Rheima Claire Holding Hall
She is an artist, mother and a distinguished academic and come February 15, Rheima Claire Holding Hall will become Jamaica's new First Lady.
Born in Kingston on August 10, 1941, Mrs. Hall is the daughter of the late Ralph Holding a builder and the late Enid Holding, former school principal. Mrs. Holding Hall is sister to world-renown cricketer Micheal Holding. She has two other siblings, Dr. Marjorie Holding Cobham and Ralph Jr.
Since 2002, Mrs. Hall has been an Alister McIntyre Senior Research Fellow at the University of the West Indies (UWI). She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, and a Master of Art Education degree from Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia. She also holds certificates in education, marketing and public relations.
Before taking up her post at the UWI, Mrs. Hall served as principal of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and Hillel Academy High School. She was also a cultural affairs executive with the Jamaica Telephone Company. She also taught at Kingston College, Jamaica College, Belair High School and Stone Mountain High School, Atlanta, Georgia.
Mrs. Holding Hall is the mother of two children, Gordon and Gillian.
A true artist, Mrs. Hall has had several solo exhibitions of paintings, photographs and ceramic pieces. Her work can be found both locally and internationally. Among her published works is A Proposal for a National Tertiary Education System for Jamaica, Ian Randle, 2004.
The future 'First Lady' has served in a large number of professional, civic and religious organisations. These include lay reader and chalice bearer in the Anglican church, a member of the UWI council, Mona campus, member of the University of Technology, council and other bodies. She has also managed Jamaica swim teams in international events and has been a public relations officer of the Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica. Her awards include International Who's Who of Professional Fine Arts and Business Women 2000.
