2024 – 2025 PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Annual General Meeting
17th September 2025
The Annual General Meeting in September 2024 brought renewed hope for the continued success of our Union. The two years prior had been difficult in many ways and was marked by two resignations from the Board of Directors. We continued down the path of fiscal responsibility and austerity, and we added Merlene Mullings of Montego Bay High School Alumni Association and Sharon Wynter of Meadowbrook Past Students Association to complete the term of those who had left. This past year was filled with many successes, and we can truly be proud of what we accomplished. All of you were a part of those successes and I want to say thank you for all that you have done over the last twelve months. We stand proudly, acknowledging the trials and triumphs, celebrating the successes, and giving thanks for the contributions that made many lives better both here in the United States and in Jamaica. Our continued success is a testament to every one of you and your unwavering commitment to the Union.
We began our year with another Board retreat, where we looked back at our past year and worked to identify our weaknesses – a SWOT analysis We recognized that organizations were struggling and that we had to help our own when they needed help – as they helped us in 2023 when we were struggling financially. In the first few months we developed our budget, and the Finance Team set a cash reserve amount to act as a cushion for emergencies. We saw a reduction in the number of Mega participants from 39 to 34 but we still had 115,000 tickets printed and sold 62,970 for a gross intake of approximately $314,000, down by approximately 5,000 tickets and $25,000 from the year before. Our organizations netted $267,000 and UJAA netted $47,000. I want to say thank you for your hard work and commitment over these 12 months. I know that working in the non-profit space is a thankless job and I am grateful to every one of you for your untiring work for the Union.
This year we went back to putting our members first. We partnered with several of you and paid 50% of your shipping fees for items shipped to Jamaica for our schools. We managed the paperwork for you, allowing you to have some comfort in knowing that the resources of UJAA were behind you and the guidance of UJAA was in front of you as you stepped boldly forward.
We celebrated our achievements in many ways.
⦁ We held our various committee meetings regularly by Zoom and in June we had our first ever UJAA Fun Day. Despite sporadic rain over one hundred participants showed up in Cedar Creek Park for this inaugural event. Ably assisted by the team from Meadowbrook, who gave up their Fun Day date to us, we met, mingled, and had fun. Thank you, Team Meadowbrook!
⦁ Regular meetings, including the Board of Directors and Presidents’ Roundtables, were conducted mostly virtually.
⦁ The 16th Annual Service of Thanksgiving took place in person for the third time since COVID began in late 2019. We were blessed to have our own Clair Menzies-Forbes deliver the Sermon at her church and enjoyed a wonderful repast immediately afterwards.
⦁ We participated in the Lasco Chin Care Packages program, which was started in 2020. While fewer packages were purchased, a total of 295 vs 325 the year before, reflecting a 10% drop from the height of the pandemic. However, we provided packages not only at Christmas, but on demand to several of our organizations who wanted to share them with people at their schools at various times.
⦁ The 35th Annual High School Graduate Awards were hosted virtually once again.
⦁ The 29th Mega Drawing was held once again at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and attendees were pleased with the drawing process. Kudos to the Guyana Jamaica Friendship Association (GJFA) for selling the top prize of $25,000. For 2026, we will have some big decisions to make by the time we get to our November General Meeting. More details will be forthcoming.
While details of our accomplishments are included in the various annual reports for our committees which were previously distributed, I would like to highlight several noteworthy achievements In mid-June, we were able to continue our involvement in the Jamaica Diaspora Taskforce Action Network, (JDTAN), Education Conference. The group celebrated its tenth anniversary and over 120 teachers and administrators were hosted in Miramar Florida on the campus of XXXXX. We had an opportunity to help teachers who are non-JTA members attend the conference, and I am proud that a teacher from my alma mater, STETHS, was present at this event for the second year in a row. This is in keeping with UJAA’s efforts to have non-JTA teachers at the event, an effort started in 2022 when the conference was held in New York. It is my hope that in 2026 more associations will sponsor teachers to this event. The next conference is slated for July 2026 in Toronto Canada.
Our Annual High School Graduate Awards program entered its 35th year and we distributed over $13,000 to our twenty-eight (28) applicants with the help of more than twenty-seven member organizations. Please join me in wishing our recipients well as they move forward with their collegiate life. The future continues to be bright for our young Jamaicans. At this point, let me give a special THANK YOU to Ms. Natasha Davids for the work that she continues to do on this important UJAA project.
Our Primary Schools Team continued to break new ground this year. With the energy and foresight brought to the team by Chair Ms. Evelyn Godden, the Primary Schools Team remain on fire with their work. Once again, we thank her, as well as Mr. Joel Webbe from Caribbean eBooks Limited, for the work that was done to make the training a success. Joel has continued to provide ongoing support once the formal training ended and we are proud to have recognized him as one of our UJAA 35 Awardees just this past Sunday.
Our Adopt-A-Primary School Program is now in its fourth year – with four (4) member associations – Immaculate Conception HS Alumnae Association, Knox Association of Past Students NY, Wolmer’s Alumni Association and York Castle HS Alumni Association – adopting four (4) primary schools. We are looking to expand the program by at least four schools in 2026. Our focus on this project remains strong as we enter the 2025 -2026 school year. It is my hope that, in the years to come, this Program will become another UJAA pillar of success.
