Brenda LaGrange Johnson admires the patriotism of Jamaicans, especially the fact that the national anthem is played and sung so many times. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
Many said she had big shoes to fill following the departure of her predecessor, the petite dynamo, Ambassador Sue Cobb. But outgoing Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson has proved herself up to the task of carrying out the diplomatic responsibilities on behalf of her government since she arrived in 2006.
She has made many new friends, seen many places and cemented new memories, so it's not surprising that she describes hers as, "the best job in the world".
When she returns to the United States, Ambassador Johnson will retire from the State Department, but will continue with the Council of American Ambassadors, a group of Republican and Democratic presidential appointees who are involved in all the activities they carried out when they were ambassadors, under the umbrella of the State Department, after their tours of duty. They travel to various countries as goodwill ambassadors. This year, there are thoughts of going to Cuba, Iraq or Afghanistan. They try to pick places that are hot spots and report back to the State Department.
A close friend of the Bush family, LaGrange Johnson is now packing to leave and as she did when she first arrived, she sat with The Gleaner's Lifestyle Editor Barbara Ellington to reflect on the highs and lows of the tour.
What's the best memory that you will take with you from your tour of duty and any advice for your successor?
The great people I have met and great friends I have made. In spite of the fact that there is a wonderful diplomatic corps and an amazing staff to work with, you have to branch out and meet Jamaicans. They are what make this country great. I have found everyone from the lowliest worker to the prime minister to be hard-working, loves their family and is very patriotic. I admire so much the fact that almost everywhere I go, the national anthem is played, even at the movie theatre. We sing ours at the Super Bowl and big events but not as often as it is done here. Patriotism is very much a part of the Jamaican psyche.
Have you achieved all the objectives you set when you came? (See Ambassador LaGrange Johnson's first interview published February 27, 2006)
No, but some of the things we have accomplished have been fantastic, like this fabulous facility we now call home. When I arrived and saw where, for, the last 30 years, one of the major accomplishments is opening this US$100 million, 10-acre state-of-the-art complex, it will be a wonderful place for all our diplomats for years to come.
Another great accomplishment that we only recently achieved is finally getting the call centre for our embassy.
How is that going?
Excellent. We have gone from a 90-day backlog to getting immediate appointments. We are one of the 10-busiest consulates in the world. We used to be in the top-10 embassies with the longest wait for visa appointments, but that is now totally eliminated and the centre has only been in operation for just over a month.
Where is it located?
In the United States and it has changed our lives. It is a typical example of what happens when you bring in the head of the consular section in the State Department. She saw how desperate we were for a change. This does not always happen; government bureaucracy is such that you don't always get the result you need, but we were lucky. The new system has exceeded our expectations. One of the hardest things for us was the bad press we were getting and it left a bad mark and was terrible for our relationship with the Jamaican people.
Another absolute joy for me is the start of the Rose Town project (community development project), in Kingston. If it were not for the combined efforts of this embassy, the British High Commission and the Jamaican Government, I don't think it would have happened. That is something I intend to continue and I have another meeting with His Royal Highness Prince Charles next month in London. One of the co-chairs is Michelle Rollins and the other is Ambassador Mary Ourisman, based in Barbados. The Prince's staff refers to us as 'Charlie's Angels'. We got it off the ground and the Prince visited it.
For a small country, Jamaica gets many high-profile visitors. Although the last presidential visit was Ronald Reagan's, I don't know how you will get another one given the size of the entourage that accompanies him. Maybe it will happen, but I know that Senator Hillary Clinton loves Jamaica and was here two years ago, so I would not be surprised if you had a visit from the next secretary of state.
Being a former teacher, another major area of interest for you is education and upon arrival you had talked about the Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training (CETT) Programme, how was your association with them?
That project is about to wind down but I am trying to have some continuity with programmes, because education is a focus of mine and one of the things I regret is not being more active in boys' and girls' clubs here. I was active with them in the States and programmes with those clubs are the salvation of many youths.
Our embassy also has a great relationship with the military and one of my last official duties will be to present medical and school supplies to a school in Port Antonio. I will be accompanied by some of our visiting military personnel from the US navy high-speed vessel (HSV2).
An area of concern for me is to see our people in long lines in the sun outside the embassy. Are there plans in place to get a facility to house them in the shade while they wait?
Yes, there are plans, it's all a matter of budget and approvals, but we will definitely change that. We have architectural plans done already and we are awaiting funding. It's not just here in Jamaica, but also in Barbados and Haiti. When the designs are being done in Washington, they don't understand how the sun and rain can be crippling in the tropics, but we are going to change that.
What about the other major construction project, the American International School, how is that going and is there a timeline for completion?
It is being done in stages, but we are hoping to open the first section by September of this year. It is one of those projects that takes enormous funding and a lot is dependent on contributions. Some generous people have contributed so far, not just the State Department. This global economic meltdown will probably hinder some of it. So, my hope is that it will open in September.
On another note, following a recent visit to our embassy in Paris, where I saw tours and other activities involving the public, one of the things I would hope to see happen here in the future is a residence in closer proximity to this beautiful embassy compound. The commute from Stony Hill can be horrendous and time-consuming and there are times when I have to do it twice daily. Even with the nicest circumstances and the most wonderful driver, it is a waste of time. Thank goodness for BlackBerrys and cellphones, but from a work-ethic perspective, it would be beneficial that the ambassador lived closer to work. That's a goal for the future.