Who We Are

Paul Issa

Chairman

Paul Issa was born in Kingston, Jamaica, the son of the Hon. Abe Issa, and Lorraine Shaouy Issa. He attended St. George’s College, in Kingston, and, later, Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York. He studied drama at Tulane University in New Orleans and at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York. As a young man he taught drama and speech, worked in radio broadcasting, journalism and publishing, as well as directing and acting in theatrical productions.

After earning his Bachelor of Business Administration degree and his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Miami, he began working in the family business, the House of Issa Group of companies.

He is currently Deputy Chairman of House of Issa, and its subsidiary Issa Hotels & Resorts Ltd. which owns and operates Couples Resorts.

He is Chairman of the Issa Foundation, the Edna Manley College of the Visual and performing Arts in Kingston, Jamaica, and Paul Issa Publications.

He is a director of the Independent Radio Company Ltd (Power 106 and Music 99), and a member of the Council of the Institute of Jamaica; the Spanish-Jamaican Foundation Advisory Board; the Issa Scholarship Selection Committee; the Consular Corps of Jamaica; Visual & Performing Arts Jamaica (VPAJ); the University Players; and the Issa Trust Foundation.

With a long standing love for philanthropy, theatre, literature, and art in general, he has been part of the Jamaican cultural scene since the early 1970s. He is married to Spanish painter Oriente Davila Issa and they live in Kingston with their five children.

Diane Pollard

President and CEO

Diane was hired February 2010 as Issa Trust Foundation’s first paid employee. She has been working as Issa’s volunteer VP of Operations since its earliest planning stages in 2004, and with children in Jamaica since 1997. Her responsibilities with Issa include program planning and implementation, volunteer recruitment and oversight, outreach to supporters and current and potential partners, evaluation, budgeting, advocacy and meetings with policymakers, and strategic planning. Diane makes at minimum 4 trips per year to Jamaica to ensure policies and project goals are being followed. She brings with her over 30 years of experience, beginning in the 1970’s in the legal area working for the Attorney General’s Office in Criminal and Special Prosecutions. Her broad experience of directing, overseeing, delegating, and managing various corporate entities has helped her gain success in the non-profit arena. Prior to her work with Issa, Diane has worked in both the private and nonprofit sectors for two decades, working for the Principal Financial Group as an IT Performance Training Assistant, Retail IS Market-Information Systems Technology Analyst, Systems Support Specialist, and Staffing Specialist; with Principal Residential Mortgage as a Vendor Manager; and with the United Way of Central Iowa as a Loan Executive. Diane holds an Associate degree in Legal Studies from the Des Moines Area Community College.

She has spent the last 10 years focusing her attention internationally helping children in need. Diane has raised nearly one million dollars in her efforts both locally and internationally. She is currently a member of the Consulate General of Jamaica/New York Medical & Healthcare Council, United Way of Central Iowa's Emerging Leaders Initiative and has received Certificate of Recognition by the State of Iowa for outstanding commitment to philanthropy and public service, with honors from State Representative Kevin McCarthy with a State of Iowa Recognition for improving the health conditions in Jamaica through the Issa Trust Foundation.

Many years ago while on vacation in Jamaica there was a car accident, and so the bus took a detour. During a stop there was four-year-old boy standing in his underwear.  He was curious and came up to the van and stood close to Diane’s window and stared at her. He had the biggest smile she had ever seen. “It was a moment that I cannot explain.” The smile on her face was overshadowed by the tears in his eyes. She placed her hand on the window and he placed his small little hand near hers. “It was like a sign, a moment, and a turning point in my life. I was forever changed. At that point she knew she wanted to do something for the underprivileged children of Jamaica even though she did not have a lot of money to contribute herself.

Diane is married, has two married sons and four grandchildren.

Randy Russell

Executive Vice-President

A fortuitous phone call from a college friend, after graduating from the University of Colorado in 1975 initiated Randy Russell into the travel industry.  Randy began his career by working on cruise ships for a small tour operator who specialized in cruises and tours for single people.  What started as a two week gig, lasted over 2 ½ years.

Randy set foot on dry land, becoming the managing director of Singleworld based in NY.  From Singleworld Randy joined the ranks of field sales with Scandinavian World Cruises, covering the mid-atlantic states.  From 1993 to 1998, Randy was Vice President of Sales at SuperClubs and is credited with creating several successful marketing campaigns, including SuperAgency, SuperSurprise, Lido Sampler and Men of Hedonism II.

In 1998, Randy formed a partnership of hospitality executives and purchased what is now Jolly Beach Resort in Antigua.  After spending nearly $10 million to renovate and reopen the resort in January 2001, the partnership sold the resort for a profit.

Randy joined Couples Resorts in November 2001 and has since led the company through consecutive years of record occupancies and revenues. Randy has developed a reputation as a fun-loving executive whose signature “Luv n Life” influences both his professional and personal life.

Randy believes that the key to success in business is to create emotional connections with guests and staff so satisfying that loyalty is assured.

