August 3rd, 2018 -- He ran fast! He jumped high! He capitalized on his prowess here to secure an athletic scholarship at Boise State University. He is Kenrick Clifton. While at Boise State, he even made the ALL American Football Freshman team. Equally compelling is the fact that most of his professional has been extended to high level government service – first in St. Kitts as the youngest permanent secretary, to his current role as Randolph Town Council President.
Kenrick W. Clifton, affectionately known as Ken, was born on the island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean. Ken’s story is an immigrant story. In his early teens, he moved to America. Ken is grateful for the opportunities and successes with which he has been blessed.
As a youngster, Ken set high standards and showed early signs of promise and a commitment to excellence. This propelled him to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Boise State University (Idaho), a Master’s Degree in Government and International Relations from Queens College in New York, a Certificate in Investment Appraisal from Harvard University. He also graduated with First Class Honors from Wolverhampton Law School in the UK and secured his Post-graduate Legal Education from Norman Manley Law School (Jamaica) and the Inns of Court School of Law, Europe’s premier legal institution. He has been admitted to the Bar of both the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and England and Wales.
During his stint working for the Government of St. Kitts & Nevis, Ken also played a vital role in the Kennedy Simmonds administration. He started his career in 1982 as an Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, served as Director of Investment Promotions from 1987, and in 1990, became the youngest ever Permanent Secretary in the nation’s history. He also represented St. Kitts and Nevis at the United Nations and in Washington, DC. Highlights of his distinguished career at that time include his role in the reclamation of the Basseterre Harbour which became known as Port Zante and also the opening of the South-East Peninsula road, the Kennedy Simmonds Highway.
From an early age, Ken showed athletic promise in his hometown of Sandy Point, St. Kitts. He captained the Sandy Point High School’s soccer, cricket and track and field teams. He was most dominant in track and field and at one point or another, he held literally every male track and field record. Today, some 42 years later, he still holds the SPHS Class II high jump record of 6 feet 2 inches. On a national level, he held the 400 meter record of 46.85 seconds for over two decades, and he was also a pioneer in the administration of track and field having founded the Sandy Point B’s Etonics in the 1980s, served as the country’s National Athletic Coach and elected as a President of the St. Kitts & Nevis Amateur Athletic Association (SKNAAA).
Ken attended Boise State University in Idaho, USA on an academic and athletic scholarship. In track, he held the Big Sky Conference 400m record and was named to the Freshman All-American football team. He also participated in the World Athletic Championships held in Helsinki, Finland in 1983 with the likes of Carl Lewis and Florence Griffith Joyner.
Ken is also a prolific writer on legal, educational and political issues. He has published scholarly articles including the “The Separation of Powers,” “Caribbean Court of Justice: How participatory is our democracy”; “Electoral reform: an idea whose time has come”; and “The Independence of the Judiciary.”
In the United States, Ken ran for the Randolph Town Council in 2008 and was successful against better-known candidates. Since then, he has been re-elected to office unopposed or with resounding majorities. He has become known for his passionate, vociferous and tireless work and representation on behalf of his constituents.
Undoubtedly, he is committed to empowering the Randolph community by using his talents, skills and resources. Ken Clifton embodies the spirit and qualities of exceptional leadership. This earned him recognition and many prominent awards, including the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Award, the Kittitian American Benevolent Association (KABA) Award (New York), the Philipino American Association (PAMAS) Recognition. As a result of his sterling leadership qualities, Ken was unanimously elected by his town council colleagues to be the Council’s President and to be the Town Council Representative on the School Committee. In a recent Facebook post congratulating Ken on his accomplishments, the Rev. Kirk Byron Jones’ description of Councillor Clifton was quite adept. Rev. Jones noted, “He is as humble and kind as he is skillful and effective.”
In 2010, when the horrific earthquake struck Haiti, Councillor Clifton was very effective in helping to mobilize the town to bring relief to the Haitian community. He was a co-founder of “Randolph for Haiti” which sent two delegations including doctors and nurses to Haiti and trailer loads of food, clothing, medical supplies and other necessities to the island.
Other exceptional efforts by Councillor Clifton include: his leadership in fighting against the Holbrook Transfer Station; his work with the Philippine community especially during the aftermath of earthquake Haiyan; his work with the youth; his efforts with the homeless students of the Randolph Public Schools; his work with the Clergy including organizing Thanksgiving Dinner for the Seniors of Randolph; his collaboration with Town Manager and the Council to ensure Women-owned and Minority-owned businesses get opportunities on town projects; his work with DOVE to tackle the issue of domestic violence plaguing the community; and his outreach efforts to the various cultural groups to improve and enhance collaboration amongst all residents of Randolph.
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