A few weeks after January 1, my younger sister told me to expect a package. This is nothing strange. As far away as my native Jamaica feels at times, purchases still manage to land there or here through the magic of Amazon, Etsy, or something else. I was thrilled with the token that arrived –a beautiful glass name plate with my name and new title, embossed with our DRIC logo. Such is the nature of my family of origin: supportive, attentive, affirming. My sister, a lawyer, had pored over every legal document created for the ownership transition.

My brother, a marketing specialist, continues to help craft our digital presence, marketing strategy, and sales plans. I am half-Jamaican, half-Tolan (my mum is from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands).I spent most of my life in Jamaica, passing many Summers on sandy beaches, in hilltop retreats, or just playing in our mango-saturated front yard with my siblings. Both parents embodied servant leadership. My mother –a nurse/midwife and educator –and my father –a minister of religion, counsellor, and educator –taught us that everyone was worthy of our attention, love, and service. My first official job was as a missionary to a church in Orkney, Scotland, and most of my working life has focused on facilitating the empowerment of others through education. Education was another family value that I embraced –not just in the traditional sense –but also in terms of curiosity and openness to continuous learning.

To that end, I completed a bachelor’s degree in Pure and Applied Sciences (I thought I wanted to be a medical doctor but was cured of that notion. Let’s just say it would not have been a good fit!). I also completed a second bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a postgraduate certificate in Psychotherapy, master’s degree in Education, and PhD in Psychology. I’m a certified performance coach, and very avid reader. I most recently completed The Vision Driven Leader by Michael Hyatt and Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown. I highly recommend them both. I’ve held leadership positions since childhood, including being head girl at my preparatory school at age 10, through to university president, and now CEO at DRIC. I have grown as a leader by embracing my introversion, trusting my instincts and analysis, and leaning on others even when it’s uncomfortable. I am a good listener and have learned to actively seek to understand needs and perspectives by asking questions, sharing work-in-progress, and pushing back when necessary. And I write –short stories, songs, and mostly poetry. I published my first book of poetry last year, entitled Becoming Wisdom. My hubby Dave and I love to paint and explore beautiful places.