By Ashford Peters
Journalist, communications consultant, founder and Executive Editor of iWitness News, Kenton X. Chance, has been appointed the ambassador of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) to Taiwan, effective March 1.
Chance is among the new heads of missions and consulates announced by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fitz Bramble, in Kingstown on Thursday.
The other diplomatic appointments announced on Thursday are Consul General to New York, former North Leeward MP, Roland Matthews, a former vice-president of the ruling New Democratic Party (NDP); Ambassador to the United Nations, Vynnette Frederick, a lawyer and former NDP senator; High Commissioner of SVG to the United Kingdom, Brereton Horne, a lawyer practising in the United Kingdom and a former NDP candidate, and Ambassador to Cuba, Angella Ideisha Jackson, who earned a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting and finance, studying in Cuba 2001-2007.
The minister also announced that Lou-Anne Gilchrist, a public servant, will continue as ambassador to the United States, and Gareth Bynoe will continue as ambassador to Venezuela.
He said that the government will announce at a future date the person who will be appointed Consul General to Toronto.
Chance’s appointment comes with academic achievements and vast knowledge and experience in journalism, which he has been practising since 2002, as well as in international affairs.
In 2006, Chance obtained a scholarship from the Government of Taiwan to study Mandarin Chinese for one year and to read for a four-year undergraduate degree.
In 2011, he graduated from Ming Chuan University in Taiwan with a first-place honours degree in journalism and mass communication.
One year later, he completed a master’s degree in international affairs, focusing on global governance, also with first-place honours, from the same university.
He is a former acting editor of The Vincentian newspaper and a former assistant editor of Searchlight newspaper. He also served as consultant editor at SVG Broadcasting for five weeks in 2013.
In 2022, he became the first and, so far, only Vincentian to be awarded the Distinguished Taiwan Alumni Award from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education.
Chance was one of 10 people worldwide to receive the award that year, and was one of only two recipients operating their own businesses.
Chance has been the SVG correspondent for the Barbados-based Caribbean Media Corporation since 2004, and was elected to the executive of the Association of Caribbean MediaWorkers as floor member for the period 2001-2003.
Chance’s work has taken him beyond the shores of the Caribbean to countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and all regions of the Americas.
His work as a freelance communications consultant has seen him produced commissioned pieces for a wide range of entities, including for the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation, UNESCO (SVG); New York Times and Associated Press (USA); The China Post (Taiwan); CGTN (China); The Times of London, ITN (Channel 4), and The Guardian (UK); Ruptly GmbH (Germany); Inter-Press Service (Italy); Media Institute of the Caribbean (Jamaica); and, Starcom Network (Barbados).
By dint of hard work, professional standards and timely coverage and reporting, Chance has become a household name, not only in SVG but also across the Caribbean and the diaspora beyond.
He has led iWitness News and its small team of contributors to become one of the most widely-recognised and sought-after names in news and current affairs information in SVG.
In a post on his Facebook page Thursday night, Chance said:
“Having secured the support of my wife Symantha Chance, I have answered the call to further national service (after 23 years in journalism), this time as the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador to Taiwan.
“I have no illusions about the gravity of this appointment and commit to doing my best in service of my country. I will succeed, by God’s grace.”
He told this writer separately that he will make an announcement in due course about how iWitness News will continue, without him, as a reliable and credible source of news and current affairs information, “devoid of undue interference, including from me”.
Congratulations Kenton! I am glad they took my suggestion and appointed you Ambassador to Taiwan.
Congratulations to Kenton Chance, but I think the SVG will be better off switching to Beijing. I think SVG should get out from under the umbrella of the imperialist USA and stop thinking the USA Empire is right to invade Venezuela.
Congratulations Mr Chance I salute you.
Congratulations and I know Mr. Chance will continue to be unsoiled by political influence and would hold true to the people of SVG. All the best to Mr. chance and his family in his new venture. Excellent appointment.
Congratulations to my younger brother in Journalism. It is particularly pleasuring to me to see how you have advanced since as a student participating in that Journalism seminar organized by Searchlight. I have followed your career as you made steady strides always forward notwithstanding the criticisms which come with the territory for journalists. Everyone wants a journalist to be their personal scribe and publicist.
You prepared yourself for a day like this which has arrived at the right moment. Journalism is an excellent preparation for the practice of diplomacy and you went even further doing studies in International Affairs. Who can deny a good man his due.
I expect that you would represent SVG proudly. God’s blessings to you and Samantha as you embark on this new experience.
Only love my brother
Dexter E. M. Rose
May the roads rise with you and the wind be always at your back , and may the LORD hold you in the hollow of His hand, in Jesus Name , Amen. 🙏
Congratulations to Kenton Chance for this well deserved appointment.
I know he will serve SVG and its people with honour, grace, and distinction in carrying out his duties.
All the best to Kenton as he represents SVG in this new role.
A superb and thoughtful journalist, I always look forward to his reporting on SVG. Congratulations on the appointment and best wishes for this new career.
Well deserved! You have the elitist class of people who have this sense of entitlement,in thus 2×4 island.Noticed that in the last administration. These are all black people I’m talking about. There’s some of south asian descent who are like that too. They look down on poor friends and relatives. Don’t know for sure,but I think we adopted this condescending,better than you attitude, from the British. Still very much alive and well among our poor people. All are we poor..just different levels. More like crab in a barrel. Hope this administration doesn’t encourage this stupid ,backward,behavior. Again,deserved ,Kenton.
SVG is very sick. Everyone is congratulating him while ignoring the fact that this man’s career as a journalist has been permanently ruined. This is dangerous. Kenton was duped by your new prime minister, who is cleverly suppressing powerful voices.
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Kenton Chance is a big man so it’s his choice.