Latoya Harris-Ghartey: Captain of the ship at NET

NATIONAL Education Trust(NET) Jamaica’s Executive Director Latoya Harris-Ghartey is a lover of life, driven by purpose.

“I am a mother, wife, sister, friend, and a child of God,” the “surprisingly shy” high achiever says in introducing herself.

Harris assumed responsibilities as executive director last June after serving as the director of donor and partnership management and the public private relationship manager since 2011. Prior to joining NET, she held the position of senior special investigator in the Office of the Contractor General.

The holder of a master’s in governance and public policy and a bachelor’s in international relations from The University of the West Indies, and a bachelor of laws degree from the University of London, Harris-Ghartey is a trained policy analyst with strong work ethic as well as diverse knowledge and experience in managing multiple projects.

Success to Harris-Ghartey is doing something to the very best of your ability, “which, in the long run, adds value to life, your community, or country”.

Harris-Ghartey says the root of her resilience is her determination “to be better than I was yesterday [as well as] my support system in the form of my family and friends and I guess my general disposition for a positive attitude to life and the lessons that each experience brings”.

“I believe I have purpose to be fulfilled based on how my life started (two teenage parents) and my own near-death experience — this means, for me, failure isn’t an option,” she said.

It was just before Easter some 17 years ago, when Harris-Ghartey and her brother were involved in a motor vehicle accident in which the driver, Ray, who worked with her family for years, passed away.

“By God’s grace my brother and I walked away with just minor injuries and a gap in our memories of the impact. From that moment I had a new appreciation for life and a drive to fulfil my purpose,” she said.

“As a result, I went back to school to do my master’s and have lived each moment since then determined to be better than I was before.” We sat down with Harris-Ghartey to talk about her work, her life, and what inspires her.

AW: Describe your first job?

LHG: My first job was picking the berries from pimento as it dried. My family reaped pimento and it would be spread to dry and we as children were tasked with picking the ripe berries or helping to sweep the pimento back into bags if it rained. That was our summer job. However, my first paying job was to pack grocery bags at the family supermarket in the summer and Christmas.

AW: Tell us about a work project you’re most proud of, and why.

LHG: I am torn between projects because there are so many that have all impacted children’s welfare. For example, the classroom block at Campbell’s Castle All-Age in Manchester, which was built through bilateral partnership to replace the bat-infested structure that was structurally unsafe. There is also the development of the school solar and energy efficiency project that targets up to 70 per cent reduction in electricity cost to schools. This is a project I conceptualised and had to really push to get it started, but despite several challenges we finally reached implementation in March 2022. It is the first integrated energy efficiency solar retrofit package to be implemented under the GoJ Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Policy and is the first project of this nature for the Caribbean region. The pilot project targets 30 public schools across the island and has built-in mechanisms for assessment to inform the scale-up of the roll-out of solar across the education sector.

AW: What do you love most about your work?

LHG: The best days are when I get to interact with the students. Children really are my favourite human beings. It has the potential to change the lives of children. I tell people all the time, this job is my give back to Jamaica and my opportunity to make education better than it was for me. My grandma, who raised me, instilled in me the importance of education and this opened up the world for me. I want to share that with other children and give them an opportunity to be better than we are in a space that is comfortable and inspiring.

AW: What does your role entail?

LHG: My role is simple — captain of the ship. I ensure the successful implementation of the organisation’s mandate so that we can truly add value to the education sector through our projects. I am responsible for steering the ship towards increasing resources for schools while driving the financial viability of the company to ensure continued investments in the educational sector. Additionally, I work to actualise the organisation’s mission and vision by ensuring accountability to its stakeholders and partners and pushing the transition to green building sustainable solutions to infrastructure development for our public schools.

AW: What is your advice to young women to succeed in a career in your field?

LHG: Never box yourself into a role or job description. Take the time to understand your field even if it means doing jobs that are not on your job description. Do what is necessary to learn your field and continuously seek out knowledge. Set goals and timelines for achieving them. Ensure you feel fulfilled in what you do.

AW: What message would you give to your younger self?

LHG: Buy real estate…lol. I wish I knew earlier that my reaction to situations determines the outcome. So that would be my primary message to my younger self, in addition to saying that it’s OK to ask for help; it isn’t a weakness.

AW: Who are the people in your circle who keep you grounded?

LHG: My paternal grandmother Thelma and my Aunt Clara (who I thought was my maternal grandma), and both now deceased, laid that foundation for me and I credit them for setting the foundation. I also credit my parents who grew up with me essentially as they were mere teenagers when I entered the world; my husband who I learn from every day, especially on finances…lol; my aunts — Michelle, Karen, Maxine, and Arlene were instrumental in keeping me grounded throughout life. My brother Andre, sisters Yanique and Mishka, my cousins — especially Debbie-Ann and Giselle — and my circle of friends — Stefanie, Lloy, Georgia, Melissa, Merita, Simone, Ella and Dayna.

AW: What do you do when you’re not working?

LHG: Hanging with my baby boys, watching TV, or swimming.

AW: What’s your go-to for inspiration/motivation?

LHG: Recently, I have been motivated by my children. My youngest son smiles a lot and on a really draining day, he gives me a smile that comforts me. My children make me want to be a better person, mother, human being, and commit to leave this world a little better for them.