Alex Ghisays

Public Relations Director

Alex Ghisays has worked in the Jamaican Tourism Industry since 1984. She started her career as Public Relations Manager with SuperClubs. In 1997, Alex joined the Couples Resorts chain as Executive Assistant to the CEO & President, with special emphasis on public relations and events.

Since 2001, Alex has been the Group Public Relations Manager for Couples Resorts and has spearheaded all on-island fund-raising efforts, including the Annual Charity Golf Tournaments in Ocho Rios and Negril, which have been highly successful in raising over US$100,000. She is also responsible for all on-Island administration and planning for the Issa Trust Foundation’s projects.

In recognition of her work with several charities in Jamaica, she was made a Justice of the Peace for the Parish of St. Mary in 2006.

Alex is married with an eight year old son, Sage, who is her inspiration.

Gail A. Stephenson

Treasurer

Gail has worked in the travel industry since 2000.  Her early career started with Air Jamaica Vacations where she moved within the corporate structure to Inside and Group Sales.  She then joined the Carnival Cruise lines team, also in Groups, to broaden her industry knowledge.  In 2003, Gail returned to the all inclusive industry when Couples Resorts offered her the opportunity to grow her career and contribute to its success as a Marketing Manager.

Along with her many other tasks, Gail currently handles the daily administration for the Issa Trust foundation and is proud to help out her native country.  Through the work of the foundation, she feels blessed to help those less fortunate.

Gail loves children and has a young son named Gabriel.

Dr. Stacy McConkey

Pediatric Rotation Program Medical Director

Dr. Stacy McConkey is a General Pediatrician who works at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa. She has been the Medical Director for the Issa Trust medical mission for the past 4 years. She is also the Medical Director for the Issa Trust Foundation Pediatric Rotation program. When she isn’t in Jamaica, she is taking care of patients in her General Pediatrics practice, where she is responsible for training Pediatrics residents as the Program Director and Vice Chair of Education at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. She is married to Jeff, and they have 2 sons.

Jamie Sklar BSN, MS, CCRN

Lead Advisory Team Member

Jamie Sklar BSN, MS, CCRN has been involved with the Issa Trust Foundation since 2008. Jamie served as the medical mission coordinator for the Philadelphia based multidisciplinary team in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Recently Jamie has worked to create the Issa Trust Foundation Pediatric Education Program, and serves as an Advisory Board member of the Issa Trust Foundation.

Jamie graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the University of Pittsburgh in 2002. She started her nursing career in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia that same year. Jamie continues to work in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit as a Clinical Level IV. In 2008 Jamie graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine with a Masters of Science in Forensic Medicine. She is a Safekids National Car Seat Safety Technician and a certified instructor for Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Trauma Care Nurse (ATCN) courses. Jamie speaks at both the hospital and regional level on traumatic injuries in children, and is a simulation instructor at The University of Pennsylvania's School of Nursing Simulation Center.

Dr. Sheila Campbell-Forrester

Advisory Team Member

Dr. Sheila Campbell-Forrester was educated at the University of the West Indies where she obtained a Bachelors in Medicine and Surgery in 1975 and a Diploma in Public Health in 1978.  In 1997, she was awarded the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship and attended The Rollins School of Public Health, Department of International Health, Emory University in Atlanta.

Prior to 1997, she served as Medical Officer and Senior Medical Officer of Health in the Western Region of Jamaica. After completing the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship in 1998, she returned to Jamaica and was appointed Regional Director of the Western Regional Health Authority.  In 2006, she was assigned to the Ministry of Health as Acting Chief Medical Officer and was confirmed in this position in 2007.  She officially retired on August 14, 2011 and is now an independent health systems and adolescent health consultant.

Dr. Campbell -Forrester is an Adolescent Health Specialist and has served as Technical Advisor to the Pan American Health Organization, UNICEF and World Health Organizations on adolescent health issues and public health issues.  Between 1998 and 2000 she served as a member of the Technical Steering Committee on Child and Adolescent Health at the World Health Organization and pioneered the first Adolescent Health programme for St. James in 1984.  In 2008, she was a member of the panel that reviewed the 2008 World Health Report, “Primary Health Care – Now more than ever.”

Dr. Campbell-Forrester lectures in Adolescent Health at the University of the West Indies, Department of Community Health and Psychiatry and has presented and co-authored several papers relating to adolescent health and other public health issues.  She has also served as Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Bachelor in Public Health Nursing at the University of Technology.  She has an interest in Public Private Partnerships in Health and believes that this is the wave of the future for strong health systems.

She is a Methodist Lay Pastor and is married with two daughters. She is a member of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, the Medical Association of Jamaica, and a past Vice President for the International Adolescent Association for Health and a member of the National Bioethics Committee of Jamaica. 

Philosophy

‘Justice, integrity, kindness, humility, team work, perseverance and discipline are qualities required for leadership and achieving results.’

Dr. Osmond Tomlinson

Advisory Team Member

Profile coming soon.