The SVG Diaspora Committee of New York Inc. has begun the year by electing a new executive, which will be led by chair, Sherrill-Ann Mason-Haywood.
Mason-Haywood will become the second chairperson of the committee.
Maxwell Haywood, who was the founding chair, served until his passing in November 2017. Mason-Haywood, who was elected at the annual meeting, is joined in the leadership by Vice President — Atiba Williams, General Secretary — Philmore Sprott, Treasurer — Theo Marshall, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer — Francesca Sam, Public Relations Officer — Franklyn “Supadex” Richards, Trustees — Garnes Byron, Dawn Dopwell and Terrance Edwards.
The elections were held at the Friends of Crown Heights Educational Center in Brooklyn on Saturday.
Mason-Haywood says she looks forward to “an exciting year,” which will see the organisation work towards strengthening its structure, forging new partnerships and leveraging old ones to enhance the organisation’s programming and building on Haywood’s legacy, through the newly established Maxwell Haywood Scholarship and Development Fund.
The new chair said the committee will focus on several broad strategic goals for 2018-2019. These include strengthening and consolidating diaspora institutions created by the diaspora committee, membership recruitment and development, branding and improving the organization’s presence on the internet, increasing public awareness of diaspora and migration issues, creating greater partnerships with other Vincentian organizations for programme delivery, and establishing stronger linkages with non-Vincentian communities in the United States, especially other Caribbean diaspora communities.