Scotiabank reached out and made a special presentation to Marva Bernard, former president of Netball Jamaica, for her contribution to the development of the sport.

The presentation was made by Jacqueline Sharp, president and CEO of Scotia Group, in her office at the ScotiaCentre on Tuesday.

“We have seen your dedication and hard work and wanted to personally express our appreciation to you for all that you have done for netball over the years,” said Sharp. “Our netballers have risen to such great international prominence in recent years, and I think it is safe to say that a lot of this success has been attributable to your determination,” continued Sharp.

Scotiabank has been supporting Netball Jamaica since 2006 when Bernard first made an appeal to the company for assistance. Since then, the sponsorship has been focused primarily on the development of the Under-16 team and the establishment of a strong core of junior umpires.

In her response, Bernard expressed her delight at the recognition. “To say I’m overwhelmed would be an understatement,” she said. “I have always felt like a part of the Scotiabank family. My job was made much easier because I have never felt uncomfortable to ask for help,” she continued.

She also used the opportunity to share her own words of wisdom. “Success,” she said, is “really about relationship building”. People need to remember that “ethics and accountability” are important, and “sponsors need to know that you are using their money wisely”, Bernard said. She also added that “if you don’t have supportive friends, the road can get lonely”, but to always remember “it’s not what you get, it’s what you become that is important”.

In this new phase of her life, Bernard says she is enjoying retirement. “There are days I wake up and I want to do nothing,” she said. However, for the most part, she has taken up swimming in the mornings, has been training for a 5K, and is assisting her church with a number of projects. She remains open to organisations who may want to lean on the expertise she has gleaned over the years.

The specially designed tombstone reads, “Presented to Marva Bernard, Past President Netball Jamaica, for passionate advocacy, dedicated administration, outstanding service and sterling contribution to the development and growth of netball in Jamaica”. The presentation was attended by Scotiabankers who have worked closely with Bernard over the years.

Throughout the proceedings, she expressed her appreciation to the bank and followed with an email ended, “Thank you Ms Sharp for facilitating this wonderful event. I felt truly honoured and special and count myself fortunate to be a member of the Scotiabank family.”