Contributed Muna Issa
Muna Issa is a multifaceted young woman. She may be known to many for her contribution to tourism in Jamaica as an hotelier, but there is so much more to her.
Ms. Issa is heavily involved in the business world, including being director of the Bank of Nova Scotia (Ja) Ltd., chairman and director of Scotia Jamaica Life Insurance Co. Ltd., director for Dehring, Bunting and Golding Limited and Dehring, Bunting and Golding Unit Trust Managers Ltd.
Despite the other interests, her mark has firmly been made in the tourist sector. She is treasurer of SuperClubs International and subsidiaries since 1991, she was named one of the '200 Most Powerful Women in Travel' by Travel Agent Magazine for 1997-1999.
Vonnie McGowan
In the late '80s, live performances of rock steady and early forms of reggae music were all but lost on bandstands in Jamaica. Many of the artistes and musicians whose livelihoods depended on this genre of music were discarded from the lists of show promoters.
Over in Europe and the U.S.A. however, the music was highly sought after and were given airplay, but many of the artistes never benefited from the ongoing popularity of the music. New York-based reggae practitioner, Vonnie Gowan, had a vision that the music was powerful enough to rock music halls again, and that the creative people must also secure their financial reward.
She travelled home in the late 1980s to make this happen sick at the time, she gathered entertainers who had not worked in decades to perform at a landmark reunion show. The event was the birth of the vintage reggae movement. At her own expense, she arranged seminars with music industry professionals to educate artistes who had received little or no royalties from the ongoing success of their creative work. They tracked down royalties and some were paid over.
Benevolent association
She also established a benevolent association for artistes in need, allowing many of them to emerge from abject poverty, to the dignity of beingworking artistes. Some entertainers who have benefited from her efforts include Peter Austin (The Clarendonians), Stranjah Cole, Dawn Penn, Dudley Sibblies (an original Studio One musician); and the late Hortense Ellis, Theophilus 'Easy Snapping' Beckford and Jennifer Lara.
As a promoter, she also gives recognition to women of excellence through the Nostalgia in Gold series. She has also been honoured by the Jamaica Federation of Musicians.
Jewel Scott
Elected to office in July 2004, Jewel Scott made history when she became the first female, and the first black district Attorney of Clayton County.
Dr. Scott (n?e Hanson) was born in Mandeville, Manchester, and is a graduate of the Bethel All-Age School in Hopewell, Hanover, and the Montego Bay and Manchester High schools. She received her Bachelor of Law degree at the University of the West Indies, Barbados, an advanced degree and a certificate of legal education from the Norman Manley Law School, University of the West Indies, Mona. She is also a graduate of Mercer University School of Law, having received her Juris doctorate there.
Trail blazer
When she took office in 2004, she hired for the first time, black female investigators. She also started the first junior assistant district attorney internship. Each summer, teenagers some of them 'at-risk', learn first-hand about the criminal justice system and some have expressed the intention to pursue law enforcement careers after their stint in the DA's Office.
Dr. Scott also initiated the Clayton chapter of 'Boys to Men', a programme that focuses on mentoring young men without male figures in their lives. This is in an attempt to reduce the number of black men who come through the criminal justice system.
While in office, her focus has been increasing the convictions for crimes against women and children and working towards eradicating domestic violence. In addition to her duties as district attorney, Scott is a member of the AmericanBar Association, Georgia Bar Association, Clayton County Bar, the New York Bar, Turks & Caicos Bar and the Jamaican Bar Association.
District Attorney Scott credits her strict, Christian upbringing, her personal relationship with God and an exemplary education in Jamaica for her success.
Andrew Smith/Photography Editor
Wendy Lee
Wendy Lee, of the Northern Jamaica Conservation Association (NJCA), is an environmentalist. She was part of a group of environmentalists which lobbied against the granting of a licence to the Bah?a Principe hotel in St. Ann. The group eventually lost the case to stop the development, but succeeded in raising awareness of the value of doing proper environmental studies before approving the construction of large hotels.
As a member of several environmental organising committees, Ms. Lee is currently actively involved in the Cockpit Country's Stakeholders' Group that is seeking to counter any activity that is presumed to lead to exploitation of that area by mining. Ms. Lee has been active in the non-profit Seven Oaks Sanctuary for Wildlife in St. Ann. Her efforts seek to gain community support to protect endemic plants and animals. The sanctuary currently houses several rescued birds and snakes. She also participated in an international workshop on the conservation genetics of the Jamaican Boa.
