Johnson
Jamaica's newly appointed Ambassador to the United States, Anthony Johnson, believes the improvement of trade between the two nations will be the most critical area of focus during his tenure in office, beginning early next year.
The appointment of Mr. Johnson, a former Jamaica Labour Party senator and Member of Parliament, was officially announced on Monday. He had for some time been rumoured to be the new government's pick for the job vacated by Ambassador Gordon Shirley in August.
"The United States is Jamaica's largest trading partner at over 50 per cent," Mr. Johnson told The Gleaner yesterday, while also pointing out that more than half the island's visitors come from that nation.
In addition to the focus on trade, Mr. Johnson stressed that the Jamaican Embassy in Washington will have to grapple with issues related to immigration, tourism and the diaspora, as well as the Caribbean Community (Caricom) on a whole.
Tradition
"Jamaica's mission plays a pivotal role with Caricom," he said. "They expect us to constantly look out for their interests, and I certainly will carry on that tradition."
Mr. Johnson, a senior lecturer in the Department of Management Studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona, served as Minister of State in the 1980s with the ministries of Industry and Commerce, and Agriculture during his time as Member of Parliament from 1983-1993.
He has also taken the role of Opposition spokesman on areas including education, agriculture, mining, energy and technology. He served as senator from 1980 to 1983 and 1993 to 2007 and as minority leader of the Senate during the last five years.
A graduate of Kingston College, Johnson holds an MA in International Trade and Finance and a BA in economics from the University of California where he was named an outstanding scholar. He is the only Jamaican to serve as director of parliamentarians for Global Action, and has represented Jamaica at several conferences covering a wide range of subjects.
Mr. Johnson and his wife, Pamela, have four children.
