MONTEGO BAY, St James — Recently promoted president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), Janet Silvera, a journalist, is raring to get out of the blocks with the establishment of a think tank to determine how best the organisation can serve the resort city.

Banker, Winston Lawson’s sudden resignation from the post of president of MBCCI last week, opened the door for first vice-president, Silvera, to become the fourth female to be at the helm of the 60-year-old advocacy group.

“One of the first orders of the day is to put together a think tank with some of the brightest minds in Montego Bay. That will include members of the business community, but all echelons of the society,” Silvera told the Jamaica Observer.

She disclosed that she would be meeting with the membership of the MBBCI to discuss her plans, but already she had got commitment for support with the proposed think tank venture from deputy chairman of Sandals Resorts International, Adam Stewart.

“That think tank is already being supported by Adam Stewart, who is going to help me to organise it,” Silvera disclosed.

Silvera also intends to lead the chamber to convene a crime summit to come up with solutions to tame the ugly crime monster plaguing the parish of St James, particularly the inner- city Montego Bay communities.

“Additionally, I want to do a crime summit. I am already looking at a number of persons who I believe can help us to reach some of the young, at-risk persons in the communities, some of them who are affecting business in western Jamaica,” she expressed.

“We have a state of emergency but unless we go a little deeper and go into the communities and try to find out how we can help as businesses that have set up shop in the city, I don’t feel we can solve the crime situation as it now stands.

“Crime is one of our major challenges and we can’t afford to allow it to keep us back as a city,” said Silvera.

The popular journalist will also lead with divine assistance, sharing plans to attend a church service together with the directors, members and friends of the chamber at an early date, possibly at the Calvary Baptist Church in Montego Bay.

Silvera expressed her gratitude to the large number of peole who have been congratulating her upon her ascension to the top post of the MBCCI.

“I almost feel like people of Montego Bay feel, [how] happy that it’s a daughter of the soil that has been given the opportunity to lead the chamber. Somebody who is one of their own, somebody who is coming from humble beginnings and has risen to the occasion.

“It has inspired me even more knowing that I am a daughter of the soil, this is where I was born. I grew up in this city which has made me who I am today. I could not have reached where I have reached today without the Montego Bay in which I live. So I am always conscious of preserving what we have and making it better,” an effusive Silvera said.

MoBay City Run, a 10K/5K Run and Walk, which was established specifically to raise funds to support struggling university students, hungry to fulfill their dreams and aspirations of attaining tertiary level education, is the brainchild of Silvera.

She is also the founder of advocacy group Sarah’s Children, which was established in honour of her mother, Sarah Darling-Findlay.