Shomari Scott steps down as President at Chamber AGM
Shomari Scott warmly welcomed incoming President Nelson Dilbert, along with the Chamber’s new President Elect, Joanne Lawson, during his final speech as President at the Chamber AGM on February 9:
“I am excited for the leadership that will follow from a notable entrepreneur and small business owner to a successful professional who will be the first female President in several years,” he said.
“The Chamber of Commerce is an ever evolving and continuously growing organisation that isn’t rooted in its President or its Executive Committee but rather the will and wants of the member companies, organisations for who and which we serve.
“Supporting, promoting, and protecting the health of the business community is the DNA of the organisation and we will continue to fulfil this mission as you will hear from the incoming President. We look forward to putting our collective shoulder to the wheel to help to shape the vision for the future of our beloved islands as we grapple with population growth, sustainable development and educating our youth to partake of this economic miracle.”
Mr. Scott said that he planned to remain involved with the Chamber’s valuable work in the future, before recapping on some of the Chamber’s 2022 achievements including the launch of the VoTech Stars Campaign, helping the Boyz 2 Men charity and taking on the operations of the Junior Achievement programme. “These will all impact positively on our youth and their success in the future,” he said.
Mr. Scott was pleased to unveil the first of a new series of the award-winning animated “Growth Matters,” videos. The series began in 2017 with the aim of providing schools and the general public with a better understanding of how Cayman’s economy works, and why the private sector is the engine driving economic growth. The new series focusses on financial services and their important contribution to Cayman’s economy, and is entitled, “Financial Services Matters.”
As the third consecutive Chamber President to deal with the impacts of COVID-19 among member businesses and throughout the islands, Mr. Scott looked forward to a “Tether free,” 2023, and the “Reignition of Cayman’s prosperity engine.”
”We have proven as a Chamber and as a country that we can deal with what would be deemed an insurmountable immediate catastrophe. Now it’s time to focus and move forward and demonstrate that together with government and private sector we can plan our course, ensuring that Caymanians receive opportunities to succeed and for our beloved Islands to flourish. Our ancestors laid the foundation for the miracle we are living today. It is our duty to ensure that our people continue to become entrepreneurs and business leaders, so that the future generations can reap the economic and social rewards from the land they call home,” he said.
After inviting all 2022 Council members to ‘stand and be recognised,’ Mr. Scott presented awards to three retiring Council members who had completed their 2-year term, Marc Langevin, Omari Corbin and Richard Harrison.
Shomari Scott presented three retiring councillors with awards of appreciation. Left to right: Marc Langevin, Shomari Scott, Omari Corbin and Richard Harrison.