BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - NO dark clouds hovered above. The sky was blue and clear. The day was beautifully sunny. And, the ceremony to bid farewell to Dr. Hermia Morton-Anthony, the first President of the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC), was fittingly just as bright, sunny and beautiful on Thursday, August 29, 2013.
One after the other, deans, faculty members, students, government officials and administrators, took to the rostrum, to heap accolades on Dr. Anthony, who assumed the role of President of the CFBC from 2011 to 2013.
Dr. Anthony appeared satisfied that she was demitting the office of President, having brought the college to a more advanced place, on the brink of accreditation, but not there just yet.
While she thanked all her collaborators, she beamed with pride, as she handed over the symbols of the office of the President, the medallion and the key, to Deputy Chair of the CFBC Board of Governors, Reverend Canon Isaiah Phillip.
“I know the act of leaving is often compared to baton passing. If you’ve ever watched a relay race, the most important moment of that race is the passing of the baton; the art of handing off the baton is quite a spectacular event,” Dr. Anthony said.
“I have tried to create an environment for and of learning, one that fosters tolerance and nurtures the plurality of people’s ideas, one in which we become conscious of the causes of environmental decadence and the courage to reduce the carbon footprint. Sonis-web and Moodle are some of these things that will help us.
“I remain humbled and heartened by the enriching experience of students’ candor and I would like our staff to continue to encourage this forthrightness, for it is in these moments that flashes of leadership can spark a student movement that is so needed in this institution,” Dr. Anthony said.
Dr. Anthony wished Dr. Kelvin Daly, the new and second President of the CFBC, a “meteoric rise” and said that she knew that he would convert his good agricultural practices (GAP) into good academic practices (GAP).
Dr. Daly thanked Dr. Anthony and lauded her for the work she had done as his predecessor.
The Deans of the CFBC, in paying their tribute, referred to Dr. Anthony as an extraordinary woman.
She is a feminist at heart.
Dean of Adult and Continuing Education (ACE), Mrs. Joan Phillip said Dr. Anthony has “a strong personality” and that she is “persevering”. She recounted a time in school when Dr. Anthony beat her in the long jump, although she has much longer legs than Dr. Anthony.
Ms. Wanda Hughes, Dean of Arts, Sciences and General Studies (ASGS), said that Dr. Anthony was “genuinely student friendly”.
“She had the ability to get things done and knew how to manipulate situations when she needed to; she was ruthless when necessary and took off the velvet gloves to knock over obstacles, doing it with her signature smile without raising her voice,” Ms. Hughes said.
“Dr. Anthony was one who jumped off many a cliff and built her wings on the way down because she was most definitely a risk-taker. She took risks beyond measure, always with a strong sense of the bigger picture and with a student-focused outcome in mind. Students were always the beneficiaries of her risk-taking endeavours,” Mrs. Shirley Kelly, Dean of Health Sciences, said.
“So Dr. Anthony, on behalf of the Health Science Division, I wish to express heartfelt thanks to you for the leadership and guidance you have provided, for the meaningful, enriching experiences shared, many life lessons learnt, for understanding the uniqueness of the Health Science Division and responding in a manner that facilitated its growth and advancement. I say thank you for always having had a sense of the bigger picture, for thinking outside the box, and for the many risks taken for and on behalf of students…We say au revoir, God’s speed and richest blessings in your onward journey and may inner peace be yours always. All the best wishes to you,” Mrs. Kelly added.
Dean of Technical, Vocational, Educational and Management Studies (TVEMS), Andrew Abraham said that Dr. Anthony brought “positive energy” to her office and that “Tech Voc today cannot eliminate her print on it”.
Mr. Abraham said that Dr. Anthony was “approachable” and that she was committed to the Technical and Vocational Faculty of the CFBC and treated it like any other faculty. He said that during Dr. Anthony’s tenure, the Faculty of TVEMS saw improvement in the physical plant such as a painted building, new windows, air-conditioned classrooms and new desks and chairs.
“I admire the simplicity that she applied to her craft in getting things done,” Mr. Abraham said.
Vice President Academic and Student Affairs, Mrs. Delores Stapleton Harris said “as the first President of the CFBC and a former Principal, Dr. Anthony assumed the role of an educational leader, fully conversant of common educational challenges, with a resultant change in the political landscape of higher education in the Federation. Her ability to connect with others and her deep appreciation for building relationships, her boundless energy, her focus on action is almost enviable”.
“Being conversant with the book of CFBC, she knew which chapters would always remain the same and which to rewrite, ever mindful that as President, she is a steward of the community. “She was also ever aware of her obligation to nurture the mission of the college and to support it for the time she had the privilege of serving. I have always admired the obvious commitment and also the humility with which Dr. Anthony approached her work,” Mrs. Harris said among other things.
Minister of Education Nigel Carty praised Dr. Anthony for her “clear foresight, high competence, profound intellect and abundant energy”.
“As a strong leader, Dr. Anthony saw her assignment as responsibility rather than rank or privilege. She made it her responsibility to secure the development of those around her through seeking opportunities locally, regionally and internationally to see deans and lecturers advance themselves academically and she has done excellent work in fostering collaboration and productive alliances with colleges and universities within the region and beyond,” Minister Carty said.
The ceremony was punctuated with moving performances from the CFBC Chorale Ensemble, the CFBC Dance Ensemble, a poem done by CFBC student Jonelle Irish and a song done by Kayla Browne. A lunch reception followed Dr. Anthony’s farewell ceremony at the CFBC’s Nathaniel John Hospitality Center.
Dr. Anthony resigned as the first President of the CFBC on August 31, 2013 and Dr. Kelvin Daly was installed as the second President on September 1, 2013.
