Ms. Polack currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Couples Resorts. With 35 years in the hospitality industry in the US and the Caribbean, she has a demonstrated ability to effectively communicate complex information to varied stakeholder groups and manage the day-to-day financial operations of a world-class company to ensure optimal performance. Ms. Polack is an exceptional team builder and problem-solver with a wealth of experience in corporate financial planning. She is resolute in her personal commitment to the mission of the Issa Trust Foundation to promote well-being, health and development of the people of Jamaica. Her focus at Couples is to oversee financial and IT operations and facilitate company expansion through careful budgeting and planning. Prior to her work with Couples, Ms. Polack was the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Caribbean Producers Jamaica Limited for 12 years, a publicly held company listed on the Jamaica Junior Stock Exchange. A former Director of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, she currently serves as a Director of Ironrock Insurance Co. Ltd. Ms. Polack is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds a Bachelor of Accounting from St. Leo’s University, Florida.

A lawyer by profession, Mr. Howard Mitchell maintained a successful Commercial Law Practice for thirty-five (35) years, with concentrations in Mining Law and Taxation, before retiring in 2010. Mr. Mitchell has demonstrated a strong commitment to Public Service for decades and was appointed to the Board of the National Housing Trust (NHT) in 1987 and again served as Chairman from February 2008 to June 2012. He serves as a Justice of the Peace (JP) and 2017 he was awarded the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) for outstanding service to Business and the Public Sector. He has also served as Chairman on the following Boards:

• Coffee Industry Board; Jamaica Bauxite Institute; Bauxite and Alumina Trading Company Ltd. 2008 – 2012
• Cocoa Industry Board – 2009 – 2011
• Director of the Jamaica Deposit Insurance Corporation – 2012 – 2016
• Vice President of the Jamaica Manufacturers Association (JMA) – 2013 to Present
• Director of Cari-Med Limited and Kirk Distributors Limited – 2013 to Present
• Chairman of The Financial Services Commission – June 2016 – July 2017
• Chairman of the Council of the Institute of Jamaica – December 2016 to Present
• The Gaming Commission – 2016 – 2017

Mr. Mitchell has negotiated a number of Mining Agreements on behalf of the Government of Jamaica and continues to provide advice on developments in that sector. His contribution to Private Enterprise includes the resuscitation of the Sports Development Agency (SDA) to become the Jamaica Lottery Company Limited (operators of Jamaica’s first successful private lottery) and the co-founder of the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) (which was the forerunner of the CHASE Fund), as well as  his leadership of the popular chain of Island Grill Restaurants and the establishment of Jamaica’s largest packaging manufacturing plant, Corrpak Jamaica Ltd., before selling the company in 2016. Mr. Mitchell is currently the President of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) and is also currently serving as Chairman of All Jamaica Air Services (AJAS) Limited, Chairman of the Council of the Institute of Jamaica as well as Company Director of TM Traders Ltd., CariMed and Kirk Distributors Limited. Mr. Mitchell’s philanthropic activities include his financial support of numerous charities and his membership on the Board of Mustard Seed Foundation and former Chairmanship of St. Patrick’s Foundation.  His interests include fishing and politics. He has been married for over 40 years, and has 2 daughters. Mr. Mitchell has negotiated a number of Mining Agreements on behalf of the Government of Jamaica and continues to provide advice on developments in that sector. His contribution to Private Enterprise includes the resuscitation of the Sports Development Agency (SDA) to become the Jamaica Lottery Company Limited (operators of Jamaica’s first successful private lottery) and the co-founder of the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) (which was the forerunner of the CHASE Fund), as well as his leadership of the popular chain of Island Grill Restaurants and the establishment of Jamaica’s largest packaging manufacturing plant, Corrpak Jamaica Ltd., before selling the company in 2016. Mr. Mitchell is currently the President of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) and is also currently serving as Chairman of All Jamaica Air Services (AJAS) Limited, Chairman of the Council of the Institute of Jamaica as well as Company Director of TM Traders Ltd., CariMed and Kirk Distributors Limited. Mr. Mitchell’s philanthropic activities include his financial support of numerous charities and his membership on the Board of Mustard Seed Foundation and former Chairmanship of St. Patrick’s Foundation. His interests include fishing and politics. He has been married for over 40 years, and has 2 daughters.

