Chamber president Reid highlights impact in Old Harbour

Speaking at is first Annual General Meeting (AGM) since the organization was rebranded from its former name the Old Harbour Chamber of Commerce, Reid outlined a list of accomplishments achieved during the tumultuous period of a global health crisis.

“Our board of directors, which is a good mix of experienced wise heads and youth, meets quarterly, while the executive, which I love to refer to as the operations hub, comes together every fortnight to make sure we stay on the right track and discuss the next strategy in great detail,” she said delivering the President’s Report last Wednesday inside the Old Harbour Open Bible Church.

“Through these meticulous planning sessions, a constitution committee was established and today we can proudly boast that the South St Catherine Chamber of Commerce has a constitution that went through a rigorous process to arrive at a final draft that has been ratified by the board. The SSCC Constitution is now our Bible, our guiding light in how we govern as a body. This is further proof that we are serious as an organization and the long term vision and stability of the chamber. Once you become a member of the chamber you will receive a copy of the constitution so you can apprise yourself of the governance structure.”

The Shades of Elegance Salon and Spa supremo, who took over the reins of the chamber in late 2021, listed the renovation of the bathrooms at Old Harbour market, the construction of a sidewalk on Vaz Drive and other social outreach initiatives as proof that it is serious about its role as an important stakeholder in the development of the community.

Under her leadership, she said, the chamber has increased its membership to 39, while making the case of the number of benefits for others to joined the group, such as mentoring, networking, training, strategic planning, among others.

She said members meet regularly at various levels which have been crucial to impact they have been able to make in such a short period.

“One of the first important steps that we made was to garner feedback from the business community about their concerns, solutions and vision for Old Harbour and its environs. We collated this information in our database which in turn formed part of our strategic plan for the short, medium and long terms,” said Reid.

“So what you have witnessed so far in the past 22 months did not come from a group of people who you may deem self-serving in their interests, but represents a broader consensus on the issues affecting all of us as a community, whether from a business or social perspective.”

“General member’s meetings are held every last Wednesday of each month; and are where a lot of the teaching and learning takes place for all of us. At these Members Meetings we have guest presenters speaking on a myriad of issues that impact the effective and efficient running of a business,” she added.

Serving the second of a three-year term, Reid said the group will embark on a succession of business educational workshops geared towards making businesses grow and operate in an efficient and productive way.

“We will seek to undertake a series of customer care training targeting youth and employers, as it is critical that we make our people employable and take advantage of the rapid expansion of Old Harbour,” she said, while alluding to the importance of strengthening its relationships with all stakeholders at every level.  

Meantime, Reid used the opportunity to call for a spatial plan for Old Harbour given its rapid expansion which has seen it being dubbed Jamaica’s fastest growing town.

“In closing I would like to make a special appeal to the powers that be; that the time has arrived, in fact it is long overdue, for a master development plan for Old Harbour. Old Harbour is the fastest growing town in the English-speaking Caribbean and with some 15,000 to 20,000 houses projected to come on stream within the next 15 years, there is an urgent need for urban planning. We see the traffic congestion daily, and despite the best efforts of our hard working police officers, soon and very soon, the best efforts of the police will not be good enough,” she said.

“This chamber of commerce will always avail itself to any development that will benefit the business community and the people of Old Harbour. However, where we believe the development has the potential to veer off track, we will ventilate our concerns.”

Meantime, among other key highlights at the AGM, was the recognition of several individuals and businesses for their sterling contribution towards the growth and success of the local chamber.

Official certificates of membership were formally presented along with special discount cards to encourage and increase trade within the business community.