Monique Hepburn, News Editor
Valerie Lewis-O'Bryan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Protocol and Consular Representative assigned to the Office of the Prime Minister, Western Region. - PHOTO BY CLAUDINE HOUSEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
WESTERN BUREAU:
AN ASTUTE team leader known for her quiet charm and unwavering professionalism, Valerie Lewis- O'Bryan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative in the Office of the Prime Minister (Western region), is St. James' Boss of the Year.
With specific responsibilities for protocol and consular matters, Mrs. Lewis-O'Bryan has earned a reputation as a stickler for detail and precision and one who at every opportunity tries to develop the skills and competencies of those who work alongside her.
?My leadership style is one of example and I try to communicate to persons that I respect their intelligence. I provide in the office environment, an atmosphere of trust and of justice by being impartial,? she told Flair recently.
Employed in her current capacity for the past nine years, Mrs. Lewis-O'Bryan supervises two full-time members of staff, as well as liaison aides and other employees when special projects arise.
Such projects include conferences, official visits of heads of government, governmental representatives, training of liaison aides, as well as collaborating closely with airport staff, the security forces, hotels and transportation agencies. The duties also entail fulfilment of consular duties to assist where Jamaicans or foreign nationals who in Jamaica and overseas encounter problems.
A member of the Bah'ai Faith for 25 years and mother of three (her husband is deceased), Mrs. O'Bryan-Lewis was quick to point put that being a boss in the strictest sense is antithetical to who she is really is.
?I am less into competition and more into getting the best out of myself and others,? she said. ?Being a Bah'ai underpins everything I do.?
Paulette Gooden, Acting Project/Programme Manager in the Office of the Prime Minister told Flair it is a pleasure working with Mrs. Lewis-O'Bryan, as she recognises the input of each member of her team.
?I learn a lot from her and she shares her knowledge and experiences with us,? she said. ?I am appreciative of that because I am empowered professionally.?
Prior to being in the foreign service, she worked in the field of broadcasting, as a director of radio, scriptwriter/presenter for more than 10 years at the now defunct Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) and its subsidiary Radio West.
A graduate of the Montego Bay High School for Girls, Mrs. Lewis -O'Bryan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History Philosophy and Literature from the University of the West Indies (UWI), as well as a Masters in Latin American and Caribbean History and Development from the DePaul University in Chicago. She also holds a diploma in Radio Communications from the Columbia School of Radio.
