10th Anniversary Celebrations
10th Anniversary Celebrations
The Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) celebrated 10 years with a Black Tie Awards Banquet at the Jamaica Pegasus on Tuesday, October 14, 2014.
Former United States Ambassador to Jamaica, Sue Cobb, founder of the WLI, joined members and guests to mark a decade of high achievement of the non profit organization she formed in 2004 “to foster development, knowledge sharing and partnership between Jamaica and Florida’s public and private sectors.”
Since then the organization has earned quite a reputation for its programmes geared at empowering women and girls in Jamaica. The WLI has achieved a great deal in their areas of focus – Early Childhood Education, Health & Advocacy, providing mentorship and scholarships for young girls, funding qualified teachers for children with special needs and training caregivers and administrators of Children’s Homes to detect child sexual abuse and contributing generally to nation building and the advancement of women.
The WLI has for the past 10 years sponsored activities at the Voluntary Organization for the Upliftment of Children (VOUCH), improving facilities and infrastructure at the Sylvia Foote Basic School.
The Awards Banquet on October 14, 2014, honoured past chairs of the WLI – Pat Ramsay, Sen. Marlene Malahoo Forte, Marcia Erskine.
“Pioneer Sponsors” were also honoured including: ICWI, Island Grill, British Airways, Pan Caribbean/Sagicor Bank, Restaurant Associates/Burger King, Jamaica National Building Society, Jamaica Observer, Gleaner Company Ltd., Victoria Mutual Building Society, Proven Wealth, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, CIBC First Caribbean International Bank, Victoria Mutual Building Society and Terra Nova All Suite Hotel.
Founder of the Women’s Leadership Initiative (Jamaica) and former US Ambassador to Jamaica, Sue Cobb (centre), with then Chair, Sharon Lake (right) with WLI Past Chairs (l-r) Marcia Erskine, Marlene Malahoo Forte and Pat Ramsay, Chair Emerita at the 10th Anniversary awards celebration on October 14, 2014.