GraceKennedy Ltd on Monday announced the appointment of Dr Fred William Kennedy to the chair of the GraceKennedy Foundation. He replaces Professor Elsa Leo-Rhynie who was chairperson from 2008 to 2017.

“We are pleased that Fred is able to lend his considerable experience in education, community and youth development as we continue our work of improving Jamaica through the GraceKennedy Foundation’s support for education and the environment,” said Don Wehby, GraceKennedy Ltd’s Group CEO.

Dr Kennedy’s career of more than three decades has been spent in the service of education in both Jamaica and Canada. In Jamaica, he taught at York Castle High School in St Ann and Trench Town Comprehensive High School in Kingston, and served as principal of St George’s College in 2004. He has served as president of the St Georges College Old Boy’s Association (Ontario), chair of the Endowment Fundraiser Committee and was inducted into the St George’s College Hall of Fame in 2016.

He taught at several Canadian secondary schools and was a school administrator within the Toronto District School Board, and was a member of several professional organisations, including the Ontario Principals’ Council, the Ontario College of Teachers and the Writers’ Union of Canada.

Dr Kennedy has been active in the Jamaican community through the Jamaican Diaspora Canada Foundation and as the Jamaican liaison to the board of the Project for the Advancement of Early Childhood Education.

“The GraceKennedy Foundation is a true embodiment of the values of its parent company — honesty, integrity and trust. I look forward to working with the board to continue and expand the good works of the foundation in service to Jamaica,” Dr Kennedy said.

A prolific writer, Dr Kennedy is the author of several books including Daddy Sharpe: A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Samuel Sharpe, A West Indian Slave and Huareo: Story of a Jamaican Cacique.

An alumnus of The University of the West Indies, Mona campus, he attained a BA and postgraduate diploma in education before completing both masters and doctoral degrees in education at the University of Toronto.

The GraceKennedy Foundation was established in 1982 to mark the 60th anniversary of GraceKennedy & Company Limited.