GROWING up in Lowlands, Tobago, Avian Parks once dreamt of becoming the Oprah Winfrey of the Caribbean.
For as long as she could remember, she has always admired the renowned talk show host and was intent on emulating her.
“I used to practice reading in the mirror a lot and worked hard on my pronunciations and intonations. I really wanted to be a talk show host,” Parks, communications director in the Office of the Chief Secretary (OCS), Tobago House of Assembly (THA), told Newsday.
But she was also fond of award-winning broadcast journalist Christiane Amanpour, whose work has taken her to some of he grittiest parts of the world.
“I found her to be such an excellent interviewer so I didn’t mind becoming a renowned journalist just to be able to do high-profile interviews.”
Ironically, Parks was not even “a television person” back in the day. Even now, she said, “I am rarely found sitting in front of the television binging on programmes or shows.
“But I’ve always loved talks shows. I really enjoy seeing people being interviewed and sharing their stories. I admire a confident and professional interviewer who is comfortable drawing out responses from someone and taking charge of their interview. I never really liked the news but I was always drawn to talk shows.”
But Parks recalled a personal trait which she felt, at that time, would have prevented her from fulfilling her dream.
“During my teenage years, I had a deep voice for a female and sometimes I got teased and laughed about it and was called ‘man voice.’ However, over the years, my pitch got a little higher. I am not sure if it was natural or whether I was intentional about it. But I know I purposed in my heart from a very young age that one day I will be on television hosting my own show and talking to crowds of people.”
That dream came to fruition when she started hosting Let’s Talk Tobago at the Department of Information (DOI) and later produced and directed her own talk show, Keepin It Real, which tackled taboo topics. Parks did two seasons of Keepin It Real, one of which was at CCN TV6 and the other on Tobago Channel Five.
Those experiences laid the foundation for her development as a respected communications professional.
As OCS communications director, Parks’ job covers a broad spectrum of activities.
Essentially, she manages the DOI, a diverse area with approximately eight units encompassing communications, speech writing, photography, television production, engineering, graphics, radio production and social media.
Parks is primarily responsible for spearheading the image and branding of the THA through internal and external communications and policies. Additionally, the DOI is responsible for media and communications for the OCS and THA.
“Therefore, my role spans overseeing policy creation to involvement in television and radio productions, co-ordinating media conferences, community meetings and overseeing the overall dissemination of THA/government information.”
On Tuesday, she is expected to host the third instalment in t
