GARDNER
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE YOUNGEST recipient of the prestigious Governor General's Achievement Award for 2005, is 34-year-old David Henry Gardner, who hails from the parish of Hanover.
Mr. Gardner was born on December 28, 1970, the 10th of 11 children born to parents Clarence and Veanora Gardner.
He grew up in the farming community of Montpelier in the parish.
As a young boy, Mr. Gardner attended the Montpelier Basic School, and later the Sandy Bay All-Age School. He was successful in the Common Entrance Examination and gained a place at Cornwall College in Montego Bay.
"Agriculture was the order of the day in Montpelier at the time," Mr. Gardner said. "I was the first person from the community to attend high school, so I had no one who had attained higher education to emulate. You had to have good parents who knew what they wanted. I had to make choices. I had to be focused and determined."
Mr. Gardner went on to the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, where he pursued a first degree in management studies, specialising in accounting and economics.
He later pursued a masters of science degree in accounting at the UWI, where he was awarded the Deloitte and Touche Prize for 'most outstanding post-graduate student'.
WELCOMED ACHIEVEMENT
For Mr. Gardner, becoming the Governor General's awardee for Hanover was a delightful and welcome achievement.
"It is really a good feeling and I am elated. I only learnt that I was to receive an award the day after it was announced in church," he said.
The desire to boost community development has been high on Mr. Gardner's agenda, as he sees this as his social responsibility.
With his relentless support, Montpelier and the neighbouring Sandy Bay community have experienced a high level of advancement.
An avid sports enthusiast, Mr. Gardner is the president and founder of the Montpelier Sports Club, as well as manager of the Hanover Division One football champions, Montpelier Football Club.
A devout Christian for the past 12 years, Mr. Gardner is a member of the Sandy Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church, where he serves as an elder, Sabbath School teacher and as a lay preacher. His recipe for success is to trust in God.
Mr. Gardner served the Hanover Parish Council as director of finance from 1997 to 2003, when he was promoted to secretary/manager and posted to the Trelawny Parish Council.
- C.G.
