- Special tribute was made to Jamaican honoree, Harriat “Harry” Maragh, for his contribution to the development of Jamaica’s tourism and shipping industries.
- The second honoree, Alyse Lisk, is responsible for ensuring operational excellence throughout the Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE) organization.
- The Anchor Awards was attended by several government officials.
Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, in his remarks, hailed the honorees for their sterling contributions to the development of the maritime industry. He also gave a special tribute to the Jamaican honoree, Harriat “Harry” Maragh, for his contribution to the development of Jamaica’s tourism and shipping industries.
“The late Harry Maragh was a titan in the Jamaican and Caribbean shipping and tourism industries, yet it is well known that Harry always found time to encourage and facilitate the participation of young professionals. Many, many persons benefited from his guidance, tutelage, and mentorship,” said Bartlett.
“Despite his business success, despite his notable contribution to the growth and development of the regional shipping industry, and despite the considerable respect he commanded, Harry remained a pleasant and humble individual. The success of our tourism industry could not have been achieved without the sterling contribution of this great Jamaican, “he added.
Maragh worked closely with representatives of various public bodies within the Ministry of Tourism including the Jamaica Vacations Ltd. (JAMVAC). He also served on the Tourism Enhancement Fund’s board of directors as chair of the audit sub-committee and the human resources sub-committee from June 2012 to February 2016.
“I take great pride in the fact that he was a home-grown talent who started from humble beginnings and would go on to do great things for Jamaica. Just imagine, he started as a clerk with Lannaman & Morris and later bought the company, which today represents over 75% of all cruise lines that call on Jamaica. That is the true meaning of ‘pulling yourself up by your bootstraps,” said the Minister.
The evening’s second honoree, Alyse Lisk, is the Senior Vice President of Technology and Operational Excellence for Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE) Maritime. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring operational excellence throughout the TOTE organization – including TOTE Services, TOTE Maritime Alaska and TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico – with a focus on continuous improvement by leveraging technology, people and process. Lisk joined TOTE in October 2011, where she served as Vice President of Cargo Services for seven years.
The ACMF is a non-profit organization based in New York, supporting Caribbean students studying maritime. The Foundation exists to specifically support the work of the Caribbean Maritime University (Jamaica), the University of Trinidad and Tobago, and LJM Maritime Academy (Bahamas).
It provides scholarships to Caribbean nationals who are aspiring seafarers to study maritime-related coursework and degrees; funds the building of classrooms; provides laptops to support remote study. The Foundation has also awarded 61 scholarships and grants to students from Jamaica, The Bahamas, Trinidad, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Lucia.
The Anchor Awards was attended by several Government officials and senior executives of significant cruise and cargo liners. Government officials in attendance were: Bahamian Prime Minister the Most Hon. Philip Davis; Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Hon Chester Cooper; Minister of Tourism & Investment for Antigua & Barbuda, Hon. Charles Fernandez,
Also in attendance were: Rick Sasso, CEO of MSC Cruises; Michael Bayley, CEO of Royal Caribbean International; and Rick Murrell, CEO of Saltchuk (parent company of Tropical Shipping).
“I applaud and encourage the noble work of the American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF) and its partners to alleviate poverty and transform the lives of Caribbean youth through maritime education and community development. Your provision of academic scholarships and grants, and other educational opportunities is corporate social responsibility at its best. It shows that economic and social profit are not mutually exclusive. They can grow side by side,” said Bartlett.