Annual celebration to be held under the theme “Rooted in Service, Grounded in Giving Back”
BRONX, New York - The 2026 SPBS Dr. Stewart O. Williams Annual Awards Gala will be held on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Maestro’s Catering Hall in the Bronx, New York. The event will be presented under the theme “Rooted in Service, Grounded in Giving Back” and will take place under the distinguished patronage of Dr. Irvin Sweeney and Mrs. Vernice “Debbie” Williams, widow of SPBS founder and president Dr. Stewart Williams. Dr. Maurice Duggins will deliver the keynote address.
Distinguished Patron: Dr. Irvin Sweeney
Dr. Irvin Sweeney is a respected educator, community leader, diplomat, administrator, and mentor whose service has touched generations in St. Kitts and Nevis and abroad. He has served as National Youth Skills Director, Special Assistant to the Minister of Education and Youth Affairs, and diplomat at the Embassy of St. Kitts and Nevis in Washington, D.C. He now resides in New Jersey, where he is Associate Dean of Campus Operations and Retention at Camden County College.
A proud son of the “De Village” community in St. Kitts, Dr. Sweeney credits organizations such as the Life Boys, Boys’ Brigade, and YSCS with shaping his character and direction. After losing his mother at age 12 and facing limited financial resources, he pursued his goals with determination, using his leadership and talents to create opportunities for himself and others.
Dr. Sweeney also made lasting contributions to sports and community development. He represented St. Kitts in football, won five national table tennis championships, captained Santos Football Club, and served on the executive committees of the St. Kitts Cricket Association and St. Kitts Table Tennis Association. During St. Kitts and Nevis’ “golden age of volunteering,” he helped mobilize young people and community groups to support community centers, sporting facilities, and national projects.
His cultural impact has been equally significant. After winning the St. Kitts Calypso Monarch competition in 1970 at age 18, he introduced the Basseterre Junior High School Calypso Competition and later helped establish the first National Youth Calypso Competition. He won the national crown again in 1975 and placed among the top three in twelve of fourteen consecutive National Calypso Monarch finals while mentoring young Calypsonians.
Dr. Sweeney’s public service includes his candidacy for the People’s Action Movement in the 1984 Federal Parliamentary Elections and later appointments as Special Assistant to the Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Community Affairs and National Director of the Youth Skills Training Program. During a seven-year diplomatic assignment in Washington, D.C., he was accredited to the United States, the World Bank, the United Nations, and the Organization of American States, serving as Minister Counselor and Chargé d’Affaires from January 1994 to July 1995. His lifelong commitment to education, mentorship, and community development makes him a fitting patron of the SPBS Awards Gala.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Maurice L. Duggins
Dr. Maurice L. Duggins, the evening’s keynote speaker, is a board-certified family physician and healthcare leader dedicated to clinical excellence, medical education, and service to underserved communities. Born and raised in Sandy Point, St. Kitts, he moved with his family to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, in 1978. He later attended Sterling College in Kansas, earned a Bachelor of Science degree, and received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 1993.
After completing his Family Medicine Residency in Wichita, Kansas, Dr. Duggins began serving the Wichita community as a family physician and Medical Director of the Center for Health and Wellness, a safety-net clinic for underserved populations.
In 2002, he joined Ascension Via Christi Health’s Family Medicine Residency Program as a faculty member, deepening his work in community medicine and medical education.
For more than two decades, Dr. Duggins has trained medical students and resident physicians while serving as a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. His research and scholarly work have addressed childhood obesity, chronic disease management, and health disparities, reflecting his commitment to improving care and health outcomes.
Dr. Duggins has also held major leadership roles across the medical profession. He has chaired hospital committees, led the Family Maternal Child Committee, and served as President of the Via Christi Medical Staff in 2009 and 2010. In 2023, his peers elected him President of the Medical Society of Sedgwick County. He currently serves as Chief Medical Officer of Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph, providing executive leadership in patient care, physician engagement, quality improvement, and clinical excellence.
As keynote speaker, Dr. Duggins will reflect on his journey from Sandy Point, St. Kitts, to respected physician, educator, and healthcare executive. His story reflects the power of education, perseverance, leadership, and service. Along with the distinguished patronage of Dr. Irvin Sweeney and Mrs. Vernice Williams, his presence will help make the SPBS Awards Gala a meaningful celebration of achievement and community impact.
About SPBS
SPBS is committed to honoring the legacy of Sandy Point, strengthening connections across the St. Kitts and Nevis diaspora, and supporting service-driven leadership, education, cultural pride, and community advancement. Through the Dr. Stewart O. Williams Annual Awards Gala, SPBS recognizes excellence, uplifts emerging talent, and celebrates individuals whose contributions reflect the enduring spirit of giving back.
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