Our Jamaican hearts swelled with pride this week as the great Lionel Messi arrived on the field at the National Stadium and had us roaring on our feet as we witnessed his unexpected goal in the closing minutes of the Inter Miami CF vs our own Cavalier.

First, let me reflect on last Friday’s swearing in of Audrey Marks as a Government senator at Gordon House. Our friend for decades has just ended her tour of duty — nine brilliant years — as Jamaica’s first woman ambassador to the US.

She is succeeded by another excellent Jamaican, former commissioner of police and former chief of staff of the Jamaica Defence Force Major General Antony Anderson, who has been appointed as Jamaica’s ambassador-designate to the US.

One thing is sure, whether she continues as a Government or Opposition senator, Senator Marks will make her mark. Those ubiquitous Paymaster outlets, now owned by Digicel, were the brainchild of Marks. She created Paymaster two years before Max Levchin, Peter Thiel, and Luke Nosek created PayPal, but as a then fledgling entrepreneur, she did not patent her technical breakthrough. So efficient was her system that in about two years billions of dollars were being processed by Paymaster for leading corporations.

As US Ambassador, Senator Marks forged strong links with members of the Jamaican Diaspora and celebrated their achievements. Her ‘Jamaica Connect’ series featured celebrated Jamaican Americans who were giving back to their homeland. The embassy shared Jamaican cultural events and worthy fund-raisers, widening the Diaspora network.

She has been a passionate advocate for investment in Jamaica, hosting events where successful investors in Jamaica could share their experiences with prospective US corporations. One memorable occasion was her introduction of a senior executive of Marriott Corporation to then Digicel Chair Denis O’Brien. Within a few years, two Marriott hotels were built in Kingston, Jamaica, and one in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Marks has served as president of the Jamaican American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and continues to mentor young entrepreneurs. I remember her encouraging others to do likewise, saying, “Remember, a rising tide lifts all boats.” In acknowledgement of her invaluable support of her country, she was conferred with the Order of Jamaica last year.

Marks noted at her swearing-in ceremony that, like many of us, her heart leapt as her flight gave a view of our lush island, knowing that she would once more have her feet on Jamaican soil while working for the country’s advancement. She was warmly welcomed by all, including Senate Speaker Tom Tavares-Finson, senators Kamina Johnson Smith, Dr Dana Morris Dixon, Aubyn Hill, Kavan Gayle, and Opposition Senator Peter Bunting.

Keep rising Senator Marks, you will be an activist for your people because you have never stopped believing in our promise.

Messi Euphoria

When we first heard the news, we only half-believed that the great Messi, my husband’s pick as best in football, was coming to Jamaica. It was a chance we could not miss and we booked our tickets while he was pondering which Messi shirt he would be wearing on the big night. We had journeyed to the Barça Camp in Barcelona with hopes of catching sight of the legend, so, yes, he decided on the Messi-Rakuten T-shirt he had bought there. Of course, I would be in my black, green, and gold, no question about that. Messi-mania became apparent on Thursday morning when there were traffic snarls all over Kingston. The entire Jamaica was descending on Kingston — teams from clubs and schools as well as “diehearted” fans.

The traffic to the stadium seemed interminable, but as we opted for special tickets, parking was well organised. This was not the case in the designated area, however. The bracelets we wore were no guarantee for seats and where we saw vendors comfortably ensconced. There was not an usher in sight to assist us, so we had to find separate seats.

However, once Messi arrived on the field for his warm-up, all was forgotten, as we were on our feet chanting his name. The goal from the greatest of all time (GOAT) had us enthralled — we had actually seen a Messi goal right here in Jamaica!

The social media posts have been funny and feverish right up to Friday with the hashtag #Messiinjamaica going viral. One suggested that none of our Caribbean neighbours could come close to Jamaica, as our bragging rights had reached new heights.

We saw a video of the fan who got Messi’s shirt and his friends taking turns to pose with it. We saw a security guard who got a clap from Messi almost brought to his knees with joy.

The only stadium event in Jamaica which exceeded this was the 1998 World Cup qualifying match. That day, on our way home from the match, elderly folks were at their gates waving the Jamaican flag and cheering. If we had social media then, we would have broken the Internet.

A big thank you to all the organisations which made this event possible, bringing high occupancy to our Kingston hotels and Airbnb locations. Thank you also to Inter Miami CF for embracing Jamaica and flying our flag on its social media posts.

Messi was quoted as saying that he loves Jamaica and, yes, indeed, we love him back!

Congrats, WLI Honourees

At the Women’s Day celebration of the Women’s Leadership Initiative, founded 21 years ago by Ambassador Sue Cobb, keynote speaker Senator Dana Morris Dixon noted that there was an increasing number of women representatives in our Houses of Parliament.

She was quoted in a Jamaica Observer report saying, “It means that the voices of Jamaican women are resonating louder than ever in the halls of power. Young girls can finally see more women — more people who look like them — contributing to national debates. Laws and policies are being shaped by more diverse perspectives, including those of mothers and daughters who intimately understand the issues families face from our perspective.”

Congratulations to the five women honoured at the event: Dr Marlene Street-Forrest, managing director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange; the Rt Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin, bishop of Dover; Andrea Cowan, CEO of Lillan Limited; Caron Chung, executive director of American Friends of Jamaica; and Dr Donette Chin-Loy Chang, communications expert.

Rose Leon Memorial Lecture

The members of the Women’s Political Caucus are a bit misty as they plan this year’s Rose Leon Memorial Lecture on Wednesday, and we continue to remember her late daughter, the gracious Gloria Leon Millwood, who devoted so much energy to creating the lecture series.

This year’s exercise will be a panel discussion on ‘Women and Leadership Challenges’, with Donna Parchment Brown, Sharon Hay-Webster, and Chorvelle Johnson-Cunningham.

Foundation members who will be honoured are Hermione McKenzie, Marie Thompson, Senator Donna Scott-Mottley, and Merline Daley. Congratulations, ladies!

Jean Lowrie-Chin is an author and executive chair of PROComm, PRODEV, and CCRP. Send comments to lowriechin@aim.com.

Audrey Marks

Antony Anderson