Prime Minister Announces New Senate Appointments

Prime Minister Announces New Senate Appointments, read the full release below:

Consequent on the resignation of Senators Natalie Campbell-Rodriques and Leslie Campbell, the Prime Minister has written to the Governor General recommending the appointment of Dr. Dana Morris Dixon and Mr. Abka Fitz-Henley to the Senate.

The new Senators will be sworn in at the next sitting of the Senate tomorrow, May 12, 2023.

Prime Minister Holness said “I want to specially thank Senators Campbell-Rodriques and Campbell for their impeccable service and look forward to welcoming Dr. Dixon and Mr. Fitz-Henley as new Senators”. The Prime Minister also noted that both outgoing Senators will continue to give valuable service in other roles which will be announced soon.  The Prime Minister indicated that the changes are part of a broader reorganization, refresh and revitalization of the Government.

Dr. Dana Morris Dixon is a 2004 Fulbright Scholar and an alum of the University of the West Indies where she completed BSs. Economics (First Class Honours) and MSc. Government (Distinction). She is also a graduate of Josef Korbel School of International Studies where she completed a PhD in International Studies, as well as the executive programme of the Harvard Business School.

She has served as a senior executive of the Jamaica National Group and also served as Managing Director of JN General Insurance Ltd., one of the key subsidiaries of the Group. She has executed numerous large-scale strategic projects including launch of the first Caribbean bank to be authorized in the United Kingdom in 2020, as well as the reorganization of the Jamaica National Group that created JN Bank and the new Group structure in 2017.  While on secondment from the JN Group to the Bank of Jamaica, she also led the successful completion of the National Risk Assessment for Jamaica in 2021 which is a key component of Jamaica’s FATF Action Plan.

Dr. Dixon has also served in senior public sector roles in the Office of the Prime Minister and JAMPRO.

Dr. Dixon started her career as an academic at the University of the West Indies (UWI) where she taught several courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. During her tenure with the UWI she also worked on the Jamaica Economy Project which was the precursor to the successful Caribbean Policy Research Institute.

She is fiercely committed to the advancement of women as senior executives, on boards, and in politics, and has served on numerous boards and committees.

Given her passion for Education, she served on the Jamaica Education Transformation Commission, and she also serves on the Archdiocese of Kingston Education Commission. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Campion College, her alma mater.

Mr. Abka Fitz-Henley is a multiple award-winning media practitioner and communication consultant. His highly successful media career began when he was 20 years old and spanned 13 years. He was the host of a popular current affairs morning show until January 2022 when he left to pursue other interests.

During his first year in media, Mr. Fitz-Henley was recognized with the Young Journalist of the Year Award from The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) and in 2016, went on to cop one of the country’s highest recognized journalism prizes, the Press Association of Jamaica National Journalist of the Year Award.

He was the final recipient of the prestigious Jamaica Broilers Fairplay 1st place Award for investigative journalism and is the recipient of the Caribbean Blog Award.  Mr. Fitz-Henley is also the recipient of the Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Excellence in Media and Communication. Over the years, he has appeared as a guest on the BBC World Service and BBC London.

During his early career, Mr. Fitz-Henley served in the legal and investigative department at the Office of the Public Defender and at the Jamaica Observer.