Dr. Gary Anderson, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, Past International Director, was elected to serve a two-year term as a director of Lions Clubs International at the association’s 93rd International Convention, held in Sydney, Australia, June 28 through July 2, 2010.

Past Director Anderson is a Doctor of Optometry and owner of Anderson Eye Care.

A member of the Grand Rapids Lions Club since 1979, he has held many offices within the association, including club president, district governor and council chairperson for MD-11. He served as host committee chairman for the 2007 USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum in Grand Rapids, has been a member of the USA/Canada Forum planning committee seven times, including general chairman of the 2016 Forum in Omaha, Nebraska. Additionally, he has served as GMT Area 1C Area Leader, DGE Seminar leader at the International Convention in Hamburg and has led or participated in 33 Lions vision missions to Central and South America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

In recognition of his service to the association, he has received numerous awards including the Henry Voet Grand Rapids Lifetime Achievement Award, The Grandville and Betty Cutler Leadership Award, the S.A. Dodge MD-11 Distinguished Service Award, the Lions of Michigan Hall of Fame, one International President’s Leadership Award, seven International President’s Medals and the Ambassador of Good Will Award, the highest honor the association bestows upon its members. He is also a Grand Master membership key awardee and a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow.

Past Director Anderson and his wife, Cheryl, also a Lion and a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow, have one son and two daughters, all of whom are Lions and whose spouses are Lions. They have three grandsons and four granddaughters

 

Ewan Simpson, Attorney-at-Law, holds a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Intellectual Property Law, from the University of Turin (Italy) where he studied on scholarship from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), in 2009. He was called to the Jamaican Bar in 2004, having completed studies at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona (B.A. Geography) and Cave Hill (LL.B), as well as the Norman Manley Law School, and has served in various Legal capacities including a two year stint as Legal Officer at the Ministry of Education immediately upon returning home from his studies in Italy. As a mentor, advocate and lecturer in the areas of Intellectual Property Law, Entertainment Law and Artiste Management, Mr Simpson is currently the General Manager for Legal and Corporate Services for one of Jamaica’s leading Regulatory Bodies.

This former President and Chief Musical Arranger of the University Singers, recently completed a five year stint as Musical Director of the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC), and has been a National Adjudicator and Workshop facilitator in music and the Performing Arts for over twenty years.

Having toured the world extensively as an instrumentalist, vocalist and performance coach, Artiste manager as well as artiste development and Intellectual Property expert, he remains Musical Director and Artiste Manager for the group One Third and continues to be the leader of The Band IN2NATION which he founded.

The involvements of this Distinguished Alumni of the UWI have now been further expanded to include national service as a Director of Aerotel Limited (where he chairs the Human Resources Committee), as a Commissioner of The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (where he chairs the Entertainment Arts Committee), the Entertainment Advisory Board to the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports, where he co-chairs the Legal and Regulatory subcommittee and is Senior Advisor to the Wife of The Prime Minister of Jamaica, The Most Honourable Juliet Holness.

Robert A. Barkema, RT, is a Corporate Officer at Radiology Imaging Solutions, Inc. since its founding in 1987. Located in Grand Rapids, MI. Radiology Imaging sells and services most types of medical imaging equipment. Graduated from Ferris State College school of Radiologic Technology, and has been working in the medical imaging field since 1972. In 2013, I traveled to Jamaica for the first time for the foundation to install a new piece of x-ray equipment at Port Maria Hospital. I or one of my service engineers has visited Jamaica to do repairs and training. Our goal is to have a regular rotation of service people from the US visit the region to do on-going repairs, and most importantly, on-going training of the Jamaican bio-med service people.