Yaneek Page for leadership programme

Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter

Yaneek Page, managing director of Future Services International, will be participating in an upcoming International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) to be held in Washington, DC, United States of America (US).

The IVLP is the US Department of State's premier professional exchange programme which was launched in 1940. International visitors include current or emerging leaders in government, politics, the media, education, the arts, business and other key fields. Since the IVLP's inception, thousands of distinguished individuals have participated in it, such as 326 current and former chiefs of state and heads of government, thousands of cabinet-level ministers, and leaders in the public and private sectors.

Page, 33, is the 24th candidate and may be one of the youngest from Jamaica to have been chosen to be a part of this prestigious programme. She explained that the project will formally begin in Washington, on Monday, August 29 and will end in San Francisco, California, on Friday, September 16.

She said the project is designed to highlight economic, political and social factors that influence and encourage the development of small businesses and entrepreneurship in the US; explore the role of small businesses in driving economic development, democratisation, and stabilisation around the world; and demonstrate the impact of US small businesses on the local, regional, national and global economies. She added that the visitors will take a federalism tour of Washington, DC, and will participate in an information-sharing session to discuss their work and their country's concerns relating to small-business development. There will be an overview of the federal system of government in the US, the relationships between levels and branches of government that it comprises, and how this system affects the US financial and economic systems.

PSOJ selected

For this programme there is no application, International visitors are selected and nominated. In this case, Page was recommended by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ); however, the final consideration and selection was done by officials at the US Department of State in Washington.

Page is very excited about participating in the programme. "I'm very privileged to represent Jamaica on this mission, and I intend to gain as much insight as possible while networking with participants from other countries," she said.

The businesswoman told Flair that her aim it to learn about the US system of government, how that country is trying to stimulate the growth and development of small businesses, possibilities for doing business there and elsewhere. She also aims to learn about what other countries are doing to develop small businesses and possibilities for partnerships and business linkages.

She explained that some of the benefits of participating in the programme are meeting emerging entrepreneurial leaders and business development specialists, and gaining unique global perspective on small business development, learning more about how Washington works and doing business in the USA.

Page believes that all young persons should aspire to be a part of such a programme because the experience is invaluable to their personal development as well as that of their business. "And on a wider scale, the nation can benefit from their experience and newly acquired knowledge."

She said she would encourage young professionals to join professional, social and business associations and demonstrate passion, integrity, and dedication to causes bigger than their own. "Plus, it's important to give of your time, effort and talents to help better and develop the country."

Page was first featured in Flair on December 14, 2009.

keisha.shakespeare@gleanerjm.com