Singer/songwriter, announcer, advertisement creator, and real estate agent Danielle Veira has been appointed press secretary to Prime Minister Godwin Friday.
Veira has long been associated with the ruling New Democratic Party, serving as a host for its media programme and some of the party’s press conferences before the party won the Nov. 27 general election.
In the year leading up to the party’s electoral victory, she had been working along with NDP Public Relations Officer, Lavern King, who is now a senator, on campaign initiatives.
“It is a great honour to be appointed by the Prime Minister as Press Secretary. I am fully committed to supporting the Government in carrying out its mandate to deliver for all Vincentians,” Veira told iWitness News on Wednesday.
“I look forward to serving in this role with energy and conviction, and to upholding the responsibilities of the office with clarity and commitment,” she said.
Glenn Jackson was the first person to be appointed press secretary to a prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
Jackson, a journalist, served as Ralph Gonsalves’ press secretary from shortly after he came to office in March 2001 until Jackson was killed on March 6, 2006.
Jackson was followed by Hans King, another journalist and former teacher, who served until Feb. 1, 2019, when he resigned to act as general manager of National Properties Ltd., a state-owned company.
King was later confirmed in that role and is said to have resigned after the Nov. 27 general election.
Sehon Marshall, a former counsellor at the Permanent Mission of SVG to the United Nations, who had worked as deputy consul general at SVG’s New York Consulate, was appointed press secretary on May 1, 2019.
He was followed by Shevrell McMillan, a comedian and former radio announcer, who was appointed press officer to Gonsalves and served in that capacity until the Unity Labour Party was voted out of office on Nov. 27.