I will bring a great deal of knowledge, enthusiasm and dedication to this role.

I am an active member of Jampact and truly dedicated to the organization’s values and mission statement. I am also actively involved with the National Association of Black Accountants, where we sponsored a Harlem Little League Baseball Team, for the first time this spring. We also coordinate various events, i.e. clothing drives and food drives throughout the year, with different community based groups.

With my background in finance , I will do everything to ensure the integrity and transparency of Jampact’s financial resources.

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