140 for national honours

Outgoing Bank of Jamaica Governor Richard Byles is among seven Jamaicans who have been appointed to the Order of Jamaica (OJ) and will join 139 other nationals journeying to King’s House in October for recognition at the National Honours and Awards Ceremony.

Joining Byles in the OJ are philanthropist Donette Chin-Loy Chang; Cabinet minister Daryl Vaz; former parliamentarians Maxine Henry-Wilson and Derrick Smith; leader and philanthropist Diana Stewart; and private sector leader Christopher Zacca.

The Government has also named 25 recipients of membership in the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander (CD). Among them is Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis, whose work as the government’s chief auditor has earned recognition locally and praise from colleagues in the profession overseas for her contribution to the field.

She is joined by endocrinologist Dr Evan Dale Able; cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Roger Irvine; diplomat Ambassador Sharon Miller; banking executive Audrey Tugwell Henry; attorney Milton Samuda; and academic leader Professor Densil Williams.

Among others receiving membership in the CD are veteran broadcaster Donald Toppin, for contribution to broadcasting; Professor Densil Williams, principal of The University of the West Indies, for contribution to academia and international business policy and practice; and Director of Public Prosecutions Claudette Thompson, for contribution to Jamaica’s legal system through the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution.

A further 41 individuals will receive membership in the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Officer for achievements spanning journalism, music, tourism, foreign relations, engineering, broadcasting, and philanthropy.

Recipients include journalist and broadcaster Kerlyn Brown, tennis benefactor Karl Hale, reggae artiste Clifford ‘Mr Vegas’ Smith, musician Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith, meteorologist Evan Thompson, tourism stalwart Judith James-Watts, and Gary Williams, founder of the non-profit Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO), who is being recognised for service to child protection.

Founded in 1994, COJO is committed to investing in the future of children, supporting childcare institutions, and, since 2012, providing scholarships for state wards pursuing higher education.

“I am deeply humbled and profoundly grateful to be recognised by my country with the Order of Distinction,” Williams said.

“This award is not mine alone – it belongs to everyone who has walked this path with me, supported my work, and shared in a vision for the betterment of the children of Jamaica.”

Meanwhile, four persons will receive the Badge of Honour for Gallantry for acts of exceptional courage.

They include Councillor Scean Barnswell and his wife, Danielle Anna-Marie Barnswell, for helping to save the life of a six-year-old girl who was abducted from her school in Clarendon on December 9 last year; Susan Annmarie Higgins, for assisting in the capture and handover to police of a man who raped and murdered an eight-year-old girl in Discovery Bay, St Ann; and Robert Anthony Johnson, for saving the lives of several persons trapped in a burning vehicle in Kingston on February 16, 2025.

The awards recognise achievements across virtually every sector of national life, ranging from medicine, education, and public administration to music, sports, religion, law, agriculture, and community service, highlighting the breadth of contributions being made by Jamaicans at home and abroad.

editorial@gleanerjm.com

See full list on pages A11 and A12