JAMAICA’S former ambassador to the United States of America and permanent representative to the Organization of American States Audrey Marks took her seat on the Government benches of the Upper Chamber of the Houses of Parliament on Friday, declaring that she was “ready to go”.

Marks, the last of four new senators to be sworn in to the Upper House in just over three weeks, filled the vacancy left by the resignation of Senator Don Wehby in November last year. She returned to the island on Thursday after her tour of duty in Washington, DC, came to an end.

On February 13 senators Dr Elon Thompson, Marlon Morgan, and Delano Seiveright took the Oath of Allegiance before taking their seats on the Government benches, effectively filling the vacancies left by the resignations of senators Matthew Samuda, Delroy Williams, and Ransford Braham from that House.

On Friday Marks, invited to speak by Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson, said she was grateful “to again be called into service”. “I want to thank the prime minister [Dr Andrew Holness] for his commitment to this country, his vision and his leadership, and to also express my appreciation to serve in this capacity. It’s a special pleasure and an inspiration for me to be here because I have seen where so many of you, despite having full-time jobs otherwise, make the time and the sacrifice to be here in the Senate to serve our country, and it has inspired me to know that this is something I can join in doing,” Marks said.

In declaring that Jamaica is at a “pivotal point”, Marks said “a strong foundation has been laid and now, as we pivot for growth, it’s a time that I’m excited to join you, looking at how we can support an infrastructure to drive growth and to move our economy forward, and I hope to use all that I’ve learned over the years, all my experience and qualifications, to serve in this chamber”.

“I sincerely look forward to working with all of you, and I look forward to your support, and I am ready to go,” stated Marks, who has the distinction of being Jamaica’s first female ambassador to the USA and the only individual to have served in the role three times across two different administrations.

Leader of Government Business in the Senate Kamina Johnson Smith, in describing Marks as “phenomenally skilled in the art of negotiation”, said her years of experience in the private sector and at the diplomatic level would enrich future debates.

“We wholeheartedly welcome the prime minister’s appointment and welcome Senator Audrey Marks to our ranks,” Johnson Smith said.

Leader of Opposition Business Senator Peter Bunting commended Marks on her achievements and said, “We have known each other for decades and I am very familiar with her entrepreneurial skills and pursuits. She was truly an innovator in the Jamaican financial sector — and particularly the payment subsector — and we interacted considerably from those days and I respect her as an entrepreneur, I respect her as an innovator.

“I anticipate that she will bring a level of decorum to the Senate that is appropriate, especially given her extensive diplomatic experience, and so while protocol dictates that you always welcome whoever is sent, in this case I can genuinely welcome — feeling absolutely no hypocrisy — the new senator and look forward to reacquainting myself with her,” Bunting said.

Meanwhile the Senate president on Friday, in welcoming Marks back to the island, said, “Thank you very much for accepting this position. You are welcome to serve in this chamber for as long as you desire.”

Before her ambassadorial appointment Marks pioneered and operated six business ventures, including a 100-acre banana exporting farm, a transportation company, as well as a real estate sales and development company. She also operated a venture capital company with diverse investments, including manufacturing, travel and entertainment. She is perhaps most known for Paymaster (Jamaica) Limited, an online payment system which she conceptualised and started in 1997.