Jean Lowrie-Chin: a real pro
Published: Friday | December 5, 2008 - Jamaica Gleaner
Prime Minister Bruce Golding (left) and Beverley Anderson-Manley (second left) unveil a poster of Jean Lowrie-Chin's book 'Souldance' as she and husband Hubie look on.
The headquarters of PRO Communications (popularly called PRO Comm), looks like somebody's home and, in this home, Jean Lowrie-Chin is mama.
The managing director of the entity she founded in December 1978 is looking back on the 30 years. Lowrie-Chin, who also created The Gleaner's Flair Magazine back in 1984, has to pinch herself to make sure time has flown by so quickly. She is more than pleased with the progress the company has made.
"As a matter of fact, we have had to be very careful about growing too fast. We still run on the no-loan, self-financing-from-cash-flow policy, so we have to be conservative and, thank goodness, we have made every pay-day for 30 years!" she states proudly.
The clientele is a who's who of private sector supremacy including Digicel, the National Commercial Bank Foundation and Kingston Wharves. Past clients include Pepsi, Jamaica Money Market Brokers and J Wray and Nephew. Just how does the PRO Comm team keep everybody happy?
No easy road
"If you are committed to the clients' cause, it is not tough at all, and we don't take on any client that we don't believe in. But, if you are not well equipped it's worse than tough - it's impossible," she pointed out. Navigating the PR/communications road isn't easy, even for her. She says the biggest challenge is getting people to respect the profession. I think we are the most second-guessed profession in the world," she opined.
The poet
On the personal side, Lowrie-Chin is also quite the poet, launching her book Souldance at PRO Comm's 30th anniversary event last week. She addresses topics dealing with social commentary, spiritual and relationships. The book has been in the works for six years.
She writes to "speak out for the voiceless, to celebrate the goodness of God (and) love in many forms," she says. Claude McKay and William Shakes-peare are her favourite poets.
Always the visionary, Lowrie-Chin is looking ahead to stay ahead of the communications game.
Fine-tuned product
"We have fine-tuned our unique communications product. It's the most effective way to communicate and we have proven it through the work we have done for LASCO, the Electoral Office of Jamaica and, most recently, BPM Financial. It's a combination of advertising, public relations, Internet - full house for full impact," she explained.
She says the expansion will free her to do more writing and jokes it will also free her husband, Hubie, to play more golf. She also hinted at something big coming for 2009, a new project that could be one of PRO Comm's biggest moves yet. Happy birthday, Jean!
Jean Lowrie-Chin (right) escorts her mom
Masie Lowrie to the party with the help of hubbie Hubie
Chin.
Track trio to attend Hampton U
published:
Wednesday | July 23, 2008 -
Jamaica Gleaner
Alpha Academy's Claudia Calder and GC Foster College's duo Petrice Richards and Jerine Bolt will head off to Hampton University in Virginia.
Calder, the holder of eight CSEC and three Cape subjects, was the 2007 Class One high jump champion. At this year's championships, she was a runner-up in the high jump and was a finalist in the 400-metre hurdles event. She was also the Under-20 high jump champion at the National Championships in June. She will be majoring in chemical engineering.
Bolt, a second-year student at GC Foster College was a member of Holmwood Technical's successful 4x400 and 4x800 metres teams at the 2006 Championships.
Richards, who was a member of the GC Foster College medley relay team at this year's Inter-collegiate Championships, specializes in the 100 and 200 metres. Bolt and Richards will major in health and physical education.
"All three athletes are expected to bolster Hampton University's track programme as the team has dominated the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference, where they have won six consecutive outdoor titles and five overall indoor championships," Ham-pton's coach, Raymond Graham, told The Gleaner.
PERFORMER OF THE WEEK: Wilson
starts season in style
published: Saturday |
April 12, 2008 - Jamaica Gleaner
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NICKEISHA WILSON, one of the youngest World Championships 400m
hurdles finalists of all time, has started her 2008
outdoor season in blazing fashion.
At 21, Wilson, who is the second youngest to finish in the top four
at the World Championships (Jana Rawlinson was
20 when she took her first title in 2003), raced to an impressive
personal best at last weekend's Texas Relays.
It, however, was in the women's 100m hurdles where Wilson, who is
eyeing a spot on Jamaica Olympic team this summer,
sped to a sizzling 12.85 seconds to beat former Queen's School
athlete and Jamaica junior Latoya Greaves, competing
for Oklahoma Baptist University (13.19).
FOURTH FASTEST
It was behind this performance, which ranks her the fourth fastest
in the event this year, that she has been
selected The Gleaner's Top Performer of the Week.
A 400m hurdles silver medallist at last year's Pan American Games in
Brazil, Wilson's victory followed her
impressive showing at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tiger
Relays the weekend before where she ran 13.19
seconds to capture the event.
Wilson, a star athlete at LSU, is gearing up for the summer Olympic
in Beijing, China, where will be a strong
contender for a medal in the 400m hurdles. The former Convent of
Mercy High School - Alpha standout's 53.97 seconds
for fourth at the World Championships last year ranks her with 1996
Olympic champion Deon Hemmings-McCatty (52.82),
Sandra Farmer-Patrick (52.79), running for the US, and Debbie Ann
Parris-Thymes (53.88) as the only Jamaicans to
break the 54-second barrier.
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TAKEN FROM TRACK & FIELD – JCSU WEBSITE
Jamaican Hurdler Shermaine Williams Commits to Attend JCSU
JCSU Adds Talent Both On and Off the Track
Dec. 20, 2007
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Jamaican
hurdler |
Highly decorated Jamaican hurdler, Shermaine Williams will join the Golden Bulls
Track and Field program in January. Her athletic career will be guided by new
JCSU head track and field coach Lennox Graham, who has coached several national
and international athletes.
Shermaine is the current World Youth Championships silver medalist in the 100m
hurdles where she ran 13.47 seconds to finish second in that event in Ostrava,
Czech Republic last summer. Her time of 13.37 seconds in the preliminaries is
still the fastest time in the event at the Championships. She is a highly
decorated hurdler having won the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA)
Games Under-20 girls 100m hurdles last Easter in a championships record - 13.51
seconds. She has been undefeated at the high school championships for three
consecutive years winning in class III once and two years in class II.
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"I feel very happy about the opportunity to continue my education, to represent
the JCSU golden bulls and to reunite with my coach (Lennox Graham)," remarked
Shermaine.
Coach Graham and coach Lorna Vernon introduced Shermaine to the hurdles event
five years ago and have been coaching her during her years at Convent of Mercy
Alpha (high school). Under coach Graham's guidance, she has won medals each year
at the High School Championships, at the CARIFTA Games, Junior Central American
and Caribbean (CAC) games and the World Youth Championships.
Shermaine intends to major in biology and is looking forward to the
opportunities and experiences ahead.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not
envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no
record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-6
