KWASI ROBINSON, the chairman of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation, took office as new president of the Heliconia Foundation For Young Professionals at an inauguration function for the new executive committee on Friday at the Bungalow Restaurant in St Clair.
San Fernando City Corporation councillor for Cocoyea Teresa Lynch took office as secretary.
Also appointed were eight vice-presidents. These were Tenielle Solomon (communication), Osei Benn (finance), Thandiwe Hove Masaisai (legal), Vyash Nandlal (marketing), Dr Annalese Percy (membership), Aneshia Beach (operations), Adam Raffoul (policy) and Marika Trim (projects).
Members each received their instruments of appointment and collectively took an oath to serve with impartiality.
The event also recognised the foundation's Tobago chapter chaired by Melissa James Guy who were absent owing to scheduling conflicts. The Tobago executive also includes Janelle Wright (secretary), Jonica Romeo (legal officer), Akissi London (policy officer), Tasha Frank (projects officer) and Stephon Isaac (treasurer.)
[caption id="attachment_1017106" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Minister of Education Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, and Minister of Youth Development and National Service Foster Cummings, centre, with new members of the Heliconia Foundation for Young Professionals during the foundation's inauguration at The Bungalow, Rust Street, Port of Spain on May 19. - AYANNA KINSALE[/caption]
PNM Youth League head Shenekah Kirton brought greetings to the foundation who she hailed as a bridge for young people between education and employment, providing them with mentorship, fellowship and networking. She expressed a hope for collaboration between the league and foundation towards youth empowerment. Minister in the Ministry of Housing Adrian Leonce said the foundation will provide TT with future leadership. He advised the foundation's executive members to always stay grounded so that their policies would reflect the will of the people.
"We listen to the ground," he said.
Leonce said people look towards leaders during hard times such as the covid19 pandemic, and urged the the executive to see themselves as leaders. "You are the road map for the future of this nation."
Minister in the Office of the Attorney General Renuka Sagramsingh-Sooklal said a foundation member could be "a pretty person" but also had to stand for something.
She said it was "a cool thing" to serve and to do something for one's country, and hailed members for being ready to take up the baton of public service.
As a mother of two teenagers, she said she knew how important it was to get good mentors for them, even as she viewed the foundation as a network of mentors.
Robinson mulled the nature of change by asking guests to consider that if all planks in a sailing ship were replaced over time, would it ultimately then be a new ship or the same ship. Likening the foundation to such a ship, he said it did not matter whether it was considered to be an old ship or a new ship but rather what was important
