BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WITH an eye on citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis who, for the first half of 2015, have made significant contributions that have elevated our national identity and pride, SKNVibes has selected 10 such persons of various professions.
The list of names chosen is SKNVibes’ desire to highlight and honour those individuals. However, the order in which they appear is not to measure their individual contribution, but as an acknowledgement of it.
One may however question why Kim Collins is the first name mentioned. But the answer is quite simple, for he is the only one among them with the most recent outstanding contribution to St. Kitts and Nevis.
He is our national sprint king, a household name and undoubtedly the most popular individual of the twin-island Federation, globally.
Born on April 5, 1976, Collins is a track star who came to prominence in 2003 when he won the 100m at the IAAF World Championships in Paris.
Like fine wine, Collins is mellowing with age and has proven to the world that age is just a number, as he had dominated all of the 60-metre events for this year, setting a personal best and national record of 6.47 seconds in Poland.
The sprint icon’s incredible performance did not stop there; for just four days ago he maintained his title as the Federation’s ‘Sprint King’ when he clocked 9.98 seconds in the 100m Finals at the National Junior and Senior Championships held at the Stadium named in his honour.
At that meet, he also clocked 9.94 seconds in the first of the 100m heats; however, it did not count as a new national record because the wind was over the legal limit.
The six-time Calypso Monarch and Electrical and Computer Engineer, the Hon. Konris Maynard is another of SKNVibes’ choice.
It was no surprise to many when the West Basseterre Constituency Branch of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party announced on Monday, September 23, 2013 that he was the area representative, filling the void left by Sam Condor who joined with Dr. Timothy Harris to form a new political party called the People’s Labour Party (PLP).
Maynard contested the February 16 General Elections and surprisingly unseated Condor, who had been the Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Number Three since 1989, thus making him the current youngest Member of Parliament.
Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris was also selected, and this was based on his success at the February 16 General Elections as Leader of the tri-party coalition Team Unity, which won seven of the 11 seats.
Former Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas had stripped Dr. Harris of his ministerial portfolios on January 25, 2013 because of his open opposition to two government-sponsored Bills, his refusal to say he would vote on the 2013 Budget and the No Confidence Motion filed by the Opposition, as well as his purported involvement in activism that undermined the government.
Since then, Dr. Harris had formed the PLP and, together with the People’s Action Movement and the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), had seen a change of government in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Nationals in the political profession are again mentioned on this list as three more of them are being featured.
Nevis’ Deputy Premier the Hon. Mark Brantley, who is also Deputy Leader of the CCM, entered the political arena following the death of Malcolm Guishard in June 2007. Guishard was the Parliamentary Representative for Nevis Nine and also Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition in the House of Parliament.
On Monday, August 27, 2007, the Attorney-at-Law contested and won the Nevis By-Election against then Deputy Premier Hensley Daniel of the Nevis Reformation Party and took over both positions that Guishard held.
For many years he had been carrying a relentless battle against the Dr. Douglas-led Labour Party Administration as well as the Joseph Parry-led Nevis Island Administration at the parliamentary level and also at his weekly talk show...‘On The Mark’.
Following Team Unity’s victory at the polls, in addition to his portfolios on Nevis, Brantley was appointed Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation.
Premier Amory has been involved in politics since the formation of the CCM in 1987 and has been a Member of Parliament for some 26 years. He was advocating for more autonomy for Nevis so that Nevisians would have full control over the island’s affairs.
He became that island’s Premier in 1993, lost that position in the 2006 Local Elections to Joseph Parry but regained in 2013.
Like Brantley, Premier Parry’s portfolios have increased. He was appointed Senior Minister and Minister of Nevis Affairs, Labour, Social Security and Ecclesiastical Affairs.
Also from the political profession is Senator Wendy Phipps. She is the former Executive Director of the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce and, apart from her political persuasions, is known to be an individual who for many years has been championing the rights of women.
Phipps has always been an advocate for gender equality and was highly praised by many women in the Federation, including members of the Business and Professional Women Club of St. Kitts, who all believe that she is now in a better position to champion their cause.
The Hon. Wendy Phipps was appointed Minister of State with responsibility for Health, Community Development, Gender Affairs and Social Services.
This individual is not a politician. He is the popular real estate developer Deon Daniel, Managing Director of Deon & Associates Ltd., who had taken his passion for community development in his native Nevis to unrivalled proportions over the past two decades.
His career in this prestigious field of work was launched in 1995 and five years after he took a giant’s step in the construction of luxury villas.
He started building homes in Paradise Estate for clients seeking a quiet and peaceful dwelling place to relax. That project had seen the completion of some 30 homes. However, in an effort to keep up with the growing market and the need for more upscale properties, Daniel had embarked on the Fern Hill Estate Villa Development which boasts 50 deluxe homes.
He then moved on to be the first to construct condominiums on the island, which form part of what is known as the Nelson Spring Beach Villas and Spa. The 24 units share a fitness centre, office building, pool, beach bar and spa, among other amenities.
Daniel capped this off with a 10-building, 79-unit three-storey complex known as the Hamilton Beach Villas & Spa. It is positioned on almost six acres of land with amenities that include travertine tiled floors and bathroom walls, granite kitchens, modern stainless appliances rooftop terraces overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
For his work in real estate and the development of Nevis, Deon Daniel was globally recognised and was inducted in the Premiere International “Who’s Who” Hall of Fame in 2010. Three months later in the said year, he received the Caribbean Travel and Living Award and was named Developer of the Year in 2013.
Kimoy Braithwaite of Tabernacle Village was chosen for her humanitarian service rendered to countless individuals on a weekly basis.
Every Saturday, under any weather, Braithwaite prepares a large quantity of food within her home and distributes it to those who are in need within the Tabernacle, Parsons and Saddlers Villages.
This humanitarian gesture has its genesis in what Braithwaite experienced as a teenage parent, and she is of the very strong view that no one should go hungry. On most occasions, she is financially supported by her loving and very considerate husband.
Eldina Farrell of Jessups Village in Nevis is another of SKNVibes’ choice.
This retired nurse is still actively involved in all things health wise. Colloquially speaking, she is the go-to-person for counselling and information on both communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Nurse Farrell, as she is fondly called, is highly respected in her community as well as neighbouring villages and never turns away anyone who seeks her advice.
And lastly is another person from Nevis.
This individual is an Attorney-at-Law and a businessman, who has created employment for many of Nevis’ youth, both skilled and unskilled and even some without work experience.
He is currently constructing what is known as the Tamarind Cove Marina Development at Cades Bay Estate on the west coast of Nevis, and among his employees are a relatively large number of individuals attached to the People Employment.
Construction started in the first quarter of 2012 and, on completion, it will include an 80-100 slip marina for yachts of all sizes, high-end living accommodation, a yacht-club with a lounge, a pool, a restaurant and a members-only casino.
The project is slated to create over 100 permanent jobs on completion and will endeavour to have an all-local employ, except in cases where required skills are unavailable within the local workforce.
This generous Attorney-at-Law, businessman and investor is Gregory Hardtman.
