UTech, Jamaica to Confer Honorary Degrees On Gary ‘Butch’ Hendrickson, Rev. Rose Hudson-Wilkin and Hon. Justice Zaila McCalla, OJ
Hendrickson Hudson-Wilkin Hon. Justice McCalla, OJ
The University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech, Jamaica) will confer honorary Doctor of Laws (Hon. LLD) degrees on Mr. Gary ‘Butch’ Hendrickson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Continental Baking Company Ltd., The Reverend Prebendary Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons and Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen and The Hon. Mrs. Justice Zaila McCalla, OJ. The outstanding Jamaicans will be presented with the Doctor of Laws honoris causa (Hon. LLD) at the University’s Graduation Ceremony to be held on Saturday, November 4 , 2017, at the National Arena, in Kingston.
Business
Mr. Hendrickson is being recognized by UTech, Jamaica for his philanthropic activities which have transformed the lives of many Jamaicans, including several students of the University. The Continental Baking Company, most popularly known for its brands, National, HTB and HO Made, provides employment for over 800 persons in Jamaica.
Mr. Hendrickson also operates the Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa in St. Lucia. He serves on a number of boards, including as Chairman of the board, EXIM Bank, Vice President of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ), member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Jamaica (BoJ), Rainforest Seafoods and Stationery & Office Supplies Ltd. He also sits on The King’s House Foundation and serves as President of the Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS).
Mr. Hendrickson is engaged in numerous programmes focused on early childhood education and local manufacturing in Jamaica and is a major contributor to charities such as Mustard Seed Communities, Laws Street Trade Training Centre, Food for the Poor and St. Patrick’s Foundation, among many others.
The accomplished businessman and philanthropist is the recipient of several national awards including The Gleaner Honours award for Business in 2002; The Gleaner Honours Award for Voluntary Service in 2015; The Carlton Alexander Award for Excellence in 2014; American Friends of Jamaica Humanitarian Award (2016), among other awards in recognition of his humanitarian work and contribution to the building of the business sector in Jamaica. Mr. Hendrickson was inducted into the PSOJ Hall of Fame in 2016 and received the Jamaica Observer Business Leader Award in 2016 and the honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree from the University College Caribbean (UCC) in 2017.
Religion
The Reverend Prebendary Rose Hudson-Wilkin will receive the honorary doctorate from UTech, Jamaica in recognition of her signal achievement as a woman of colour.
Born and raised in Montego Bay, Jamaica in 1961, Rev. Hudson-Wilkin in 1982, travelled to the UK to train at the Church Army college in the West Midlands. She was ordained deacon in 1991 and ordained to the priesthood in 1994. In 2007 she was appointed as a Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen and in 2010, she became the first female appointed to the position of Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons. In this role she leads the prayers in the House of Commons daily when the House is sitting and carries the responsibility for the pastoral care of both members and staff of the Palace of Westminster.
In March 2013, she was made a Prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral in recognition of "her service to the Church, community and most recently as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons." In November 2014, she became the Priest in Charge of the city Church, St Mary-at-Hill near Monument.
She has previously served as a member of the General Synod of the Church of England and also as one of the Panel of Chairs of the Synod. She has twice represented the Church of England at the World Council of Churches (in Zimbabwe & Brazil) and is also one of its representatives on the Anglican Consultative Council. She is often called on to preach in the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge and does numerous speaking engagements.
The Law
The Honourable Mrs. Justice Zaila McCalla, OJ, is being recognized by UTech, Jamaica for her outstanding service to the justice system of Jamaica and in particular her achievement as being the first woman to rise to the position as Chief Justice of Jamaica where key attributes which had distinguished her in the selection process. Since her admission to the Bar in 1976 she has served as Clerk of Courts, Crown Counsel, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Resident Magistrate and Senior Resident Magistrate. She has also served as President of the Association of Resident Magistrates and Master-in-Chambers of the Supreme Court.
On July 7, 1997, she was appointed Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court, and was in April 2006 appointed Judge of the Court of Appeal.
She chairs several committees including the Judicial Service Commission, the Supreme Court Rules Committee, the Queen’s Counsel Committee, the Advisory Board of the Justice Training Institute and the Archives Advisory Committee.
In 2010 the Chief Justice served as Chair of the Conference of Caribbean Chief Justices and Heads of Judiciary. She is a member of the Canadian JUST Project Steering Committee with responsibility for legal reforms in the Caribbean region, under the regional DFATD (Department of Foreign Affairs, Training & Development) Programme. She is spear-heading implementation of initiatives geared towards reform of the Justice System in Jamaica and the Caribbean.
The Honourable Chief Justice is a Fellow of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is acknowledged as a champion of the Drug Treatment Courts in Jamaica and has participated in the training of Drug Treatment Court professionals in Jamaica and overseas. She has spearheaded Criminal Case Management in the courts of Jamaica.
Mrs. Justice McCalla is the Keeper of the Records of the Island Records Office. In February 2016, she was made an Honorary Member of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, in London, England. The Chief Justice is also Chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
The University of Technology, Jamaica is proud to formally honour these three outstanding Jamaican leaders who have achieved local and international distinction in their respective fields of endeavor.
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Contact:
Michelle Beckford (Mrs.)
Corporate Communications Manager
University of Technology, Jamaica
Telephone: 970-5299
Email: mbeckford@utech.edu.jm