South Florida attorney appointed to Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board at Second Biennial Conference
MIAMI – South Florida attorney Marlon Hill, was recently elected to the Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board Leadership to represent the Southern USA.
Mr. Hill was one of seven Board members appointed at the second biennial National Diaspora conference held in Kingston last June, at which some 500 delegates from the United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America, the Caribbean and Central American region, and Africa convened for a series of panel discussions and dialogue on issues of interest to Jamaica and its Diaspora.
Marlon A. Hill, Esq.
Jamaican Diaspora Advisory Board Member
Southern United States
The appointment of the seven-member Board was one of the highlights of the two-day summit June 16-17) by Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for Diaspora Affairs, Senator Delano Franklyn.
This appointment of Board members is the second since the historic launch of the National Diaspora conference held in June 2004.
The Board members were elected by their peers at the conference, and are drawn from the major overseas communities where there are large Jamaican populations.
The other members comprise Ms. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams and Philip Mascoll both representing Canada; Ms. Paulette Simpson and Travis Johnson, representing the United Kingdom; Dr Harold Mignott and Ms. Valerie Beckley, representing the Northeast USA and Midwest USA respectively.
Members will serve for two years until the next biennial conference scheduled June 16, 2008. The appointees have been thrust with the responsibility to meet with Minister Franklin twice per year to review progress in the implementation of policies and programs for the mutual benefit of Jamaicans at home and abroad.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Mr. Hill was educated at St. George’s College and Florida State University. He is a founding partner and corporate partner with delancyhill, P.A. in South Florida.
In an interview with JIS, Mr. Hill spoke of his commitment to serve his community noting that the Jamaican Diaspora movement is moving in a positive and maturing direction. “Our potential is unbounded,” he emphasized, and was pleased to be able to serve in a capacity that would help transform the diasporic communities for generations, he added.
Mr. Hill’s involvement in the South Florida community has earned him the recognition by several regional and local publications as one of the ‘outstanding members of the emerging generation of South Florida business and professional leaders.’
He is also an inaugural fellow in the Dade Community Foundation’s Miami Fellows Initiative and currently serves on the Board of the Miami Parking Authority, the Jay Malina International Trade Consortium, and the Florida Association for Volunteer Action in the Caribbean and the Americas, Inc. (FAVACA).
He is also currently a member of the St. George’s College Alumni Florida chapter and was the president of the Caribbean Bar Association in 2003.
Mr. Hill is also host of a current affairs radio talk show – Caribbean Crossroads – on South Florida’s WTPS-1080 AM radio, where he uses this forum to discuss politics, culture, business and community affairs.
In reaching out to the community, Mr. Hill reiterated to the Diaspora that “we must build an open communication infrastructure, tap our financial resources, and evoke the energy of our faith, cultural and musical traditions in order to pursue our true potential.”
