Becky Stockhausen of AMCHAM. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
SHE LEFT a country where everything worked, came to Jamaica with the man of her dreams and 25 years later Becky Stockhausen is still enjoying a happy marriage.
As the executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), she has worked her way to the top of an organisation that aims to strengthen business and economic links between Jamaica and the United States. But these days, her energies are taken up with helping to execute at least one aspect of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) report - the successful completion of a model police station in Grants Pen, St. Andrew - a project undertaken by AmCham in collaboration with the Government and the police.
In her spare time she likes to go sailing and spend time relaxing in the country or listening to music. Mrs. Stockhausen has strong belief in the potential of Jamaica and its people who she describes as the best in everything they do. She is driven by her determination to find a way to make us the best. She shares her story.
BE:When did you come to Jamaica?
BS: I first came in 1980 having met my husband in Florida where he'd been since June 1977. He invited me to Jamaica and I decided I wanted to stay after visiting his friends in Jacks Hill, and seeing a beautiful view of the city I said, "This is the place for me." I got married two months later and it's been an incredible journey. I feel lucky that life took me on this strange path.
BE:How did your involvement with AmCham start?
BS: I had a boutique called Pizzazz from 1983 to 1991. I imported clothes, did some designing, then got tired of it. We moved to Montego Bay for two and a half years and decided to either start a business or get a job. AmCham advertised for someone to start its Montego Bay office and I applied. The then executive director, Offie Dudley, invited me to Kingston for a job offer, but when I was ready to return to Kingston we couldn't find another American to take over so we closed the branch and decided to offer all our services from Kingston.
Back in Kingston I became public relations officer, then moved up to general manager and executive director. It's the best job for an American living in Jamaica.
BE:What is the size of your staff here and what is AmCham's role?
BS: We have six people. AmCham opened in Jamaica in 1986 with primarily U.S. companies but now it's 50-50 membership. Many Jamaican companies can benefit from what we do. We have a membership of 187 and I have been trying to get to 200. Our primary goal is to promote trade and investment between the U.S. and Jamaica. In this global environment that has been enlarged, we don't restrict ourselves and we network, do matchmaking. We get many inquiries from the U.S. about Jamaica
BE:What is the most frequently asked question by an American company that wants to come do business here?
BS: Unfortunately over the last few years the first question on their minds when we go on trade missions with JAMPRO and others and we try to talk to people about forging alliances, they either ask about or are thinking about crime. The international media give a negative image of Jamaica. Sometimes American companies have clients here and who want to come, but they hear these stories and think we live under the gun.
I always tell them that I have lived here 25 years and I have never had a problem with security. But I have been robbed three times in New York, so for some reason they get an image of Jamaica being worse than it is. That's the first question.
BE:What about red tape?
BS: Most of the foreign investors I deal with don't see all those problems. Through investment seminars, we try to concentrate on the positives of Jamaica. When we ask foreign investors about red tape, most of them tell us they are surprised how easy it is to do business here. Those who have businesses in the Caribbean say Jamaica is one of the easiest places to come and to business. Guardian Holdings of Trinidad is doing well. Digicel and Centennial say positive things. There are differences in people's realities.
We are now making a video as part of our anti-crime initiative for use when we go overseas and various businesses are interviewed about their experiences. They all give the same reasons for choosing Jamaica: proximity to the U.S.; English-speaking; the fantastic workers.
BE:What about the view that local businesses have a harder time setting up business than foreigners?
BS: That might be true, but for foreigners it's relative for what they're used to elsewhere.
BE:What are some of your goals for AmCham?
BS: In addition to forging trade and investment ties, we have decided to do what we could to make Jamaica investment-friendly. That led to what's happening in Grants Pen. In 2001, we found that security had become the biggest expense of most of our companies. We lost tourism, we lost conferences; security costs make our exports uncompetitive. When companies have to secure products in warehouses and during shipment it makes them uncompetitive. Garment manufacturing companies have left for other islands that don't have security issues and can run three shifts. The impact of crime and security is pervasive.
Like other large cities, most homicides happen in inner-city communities but news reports don't specify that, and potential visitors and business people have many other choices.
The U.S. Chamber of Com-merce opened a centre for corporate citizenship to get chambers around the world to play a more important role in the communities where they live. At their first conference they used the Honeywell Corporation's experience. They had murders on their doorsteps and they decided to be proactive and hired the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) based in Washington, D.C. They (PERF) are a think-tank and they use strategies that have worked elsewhere. They have experts in all fields of law enforcement, they look at a situation, determine the problem and make recommendations.
When I heard this I thought it was good, and we brought Honeywell and Chuck Wexler from PERF to our annual general meeting to tell us what they did and how they did it to see if we could get Jamaican businesses to do something similar. After the presentation we had a roundtable of business leaders to see how we could get help and funding. The research cost nearly US$100,000. PERF handpicked a team of 12 to come to Jamaica. We met with the Security Minister and police commissioner they both became receptive once they realised help was coming. The team combed the island to get the big picture meeting the Church, Jamaican For Justice, academics and everyone who had something to offer.
Back in Washington, they did a summary and offered 83 recommendations of how we could reduce crime and violence. The findings were not complimentary. But Government has implemented nearly 60 of them and those not yet touched need money. Many are being implemented at the Police Academy and at the structure of the JCF.
Three weeks after the report was presented, Cabinet approved 80 of the recommendations, far more than expected. The rest required legislation. Former Police Commissioner Francis Forbes sent us a report setting out the strengths and weakness of the 83 recommendations, the resources, time frame be needed to implement them. Based on that, AmCham and Mr. Wexler, former Security Minister K.D. Knight and the commissioner met.
That led to a trip to the U.S. State Department to get their financial support, they were surprised to see the composition of our delegation; there were 20 of their representatives at the meeting and they were impressed that private sector wanted to work with the police who wanted two full-time advisors from them. After hard negotiations, Congress approved funding by the USAID to train police and citizens is community policing strategies.
BE: When was it finally approved and how much has been spent?
BS: In 2002 it was passed into law and signed by George Bush. Grants Pen was chosen by everyone for a model police station. They had no police station and PERF was an agreement. It's a place that has been plagued by violent outbreaks. We have a budget of over US$3.5 million.
BE: How has the initiative worked so far?
BS: It is working excellently and even before the officers are fully trained, we now have officers patrolling the streets on bicycles.
BE:When will it be open and how many offices will it accommodate?
BS: It will be open at the end of this month. We need to furnish and equip it. It will have 70 police officers and also comprise a health centre of twice the original size; an automated teller machine, an Internet cafe, a meeting room and Postal Corp./Paymaster outlet. The USAID funding was in exchange for training of police and citizens and the private sector-funded construction material for the model police station.
We raised funds for the station through NCB Chairman Michael Lee Chin who donated $50 million. We had to get community involvement though an 18 month-long consensus building process to return mutual trust between citizens and police. The Government has assisted greatly with waivers on duties that have saved us millions.
BE: How would you rate its success and what will your next project be?
BS: It is very successful! The U.S. State Department just sent a four-member team of evaluators here for a month because this has never been done before and they're trying to decide whether to replicate it here or elsewhere.
We have just signed an agreement with the U.S. Market Development Group (USMDG) to be their representative in Jamaica to facilitate companies in need of technical assistance in reorganising, retooling or train and develop and market products, USMDG will send in a team to help. We will launch that soon.
We also have monthly events, on the request of members, that bring Government officials here to held seminars, we attract incoming and outgoing trade missions.
We hold meetings twice yearly in Montego Bay and in September NCB Managing Director Patrick Hylton who will address us about the changes being made at the bank. There are usually monthly breakfasts and luncheons.
BE: Who are the members of the board?
BS: The honorary chairman is usually the U.S. ambassador; the president is R. Anthony Jenkinson and vice-presidents are: Audrey Marks-Dunstan, Charles Matthews and Diana Stewart. Other members are: Christopher Berry, Neville Blythe, Ian Forbes, James Gill, Vincent Gordon, Aubyn Hill, Patrick Hylton, Robert MacMillan, Peter Moses, Wayne McKenzie, Martin Nicholson and Allison Peart. Secretary/treasurer (honorary): Compton Rodney.
Send feedback to: barbara.ellington@gleanerjm.com.
