Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.

I say
It's in the click of my heels
The bend of my hair
The palm of my hand
The need for my care.
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

These words from Maya Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman" aptly describe Sandals Negril's recently awarded Phenomenal Woman - Shawn Doctor-Clarke. She was awarded the coveted title as part of celebrations in recognition of International Women's Day, adding yet another award to the growing list of accolades bestowed on her from Sandals Resorts.

It was an overwhelming vote of confidence from the over 400 team members who nominated her based on such attributes as integrity, initiative, the ability to motivate, team-building skills, the drive for excellence and positively influencing team members. Endorsing her unanimous nomination, the general manager of the resort said that Clarke is a positive influence and energises her team to stretch their horizons to infinity.

Hailing from Falmouth,, Shawn Doctor-Clarke is the third of four children and the only girl born to her parents. As a teenager, she was always the leader among her peers. This was evidenced in the many leadership positions she held, such as deputy head girl, head of the students' council, form captain and house captain at Westwood High School. She continuously refers to her alma mater in glowing terms.

"It was here that many of those attributes for which I have been awarded were developed. Hard work, dedication and discipline were hallmarks of our daily existence," relates the impassioned Shawn. This translated itself into her consistently high grades and being dubbed "the leader who keeps in touch with her people" by her then principal, Etta Whiteman.

A lover of languages, Clarke aspired to be a linguist. After high school she applied to the Montego Bay Community College to do a course in languages, but much to her disappointment the programme was discontinued.

She applied to the Jamaica Commercial Institute where she pursued a course in secretarial skills. Upon successful completion, she enrolled in Duff's Business College to further validate her secretarial and administrative competence through the acquisition of a Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) rating.

Armed with these proficiencies she landed her first job at American Life Insurance Company (ALIC) where she worked for eight years as a secretary/office manager for the branch manager, the former Governor General Sir Howard Cooke. Clarke looks back at this experience as priceless.

"It was like going back to school. Mr. Cooke (as he was known then) would correct every letter I typed for him with a red-ink pen. Though somewhat exasperating at the outset, his schoolteacher approach served to hone my secretarial skills. Under his guidance and mentorship I learnt the power of grace and paying attention to detail."

After leaving ALIC Clarke moved on to Workers' Bank as Secretary to the Branch Manager and then in 1993 entered Sandals Resorts International as executive secretary to the managing director, Merrick Fray.

After five years during which Clarke decided to try her hand at business, she partnered with her husband in opening the Falmouth Auto Centre. However, after six years she realised that she longed for the dynamism of Sandals and this time tried her hand at housekeeping.

Having an eye for details and a passion for cleanliness and order served her well in this supervisory role. Within six months she was awarded supervisor of the quarter, blazing a trail of accomplishment and leadership which did not go unnoticed by her superiors. In short order, Shawn was promoted to the role of executive housekeeper at the Sandals-owned Negril Gardens Beach Resort.

This phenomenal woman did not stop there. She was again promoted within a very short time to her current position as executive housekeeper at Sandals Negril Beach Resort and Spa.

Though she has only been there for just about six months she has been a force of sweeping change _ creating a culture in her department that promotes teamwork and instilling a positive work attitude among her staff. According to Clarke, the formula for success in managing such a department with diverse personalities takes exceptional administrative skills coupled with an eye for cleanliness and basic common sense.

Clarke works on average 12-hour days. The running joke at the resort is that clocks can be set by her very strict daily routine. Every morning at 8:30 she makes her entry into the executive offices. She puts down her handbag and goes out for an early morning property walk. She greets her guests, picks up glasses and beach towels from the beach, grabs a granola bar from the breakfast buffet and goes off to meet with her staff.

There she is greeted with a barrage of questions and friendly taunts all in an effort to get the attention of their beloved leader. She jokingly chides them for their childlike behaviour to which they respond in a loud chorus of cheers and laughter.

She motivates this 66-member team to offer service nothing short of their best efforts while encouraging them to continue to maintain the high standards for which the department has become known. From then on she was constantly on the go, ensuring the smooth and efficient delivery of service until her usual departure time of 8:30 pm.

Many wonder how she juggles such a demanding job with her equally demanding familial responsibilities.

"It's all about organising and prioritising," explains this no-nonsense vegetarian of nine years. It is this lifestyle change, which she attributes to her resilience and she adds, "Sleeping really helps. A lot of people take sleeping for granted. This is the time I get to recharge my batteries, as it is the only time when the mind and body get to rest in totality.

Sleep is the sweetest thing." Additionally, she does not consume alcohol, loves to travel, and enjoys music immensely, listing Beres Hammond, Luciano, Luther Vandross and Patti LaBelle as some of her all-time favourites. Her guiding philosophy on life is to surround herself with people she can learn from. Her passion, she says, is to live a full and simple life while finding every opportunity to laugh.

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