Were/are you an active sportsman?
Yes, I played tennis regularly up to three years ago – knee problems have slowed me down.

Have you been involved in sport in a different way - as a coach or official for example?
As an official – please see sports resume.

What do you personally gain from athletics in particular?
The satisfaction of serving and contributing to the overall development of young talent.

Your profession is listed as marketing consultant, could you tell us what this involves?
I have spent my working life in the pharmaceutical industry, representing some of the major manufacturers/researchers in the field for twenty-five years. I managed a pharmaceutical distribution operation for several years before going on my own, providing marketing information in the Caribbean markets for international pharmaceutical manufacturers.

How does your attitude to athletics influence your career?
Successful athletics requires a tremendous amount of self-discipline – it is difficult to let go of that strict adherence in any other sphere of life.

How do you mange to combine a career with your deep commitment to athletics and sport?
Having attained a senior management position early in life, I was able to accomplish much by age forty (40) and that has allowed me a lot of time to spend in the administration of sports.

What are your hobbies and interests?
Classical music, theatre, reading

Do you have children? And if so, do you (did you) encourage them to practise sport?
Yes, four daughters – individuals have played lawn tennis and swam for their high school. My eldest did enter a national table tennis championship at age ten.

Jamaica is renowned for its young sprint talent, why is the Caribbean is so strong in this domain?
Ever since the region began to participate in athletics at the highest level, our athletes achieved a high level of results that has proved to be a beacon for our athletes to follow. We have had the good fortune to benefit from the input of Herb McKenley who has spent nearly fifty years in the sport coaching at all levels.

How important is athletics to the Jamaican sports' scene? What are the prospects for the future?
Athletics, Appleton Rum, Bob Marley and Reggae Music are the three most important attractions for visitors to our beautiful country. We continue to do very well with probably one of the best junior programmes in the world.

And what about NACAC as a whole? How would you summarise the current situation and the future and what do you hope to achieve as NACAC Area Representative on the IAAF Council?
The most important job I have to do as area representative for the NACAC region is to uplift and support the small and weak programmes. There is no way the IAAF allocation for development in the region can satisfy the programme I need to do in the region. Consequently, I have approached major corporations operating within the region for technical, financial and management assistance. I am pleased to report that I have received encouraging responses and trust that by July when we gather for the CAC Junior Championships, I will be able to advise fully on what has been achieved. There is great need for infrastructure development for most of the countries within the NACAC and that is where the major work must begin. I will be encouraging full participation by member federations in regional competition as a first step and will employ my best efforts to ensure that adequate and necessary equipment is made available to those in great need.

We have quite a lot of qualified level 1 coaches in the region and it is my intention to find these individuals and encourage them back in the sport.

Kingston will host the World Junior Championships in 2002. Although Havana hosted the World Cup in 1992, this is still only the second time that a Caribbean country hosts an IAAF World Series event - How are the preparations going?
I am quite satisfied with the progress we are making in our preparation for 2002. As I write, the warm up track (full eight lanes Mondo surface) is being completed. We have identified the necessary accommodation, which will primarily be on the campus of the University of the West Indies, most other areas are moving on quite well. As of now, we have yet to identify a television link, but we are working on that and feel quite confident that we will have something in place for 2002.

What in your opinion are the advantages of hosting a major world athletics event, such as the World Junior Championships?
The major advantage of course is that you have the opportunity to bring the world together within a single arena. Resulting from such a gathering the main beneficiaries are:

1. The national federation – by way of getting top rate facilities and equipment, which will assist the further and continuing development of the national programme.
2. The nation’s tourism programme usually gets a boost from the injection of foreign visitors who occupy airline seats, hotel rooms, local transportation, food industry, craft industry and generally everything associated with the tourism industry. A good impression will ensure the return of many of these initial visitors.

You are a board member of the Jamaica Special Olympics, could you tell us more about your affiliation to this association?
I have been a board member of Jamaica Special Olympics for over fifteen years and served on the international board for two periods (six years). I have been able, through my experience, to give some guidance to the development of Jamaica’s Special Olympics Programme. The work is similar to what is required for normal athletics and so there is not much difficulty applying my experience in assisting the local programme.