[SOUTH FLORIDA] – The Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) has elected Mr. Eldon Bremner, a founding member, as its new Chairman of the Board of Directors. He succeeds Mr. Mohamed Omar who served two consecutive terms and was not eligible for re-election. Mr. Bremner is a retired hotel chief executive who has served in the hospitality sector for several decades in various parts of the world. This includes over a decade as general manager of the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.
New Board
Four members of the Chamber have also been elected to the new board. They are Lakesha Singh-Mc Kay, Kyle De’ Armond, Whitney Williams and Victoria Gordon. The board are all young entrepreneurs and business owners. Their election to the GACC Board reflects the commitment of the Chamber. Most importantly to intensify its focus on small business development, especially those owned by women and youth.
2021 Successes
At its general meeting on Monday the board reviewed its activities during 2021. In addition, they analyzed the impact of its programs. Noting that despite the pandemic it was able to successfully host a number of virtual and in-person activities. These activities included, inter alia, programs focused on the impact of COVID-19 on businesses in both the United States and Guyana. Especially in the areas of trade and investment. Additional programs included doing business with Guyana conferences in Miami and New York. Conferences featured high level panels from Guyana headed by the Prime Minister and key ministers of Government along with private sector representatives; active participation in Caribbean Legislative Week in Washington, DC and in the Florida International Trade Conference and Expo (FITCE).
The Chamber was also instrumental in having relevant issues addressed in both the mainstream and parochial media. This includes the Miami Herald, National Public Radio, the Black News Channel (BNC) and CNN.
Key Partnerships
The board also noted the links it has developed with key agencies and companies including the US State Department, the US Department of Commerce, The Broward County Economic Commission, and key elected officials as well as the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and trade Industry and Commerce in Guyana as well as with Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL).
2022 work program to focus on small and medium enterprise development
The board has also identified a number of activities and programs for 2022 which will feature a virtual conference on the state of US/Guyana business relations for 2022; a virtual workshop on Guyana’s local content policy to determine how diaspora owned businesses could benefit; a virtual meeting of Guyanese students in the US and a Guyanese American Business Expo to be held in Florida during the last quarter of 2022. Additionally, chairman-elect Eldon Bremner has been identified to engage with the hospitality industry in Guyana to determine whether the chamber could assist in the development of this sector particularly through the establishment of links with relevant institutions such as the Rosen School of Hospitality Management in Orlando, Florida.
Wesley Kirton, Melinda Gordon and Gail Stoll have been returned as president, secretary and treasurer, respectively. The new board becomes effective March 1, 2022.
