Retired land surveyor and businessman Winston Dear is to become the latest inductee into the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (MBCCI) Wall of Fame at its annual awards banquet to be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James on Saturday.
Dear, who has made an indelible mark on commercial development, business and philanthropy in the western city, will be recognised for his exemplary contribution to several civic and government organisations, as well as his personal interest in the growth of the tourist capital.
He joins other stalwarts for the prestigious honour, among them businessman extraor-dinaire Tony Hart, the visionary behind the creation and subsequent modernisation of the Montego Bay Freeport; hotel mogul Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, the founder and chairman of Sandals Resorts International; transport pioneer Ralph Smith of Tropical Tours Limited; inbound merchant B.D. Dadlani; land developer, the late Joe Whitter, the creator of the Whitter Village Complex; and businessman Godfrey Dyer, current chairman of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).
“We are pleased to honour those who have invested their time and energy in building the commercial value of our city and salute the 2018 inductee to the MBCCI Wall of Fame, renowned land surveyor and businessman Winston Dear,” said Winston Lawson, president of the 86-year-old commercial community group.
EMBRACING MODERNISATION
Dear heads the list of awardees, including citations to four long-standing Montego Bay businesses and institutions that continue to contribute to the city’s development.
According to Lawson, the chamber’s achievements showcase the tenacity and astute stewardship of its board and past executives, and showcase its growth from a vibrant citizens association to a formidable body, lobbying tirelessly for the needs of its members and citizens of the parish, with Dear, a past president of the organisation, playing a crucial role in its growth.
This year’s event is being staged under the theme ‘Embracing Modernisation, Championing Advocacy’, with Dr Horace Chang, minister of national security, representing Prime Minister Andrew Holness as guest speaker.
The Wall of Fame was introduced in 2015 as a way to recognise individuals who have made a lasting contribution to the community for no less than 20 years in the areas of: Industry Leadership, exemplary dedication and product, service innovation and professional achievement.
National Commercial Bank heads the list of sponsors.