Consul General Mair to become Dean of the Caribbean Consular Corps

SOUTH FLORIDA – Consul General of Jamaica Oliver Mair will become Dean of the Caribbean Consular Corps in South Florida. In a recent announcement, Ambassador Gilbert Bustani, Consul General of Antigua and Barbuda and Dean of the Consular Corps in Miami, proudly recognized C. G. Mair as the first Dean of a Caribbean Consulate in more than seven years. He added that Mayr’s inspiring, engaging and dynamic leadership has been well recognized in the diaspora community.

Since his appointment to the Jamaican Consulate General in Miami in October 2018, Mr. Mair has fully embraced the society. This includes participating in a record number of events. Seeking to strengthen the ties of the Jamaican diaspora in the 13 southern states under its jurisdiction. Along with Florida, these include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Awards and recognition

Mr. Mair has received several awards for his outstanding and creative leadership from local and regional governments. This includes the U.S. Senate Congressional Award for the Diaspora and the Global Community. Mayr was also named the 2020 Person of the Year. The award he shared with Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Woman of the Year 2020, from Caribbean National Weekly (CN Weekly).

Community Engagement

Like his Caribbean counterparts, his focus on community engagement is evident in various outreach activities whereby the Caribbean Consular Corps has been able to provide assistance in areas affected by natural disasters, including hurricanes in Belize, the Bahamas and the volcanic eruption in St. Vincent. This has also been extended to Caribbean citizens affected in areas of the US Southern region.

The Consular Corps has also played an important leadership role as they began to provide assistance to their Caribbean citizens at home and in the field affected by the COVID pandemic. During the pandemic, the Corporation was able to purchase large quantities of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the region. These include containers with masks/shields and sanitizer for personal and industrial use.

With regard to the Jamaican diaspora, Consul General Meir continues to engage citizens in projects that benefit the Jamaican economy. As well as local communities in the southern United States. These include outreach activities, including the Jamaican stock market, tourism, agriculture and real estate, which aim to highlight investment opportunities in Jamaica and the diaspora.

Through various fundraising initiatives, the Consulate continues to work closely with charities. In particular, alumni associations produce much-needed resources for Jamaica. In particular, in the field of health, education and culture.

Caribbean Consular Corps

The Consulate General of Jamaica is one of several consulates in Florida under which a fraternity of the Caribbean Consular Corps has been established. The Florida Consular Corps is the third largest diplomatic corps in the United States, with over 80 countries. The Caribbean Group, based in South Florida, consists of several countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Working in unity

Entering his new role, Mr. Mair said he was looking forward to serving alongside his colleagues. Especially in areas of mutual interest to the Caribbean and the United States. Some of these include disaster awareness and preparedness, improved trade and commerce, tourism, transportation, health and education. “We look forward to great results for individual countries working together in unity,” he said. He reiterated that with more numbers and stronger unity, much more could be achieved.