BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – KITTITIAN Kenrick Clifton was officially sworn in to office yesterday (Jan. 4) as District 1 councilman of Randolph, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston.
The ceremony was held at the Historic Stetson Hall, a landmark in the state of Massachusetts. An audience of senators, congressmen, mayors and other officials, including a representative from the Massachusetts Governor's office, convened to witness the swearing in of the proud Sandy Pointer following his sweeping victory in the September 15 district elections.
Speaking to SKNVibes, Clifton said he feels honoured and humbled by his accomplishment, being the first man of colour to assume such a position in the town’s 220-year history. Though there are many challenges ahead, he said he is confident that he is prepared to address them and enhance the lives of his constituents.
“I attribute my victory to a number of factors, including the values learned at home, the training and experience in civil service, the inspiration of my teachers and other elders in the community of Sandy Point and my global experience, which includes training and work experience on different continents. My campaign got off to a good start, as I was able to distinguish myself in the televised debates, interviews and other forums,” he said.
Campaigning from a platform of ‘Change Randolph for the better’, the accomplished Sandy Pointer has a number of objectives to achieve in the short to medium term. He informed that one of the major pillars of his service will be education, specifically as it relates to closing the achievement gaps between ethnic groups.
“One of the issues has been the fact that students of colour have not been performing as well as their counterparts and I think that needs to be addressed. I will also be fighting for more diversity and inclusion in government because it is my view that the government should reflect the community which it serves,” Clifton said.
Other areas of priority include fiscal responsibility, attracting and expanding business and reaching out to the youth and senior citizens – issues that led the way in his 2009 campaign.
“One of my dreams is to help cultivate closer relations between SKN and the greater Boston area, which has the best universities and best medical facilities in the world. My family and I were extremely delighted to have received a congratulatory message from Mr. Lindsay Grant, political leader of the PAM and the Hon. Shawn Richards, Parliamentary Representative from my home town of Sandy Point,” he added.
Clifton served as an attorney and spent nearly 13 years as a Permanent Secretary in the St. Kitts-Nevis government before he set up permanent residence in the US in 2001. He also served a brief stint as an Adjunct Professor of Constitutional Law and Government at Quincy College.
