JHTA Negril elects Evelyn Smith as area chairperson

Mrs. Smith succeeds small hotelier Carolyn Wright, who held the position for the past five years.

She brings years of active work and dedication to the association, having served as council member since 2002. She is currently the director of marketing at the Point Village Resort, where she has been instrumental in repositioning that resort in the localand overseas marketplace to be a well-recognised, moderately-priced vacation
destination for all major markets.

LOTS OF EXPERIENCE

An extremely result-oriented person, among her outstanding achievements have been chairperson of the Spring Break Monitoring Committee that implemented the code of conduct for Spring Break venues, and successfully leading the drive that ensured Negril's selection as the 2006 venue for Jamaica's premier tourism marketplace ­ the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX), subsequently chairing the JAPEX-Negril organising committee.

CONTRIBUTED Evelyn Smith, newly-elected chairman of the Negril chapter of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association. Evelyn20050522C

The creative and hardworking Smith has been actively involved with the annual staging of the Reggae Marathon in Negril, coordinating World Tourism Day activities to involve primary and high schools in Hanover and Westmoreland, as well as various Jamaica Tourist Board travel agent 'Fly-In' programmes for the area.

Her career in the hotel industry began 18 years ago in Boston, Massachusetts, at the five-star Four Seasons Hotel and the Sheraton Hotel and Towers.

FROM GRAND LIDO TO POINT VILLAGE

On her return to Jamaica, she was part of the team that opened the Grand Lido Negril where she worked for several years as sales manager. After leaving Grand Lido Negril she worked as the resident manager of Point Village Negril, and was later promoted director of marketing, reporting to the board of directors.

At Point Village she has ensured that her belief in the importance of maintaining a balance of business sources is reflected in the resort's appeal in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, where she maintains very strong and positive relations with the major tour operators.

A leading advocate of the importance of the Jamaican clientele to local hotels, Mrs. Smith spearheaded the execution of such promotions as the very popular 'Wedding in Paradise' on Television Jamaica (TVJ).

Mrs. Smith holds an M.B.A. with honours from Nova Southeastern University, and a B.A., majoring in French and Spanish, from the prestigious Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She is married to Joseph Smith.