Maureen Barnes-Smith, vice-president of sales and marketing, Unique Vacations Canada, has been recognised for her efforts to promote her home island of Jamaica for the past 27 years.

Barnes-Smith was one of 35 influential and impactful leaders of Jamaican heritage in the Greater Toronto Area who were recognised in various fields such as government, business, arts and non-profit for their outstanding contributions by Jamaica’s Consulate General in Canada, in celebration of Jamaica’s Diamond Jubilee.

Barnes-Smith, who hails from Clarendon, Jamaica, is the only tourism industry recipient on this esteemed list, Unique Vacations said. A fierce advocate for Jamaica, its culture, its people and its place as one of the world’s greatest tourism destinations, she has been an integral part of the Unique Vacations organisation since joining their Toronto office in 1994.

She has held a series of progressively responsible roles including her current position of vice-president, where she is charged with leading the overall sales and marketing strategies in the Canadian market.

“This has been the most humbling yet gratifying recognition I have received,” Barnes-Smith told the Jamaica Observer. “To be recognised for what you love doing every single day is amazing, but as a Jamaican representing Jamaica, it is an honour I don’t take lightly.

“It comes with a responsibility to always do your best to represent yourself and your country at the highest level. It means also recognising the village that supports me and sustains my efforts every day of life. Again, I am extremely humbled and grateful for this recognition and will continue to pave the way in my community.”

Barnes Smith’s commitment to her Jamaican community remains steadfast through her many volunteer activities such as the Sandals Foundation (Canada) where she spearheads all local activities of the non-profit organisation, including its major contribution to Toronto’s Hospital for SickKids-Caribbean Initiative, which aims to improve outcomes for children living in the Caribbean with paediatric cancer and blood disorders.

She has also held various roles including past president of the Clarendon College Alumni Association (Toronto chapter), presiding over events and fund-raising for her alma mater in Jamaica.

A lifelong learner, she is an honours degree graduate of The University of the West Indies, Mona in Kingston and has also received two master’s degrees from York University in Toronto – one in business administration and the other in arts (communication and culture).

Among the honorees is Ron Cunningham, a native of Granville, St James, who is said to have given up his banking job in the 1990s and started the non-profit Citizens for the Advancement of Community Development (CACD), a black-led registered charity, to work with at-risk youth in the Greater Toronto Area and Jamaica.