Nation honours outstanding women (part 2)

All Woman presents Part II of the special feature in praise of outstanding Jamaican women. Today, we feature four women accomplished in their own right and who have been awarded national honours. They are Daphne Wilson, Pearline Barrette, Norma Wynter and Dorothy Dyce.

Daphne Wilson, Legal Advisor,

Tax Administration Services Department

Former Commissioner of Tax Administrative Services, Daphne Wilson has rendered long, outstanding and important services to Jamaica for which she has received an OD (Order of Distinction in the Officer Class.

A daughter of Chapleton, Clarendon and a past student of Clarendon College, Daphne has given 38 years of invaluable service to government. Although retired, she still works as a public servant in the capacity of consultant legal advisor to the Revenue Board and the Ministry of Finance.

“I enjoy my work and am kept very busy. Every bit of knowledge is useful and there is no better way of sharing what you know than serving the public”, Miss Wilson told ALL WOMAN.

An attorney-at-law, she studied in Jamaica and England and was admitted to the Jamaican Bar as well as Lincoln’s Inn Bar Association in London.

She landed her first job at the Ministry of Finance and Planning as senior legal officer. With a specialty in tax law, Miss Wilson had responsibility for tax legislation, which included laws relating to double taxation and trading. She was also chief advisor responsible for all tax legislation at the Ministry of Finance and the Revenue Board.

Most importantly, she had to ensure that projected revenue to the government was realised.

From the Ministry, Miss Wilson was seconded to the Revenue Board where she was appointed Commissioner.

‘This was an extremely challenging position, but I think I was equal to the tasks it entailed and I did well,” the confident Daphne said of her impressive career at the Revenue Board. Her special assignments include: Jamaica’s representative on the Ad/hoc Committee on double taxation in Geneva, Switzerland; member of the group of experts for the Organisation of American States (OAS) which prepared the model regulation to the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances; member of Jamaica’s negotiating team for avoidance of double taxation on income with CARICOM Member states, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Zimbabwe; and Jamaica’s representative on many occasions to such international fora as the Inter-American Centre for Taxation Advice.

Outside of normal work, Daphne is a caregiver in several underprivileged communities. Most notable is her work with the women in the Teak Pen land settlement in Clarendon. Here, she established a social club which gave her the opportunity to pass on some traditional skills such as embroidery, knitting, tatting, weaving and crochet.

An avid church member, she is involved in the activities of the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. She’s special minister of the Holy Eucharist, and Lector, and regularly visits the sick and elderly, offering legal advice where necessary. She is a member of the Cherry Gardens Citizens Association, and enjoys reading, gardening, cooking.

Of the award, Miss Wilson had this to say:”For me, it is a good feeling. This award shows recognition for hard work and diligence, and an incentive for younger persons coming up in the civil service. They will see that if they work hard, their worth will be recognised”.

Norma Wynter, Private Secretary and Personal

Aide to the Governor-General (GG)

Norma Wynter is regarded as a true public servant to most persons who know her. She was honoured with an OD, Officer Class for her contribution to public service and in particular, for service to the GG. With a civil service career of over 40 years, she first worked at the Ministry of Finance. In 1992, she was appointed private secretary for the country’s head of state.

“I feel extremely honoured, so many have gone beyond the call of duty and have not been recognised, and I give God thanks,” Mrs Wynter said of the award.

Her record of public service began in 1956 when she entered the civil service in the Collector General’s Department and was appointed a secretary. Her longest years were spent at the Ministry of Finance where she worked from 1963 to 1984 as secretary to the head of the Establishments Division; and senior secretary to the deputy financial secretary, Budgets and Economics Division.

Between 1984 and 1992, she worked in various other ministries and departments of government.

An extremely busy person, Mrs Wynter handles all administrative matters relating to the GG and his activities, performing duties as his private secretary. “I respond to his letters on his directive, plan his days as well as special engagements. I have to have information at my fingertips, thank God I am blessed with good memory,” she told ALL WOMAN.

Aside from administrative matters relating specifically to the GG, she assists with arrangements for special functions at Kings House. In her daily routine she liaises with persons in the public sector , particularly members of staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“A working knowledge of protocol is required as the public is always seeking information on how to relate to the GG at the many functions he attends,” she offered.

Describing herself as a good team player, Mrs Wynter firmly believes in training. “Training is extremely important, I try to train my staff myself and wherever I work my staff is well-trained. That’s the only way to run a proper office,” she maintains.

A member of Women’s Aglow, a

non-denominational Christian women’s group, she is also a working member of the Coke Methodist Church assuming leadership and stewardship roles. She enjoys reading and is a creative floral designer who firmly believes that one should always strive to live a good and peaceful life with purpose. “Happiness is an important ingredient in life and I always encourage people to be happy, despite the many problems there are,” Mrs Wynter said.

Pearline Barrett, Former Poor Relief Inspector,

KSAC and Social Worker, Food For The Poor

Former Inspector of the Poor for the Corporate Area, Pearline Barrette has been recognised for long and dedicated service in the public sector. Honoured for “outstanding work beyond the call of duty”, she received an OD in Officer Class.

Dedicated to seeing to the needs of the less fortunate among us, Pearline has devoted over 30 years of service to the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation Poor Relief Department.

Having worked as assistant and deputy inspector of the poor between 1968-1983, she was appointed inspector of the poor in 1989, and held that position until her retirement in 1996.

Prior to this special call of duty, she was employed to the Ministry of Education, where she worked as special clerk responsible for financial assistance to needy students and scholarship awardees.

“Thirty Three years of dedicated service to the Government is an achievement of which I am truly proud, somehow I think God placed me in this position to help fulfill his mission on earth-that of helping people”, Mrs Barrette shared with ALL WOMAN.

While at the KSAC, she lobbied for increased funding and greater public assistance for the poor and indigent persons, But what she could not get in material things, she gave in love.

The Love Care Centre, a shelter for the homeless on Hanover Street, Kingston has been one of her pet projects. She was instrumental in mobilizing private sector support to help met the needs of over 100 persons daily.

She was appointed chairman for the Street People programme in 1997, and presently serves as a board member of the Golden Age Home and social worker, Food For the Poor. On her retirement from the KSAC she was honoured at a special function and hailed: ” a true disciple of the poor.”

As social welfare officer at Food For the Poor, Pearl continues her outreach work. Just recently, she said while driving to work she saw an elderly man struggling on the street with the aid of a chair.

“Something moved inside, when I saw him. It was one of those old time chairs that he was using as a walker to move around. I knew I had to help him, I appealed to Food For the Poor and they will be giving him a brand new walker”, she said.

An active member of St. Luke’s Anglican Church, she is manager for the Alphasonics Band. She has worked hard at fine tuning this young group, but has succeeded in securing instruments for the Band. “They are sounding good and are in demand right now”, she proudly declares.

Mrs Barrette said that she greatly appreciates the award, and accepts it with humility. “I have learnt that whatever is happening to other people can happen to me or you, so we should all do unto others as you would have them do unto us. We should know ourselves and what we are about, and in all of this, remain humble”.