Diana Winters named the Grand Prize Winner of the 2023 Edith Baxter Memorial Award

BY PAUL JUNOR

The second annual Edith Baxter Memorial Award luncheon on Friday, September 22nd, 2023, was truly an inspiring and empowering event. In the presence of 120 invited: community leaders, civic officials, members of the Jamaican Diaspora community, and others, the five finalists were feted with: music, culture, and food.

The event was hosted by the Jamaican Tourist Board (JTB) and held at the Toronto Board of Trade. There was much publicity for the award gala and biennial competition in the local media and online. The award recognizes individuals who have made a substantial contribution towards the positive advancement of Jamaica’s tourism industry. It was conceptualized in 2021 by the JTB and the Baxter family as a tribute and memorial to Edith Baxter. As the former founder and editor-in-chief of Baxter Publishing, she did much to publicize Jamaica as one of her favorite tourist destinations.

Diana Winters was selected as the grand prize winner and received a five-night all-inclusive vacation in Jamaica courtesy of prize sponsors Sandal Resorts and Air Canada Vacations. She was selected from a panel of four judges including: Lincoln G. Downer (former Consul General of Jamaican in Toronto), Angella Bennett (Regional Director, Jamaica Tourist Board Canada), Wendy McClung (Executive Vice President, Baxter Media), and Kelly Schmidt (President and Co-Founder, Spoiled Agent). The five finalists: Ron Fanfair, Dave McLaughlin, Simone Jennifer-Smith, Sandra Whiting, and Diana Winters received trophies recognized during the prestigious Award ceremony.

Diana was named the grand prize winner. She has been the Director of Sales and Development in Eastern Canada at Exoticca since May 2023. Prior to that, she worked for thirteen years as Senior Business Development Manager for Palace Resorts & Le Blanc. She has more than 28 years of experience in the travel industry and is known for her outstanding philanthropic work.

Upon receiving the news of her nomination, she wrote on LinkedIn, “My heart is full. I am blessed to have been given the privilege and ability to grow so many people work obligations in expectation to see them thrive and survive. Helping to build communities and enrich the lives of so many people with only the motivation of love has been an incredible pleasure for me and I have no plans to stop.”

The event was hosted by a well-known Jamaican-born writer, speaker and podcaster, Arlene Amitirigala. There is an inspiring and uplifting performance by Jully Black, a highly recognized singer and songwriter. Ms. Black’s musical rendition was highly interactive and engaging as she connected on a personal level with the guests.

The guest speaker for the event was the Honourable Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism. Minister Bartlett introduced himself as the Minister of Happiness. He spoke about the importance of tourism as a sector in the economy that creates positive memories.

Minister Bartlett states, “The Edith Baxter Memorial Award rewards outstanding community leaders who use their influence to elevate Jamaica’s tourism offerings and our unique cultural identity in Canada. Our grand prize winner and all of the award finalists honoured here today represent a range of different professional sectors, but each of these unique individuals are bound together by their passion for Jamaica.”

Minister Bartlett spoke about the role of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), which he founded and is based in Jamaica. It is a transformative centre that seeks to safeguard and improve the tourism product in Jamaica and around the world, while also ensuring the sustainability of tourism globally. It has satellite locations around the world, including George Brown College in Toronto. Along with President Dr. Gervais Pearson, and Minister Bartlett, they handed out five GTRCMC Tourism Resilience Awards to; Dr. Pamela Appelt, Dr. Mary Ann Chambers, Howard Shearer, Mary Bishop, Adaoma Patterson, Air Canada Vacations and Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation.