About Us

Our Mission

To promote, support and advocate the interest of the business sector, to foster growth and development in industry and commerce primarily in tourism, commerce, manufacturing, information technology and agriculture.

The Chamber provides leadership by bringing together businesses and individuals to create a positive business environment that will shape the economic future and well-being of Montego Bay and its environs.

More Less

THE Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce & Industry

After nearly nine decades of an illustrious existence, the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry is now poised for an even more productive and exciting future. The Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce & Industry is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year.

In keeping with our motto: Together We Build, the Chamber provides leadership by bringing together over two hundred businesses and individuals to create a positive business environment that will shape the economic future and well-being of Montego Bay and its environs.

With an ever evolving socio-economic environment, the Chamber faces may challenges which from time to time have caused it to not just be a body that seemingly represents “big business interests”, but one that seeks to represent the interests and concerns of the wider society, including the small business sector.

More Less

Get to know our president and board of directors

JANET THERESE SILVERA

President
Janet Therese Silvera is an award-winning journalist who has made an indelible contribution to Jamaica’s tourist industry.

Having spent most of her youth at the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Silvera became known as the results-oriented problem solver, whose charisma and drive differentiated her from the pack.

Her growth in the job saw her qualifying herself in various advanced courses in tourism-related subjects in Europe and the USA.

She studied French at Foyer Guy Houist in Rennes, France, and was the official marketing officer in the JTB’s overseas relations department who dealt with French travel agents and tour operators.

Silvera held the position of marketing officer at the Jamaica Tourist Board before complaining of “exhausting her stay”, finally changing her pace to take up a sales position at the Gleaner Company Limited.

Within months The Gleaner saw her potential as a writer after she penned her first published article ‘It’s ok to have two men’. This witty and provocative piece brought her a lot of attention, creating the catalyst for her role in media.

Silvera honed her skills in Journalism and has become an integral part of The Gleaner team. She was appointed coordinator of the exciting and innovative bi-monthly tourism trade publication Hospitality Jamaica, 14 years ago, in addition to being appointed senior writer at the newspaper.

Silvera made history in June 2012 when she became the first Jamaican to be honoured with the Marcia Vickery-Wallace award for Travel Journalism by the Jamaica Tourist Board and she was named the Press Association of Jamaica ‘News Journalist of the Year’ 2009, for the thought-provoking piece ‘Dad Raped Us’ and again in 2014 for her investigative pieces on the ‘Mario Deane’ death. In 2006 she was the American Express/Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) awardee for Excellence in Tourism Reporting.

In the last 25 years she has focused her attention on tourism and its benefits to the region.

As if this were not enough, Silvera is one of the only certified event managers in Jamaica, having completed her certification at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Communications at CARIMAC – University of the West Indies, with First Class Honours.

She was elected President of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry in June 2019. Silvera is an advocate for education, paying special emphasis on early childhood and tertiary delivery. She spent six years at the Caribbean’s largest early childhood institution, the Montego Bay Infant School as chairman.

A philanthropist who sacrifices daily, her most important achievements to date has been the birth of ‘MoBay City Run’, a 10K/5K run and walk, which has donated over $23.5 million to education last six years.

Silvera recently founded ‘Sarah’s Children’, an organization which aims to protect abused children and the elderly.