In 2025, we continued our support for Robotics in Jamaica. The FIRST Technology (Robotics) Challenge was held once more, and we decided to stop sponsoring the Dean’s List Award as the program was not showing the results that we had anticipated. This year, 2025, will be the third post COVID, in person, version of the FIRST Global Challenge and will be held in Panama City, Panama from October 26 – November 1st. Team Jamaica Robotics will consist of five students, two coaches and two UJAA Chaperones – the chaperones are still to be selected. We are looking to carry three additional, young students for the experience as well as a female chaperone from Jamaica. FIRST Global has agreed to pay for up to five students and two coaches for the third year in a row. Our chaperones will do their part by contributing towards their expenses. So, we are in a good financial position on this year’s Robotics budget. We will share the team’s journey with you as the competition draws closer.
Despite challenges, we remained resolute in our efforts to provide water tanks to Basic schools. This year we provided another twenty water tanks, fulfilling our commitment to sixty tanks that was made four years ago. We will restart the program later this year as we remain committed to providing more water tanks as funding permits.
The Membership committee, now led by UJAA Director Wilbert Davis, continues to look for ways to provide more value to you. The Annual Year In Review journal had not been produced in two years, due to internal challenges. Just a few weeks ago we produced a digital version of the Year In Review and It is my hope that we will have one in early 2026. Allow me to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Paula Morris for spearheading this task despite personal and work-related challenges.
The Conroy Allison Family Fun Day returned. However, support for it was lukewarm even though it was their 25th Anniversary event and UJAA’s 35th Anniversary as well.
We also celebrated the fourth Alumni Day with our fellow alumni umbrella organization in Jamaica, Jamaica Alumni Association of High Schools, JAAHS, on the 2nd Wednesday of October 2024. Alumni Day represents an opportunity for us to reinforce the significance and contributions of alumni to those who are currently in our schools and who will one day become alumni. We must continue to make this day a special one, as we share what alumni are doing to make current students have a better life at school, day after day.
The fourth iteration of Leadership Development Academy, LDA, took place this year. Once again the goals of the academy were based on your feedback. As an expansion of the UJAA leadership development program of 2018, with the first Leadership Academy being held in 2022, I led the team with Ms. Cherika Wilson of Campion, ably supported by our Vice-President, Mr. Michael Salmon. We are grateful to all the members of the team, but especially to Mr. Perry Bloomfield and Shaun Abrahams for their input. We delivered two leadership seminars, one with all the available past leaders of UJAA and the other with several present leaders as part of the panel. I look forward to increased participation by everyone next year.
This year the website team was integrated into the Marketing and Public Relations team (MPR). Our website is regularly updated and webmasters Durval Heirs (Titchfield) and Baldwin McIntosh (Maldon High), continues to focus on improving the site. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who worked on the site in the past. We would never be able to pay Desmond Duncker for all that he has done, and I salute him for a job well done.
The Marketing and Public Relations team has been in somewhat of a funk. However, the team continues to provide social media posts and flyers at a remarkable pace. Our social media presence, and other activities, has contributed to further name recognition for UJAA across the Diaspora and in Jamaica. I hope that others will join this team as it continues to build the UJAA brand.
Our first Advisory Committee started in 2020-2021. Their term ended in September 2023. Our current Advisory Committee consisting of Dr. Corrinne Graham, Ms. Sharon Gordon, and Vice President Michael Salmon, continue to evolve as they seek to advise the Board in key areas. I am grateful to them for their service to our organization.
This past year, our MLK Jr Committee held its annual MLK Jr. Day Celebration in January and invited four local schools – the Cambria School of Excellence, Mt. Vernon High School, The Garvey School, and Elmont Memorial High School – to participate in its second African American Knowledge Challenge Competition. I would like to thank our Vice-President, Mr. Michael Salmon and Ms. Evelyn Godden, and the rest of the MLK Jr. Committee for spearheading this relatively new UJAA endeavor once again.
Our UJAA 35 luncheon and Awards Gala took place this past Sunday. We are still compiling the final report, but we are encouraged by the turnout and by the comments that have poured in since the event. Thank you UJAA Board members for a job well done! Thank you to the members of the various alumni associations who chipped in to help as well,
In closing, I extend my gratitude to the UJAA Board and all association members for their unwavering dedication and hard work during this past year. Thank you, Michael Salmon, Dr. Paula Morris, Clair Menzies-Forbes, Ansell Williams, Evelyn Godden, Wilbert Davis, Milton Baker, Merlene Mullings, Sharon Wynter and Karlene Largie for your work with me over this past year. Together, we have accomplished much, navigating changes and internal challenges while continuing the mission of UJAA. I am proud of our achievements, and I hope I have served you well this year.
To those who would try to hinder our work out of spite, malice, or personal ambition, I want to remind you that “united we stand, divided we fall.” We must remain united and focused as we move forward. We must be resilient, deliberate, and strategic as we tackle the challenges ahead of us. Remember, this UNION is about the collective will of all of us – it is also about how we make others feel. Thank you.
Donovan Wilson
President
17th September 2025