Prominent Jamaican-born lawyer, Ambassador Curtis Ward, has been appointed chairman of the first Commission on Caribbean Affairs in the United States.

The Commission’s creation and the historic appointment of Ambassador Ward, come as Caribbean Americans celebrate June as Caribbean American Heritage Month in the United States.

Governor Martin O’Malley the commission will be housed in the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives to ensure that matters of importance to the Caribbean community are addressed at the highest levels.

O’Malley said focus will be placed on community development issues, and commissioners will serve as advisors on all issues related to the Caribbean community.

Ambassador Ward is a former envoy and Deputy Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations Security Council and a former expert adviser to the Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee.

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