Jamaica’s Ambassador Antony Anderson Appointed to New Role

 

WASHINGTON DC – Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) His Excellency Major General (Ret’d) Antony Anderson has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Jamaica’s newly established National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA).

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness shared the announcement at a Wednesday morning press briefing held in Jamaica.

Strengthen Jamaica’s Disaster Preparedness

The appointment places one of Jamaica’s most experienced national security and governance leaders at the center of an ambitious effort to strengthen disaster preparedness and reconstruction systems.

Moreover, the effort will boost climate resilience, infrastructure recovery, and long-term development planning amid increasingly complex global and environmental pressures.

The former Chief of Defense Staff, National Security Advisor, and Police Commissioner said he carefully considered leading NaRRA. In the end, he accepted the role after thinking about the agency’s potential to transform. He also noted its importance to Jamaica’s long-term resilience, competitiveness, and development agenda.

“If executed effectively, NaRRA has the potential to fundamentally strengthen Jamaica’s resilience architecture and accelerate national development outcomes. This is an opportunity to shape a more agile, resilient, and future-ready Jamaica”, stated Jamaica’s top diplomat in the United States.

Growth and Global Competitiveness

Ambassador Anderson said Jamaica can sustain growth and global competitiveness with more efficiency, innovation, and agile development.

Drawing comparisons with countries such as Singapore and Bahrain, the newly appointed NaRRA executive emphasized that Jamaica must intensify its focus on speed and efficiency. Additionally, there must be more scalability in both government and business operations.

“The countries that will succeed in this era are those that are able to adapt quickly, leverage technology effectively, and make smarter, faster decisions. For Jamaica, resilience and development must increasingly be supported by innovation, digital tools, predictive analytics, and more agile systems of execution. These are capabilities that can significantly enhance national development outcomes and strengthen the effectiveness of institutions such as NaRRA,” Ambassador Anderson stated.

Ambassador Anderson arrived in Washington on May 28, 2025. He came to assume his post as Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States.

Over the past year, he reflected on his diplomatic posting. He described it as “full and busy.”  Referring to American politics and international affairs, it is unusually dynamic and unpredictable.

“Everything is happening quickly, and to an extent you are not sure what you are going to wake up to tomorrow,” said Jamaica’s top diplomat to Washington.

Ambassador Anderson noted major progress in relations between Jamaica and the United States. He also cited ongoing talks about the multilateral system at the Organization of American States. He added that the Jamaican diaspora is becoming more involved.

At a staff meeting at the Embassy in Washington, Ambassador Anderson revealed that he has been appointed the new NaRRA Chief Executive. He shared the news before the Prime Minister’s official announcement was made.

Ambassador Anderson expressed appreciation for their support and commitment throughout his tenure. He encouraged the team to remain focused and disciplined in their work.

His appointment to NaRRA now puts him at the center of one of Jamaica’s most ambitious projects.

His appointment takes effect on June 1.