The Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) invited an eclectic mix of the nation’s leading ladies to a breakfast last Monday celebrating International Women’s Day 2014 — marked on March 8 — in the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel’s Montego Suite. Aptly titled ‘Salute to Women on Boards’, the event honoured the achievements of these stalwarts by recognising their companies for having female board members, and awarding Kingston Properties Ltd, EX-IM Bank, E-Learning Jamaica Co, Fair Trading Commission, Scotia Investments, and the Early Childhood Commission in particular, for having boards with over 40 per cent female membership.

(Photographer: Garfield Robinson)

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WLI Chair Sharon Lake (third left) and Deputy Chair Herma McRae (right) shared lens time with the morning’s honorees, representatives of outstanding boards: (from left) Chair of E-Learning Jamaica Yvonne McCalla Sobers; Centre Director, Scotia Private Client Group Debra Lopez-Spence, who accepted on behalf of Scotia Investments; Managing Director of EX-IM Bank Lisa Bell, and Kingston Properties Limited board member Lisa Gomes.

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Chair of the WLI’s mentorship committee Eva Lewis (right) and philanthropist Valerie Facey were in high spirits last Monday.

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Out to show their support were (from left) former National Commercial Bank (NCB) Exec Bernadette Barrow, Group Head of Marketing for RBC FirstCaribbean Judith Forth-Blake, and Founder/CEO of Great People Solutions Lisa Soares Lewis.

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Attorney-at-law and Director at NCB Sanya Goffe expertly teamed her red dress with stylish snakeskin pumps.

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Rubbing shoulders at the NCB table were (from left) Human Resources Manager at Island Grill Sandi Antonio, Manager, Corporate Communications at NCB Belinda Williams, and Marketing Manager at NCB Group Nichole Brackett Walters.

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The Digicel trio of Sponsorship Manager Tahnida Nunes, Public Relations Manager Jackie Burrell-Clarke, and Senior Communications Manager Shelly-Ann Harris were out to represent the telecoms giant.

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Member of the Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre’s board Linette Vassell (left) was presented the award on behalf of the Fair Trading Commission, by Chair of the WLI’s advocacy committee Nicole Brown.

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WLI Chair Sharon Lake (right) presented member of the Early Childhood Commission’s board Dr Polly Bowes-Howell with the award celebrating her organisation’s achievement.

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Managing Director of Guardsman Armoured Renee Menzies-McCallum (left) presented guest speaker Therese Turner-Jones, country representative for the Inter-American Development Bank, with a lovely orchid as a token of appreciation.

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One of a handful of males in attendance, Managing Director of CIBC FirstCaribbean Nigel Holness traded bon mots with (from left) Country Representative for the Inter-American Development Bank and the morning’s guest speaker Therese Turner-Jones, WLI Chair Sharon Lake, and Proven Wealth CEO Chorvelle Johnson.