Outgoing American Ambassador, Brenda LaGrange Johnson (left), hangs out with Richard and Simone Khourie, at her farewell reception, held at West King's House Road, last Saturday. - photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
And so, just after three years here, United States Ambassador, Brenda LaGrange Johnson and her hubby J. Howard Johnson, will leave Jamaica on January 20, signalling the end of her tenure.
Significantly enough, their departure is tied to the day America's President-elect, Barack Obama is sworn into office. The significance here is that Ambassador LaGrange Johnson was not a career diplomat, but a close friend of the Bush, family, and thus a political appointee. She was, however, equal to the task and proved not only to be an excellent diplomat, but an asset to her country's State Department at a time when America's image abroad was less than comforting!
The ambassador and her husband were not only excellent representatives of their homeland, they both proved fabulously competent and capable envoys, whether it was the promotion of bilateral facilitation or on the social front, they were equally adept at both and charmingly so. And little wonder, as before her appointment she was a business executive as a partner with BrenMer Industries since 1977, an importer and marketer of consumer products in the United States (US). She also sat on the Duke University Advisory Board of the Nasher Art Museum; and was a founding member, president, and chairman of the Women's Board of the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club and continues her affiliation with the club as a trustee.
Appointments
In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed her to the President's Advisory Council to the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington DC and in 2004, she was appointed to the board of trustees. Johnson has been a member of the Woodrow Wilson Council since 1999 and has also served on the board of directors of the American Cancer Society and the National Institutes of Health National Cancer Advisory Board. She is also a member in good standing of the National Finance Advisory Council for the George and Barbara Bush Endowment at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston, Texas. So, y'all know we are talking fabulously politically and socially connected here.
Anyway, since arriving in Kingston, Ambassador LaGrange Johnson and her husband, J. Howard Johnson, have maintained a friendship with social lion and powerbroker Robert MacMillan, who they met some time before in New York City.
Well, to express collective thanks for their service here, as well as to toast them and their sterling contribution to Jamaica, last Saturday, MacMillan and his companion Candy DePass, opened up his charming upper St Andrew residence and hosted what was a positively swanky affair, not just to bid goodbye to the outgoing ambassador and her husband, but also to celebrate their tenure here.
Haute-style and charm
The poolside of the fab hacienda-styled home was dripping nothing but haute-style and charm. The country's elite was out in force to say their goodbyes. And with the talented Andre Lopez entertaining beautifully on keyboards and a most delicious buffet on hand, you know, we are talking a good thing here.
There were some moving moments when the host spoke of his early days in college in the US and hence his affinity for and admiration of the American way of life and politics, as well as his friendship and admiration for the US first family here, and the accomplishment of the ambassador before presenting her with a gift, to invoke memories of her tenure.
She was most gracious in her response and fulsome in her praises of Jamaica and its people, promising to return as often as her international schedule would allow. But it all made for a very warm interlude and then some!
Among those guesting, were Glynne Manley, Mexican Ambassador Leonora Rueda and her daughter, Itzel; Judy-Ann MacMillan, Chris Bovell and his wife, Michelle Bovell, Earl Levy and wife, Beverly Junor Levy; Charles Hanna, Jeanne Watson and son, James Watson; Jennifer Lim, Roy and Sylvia Collister, George Fatta, Honorary Consul of Bangladesh Desmond and Peggy Blades; Honorary Consul of Ukraine Kenny Benjamin; Honorary Consul of Ecuador Clelia Barreto de Hunter; Honorary Consul of Finland Andrew Issa; Honorary Consul of The Netherlands Robert Cartade; Honorary Consul of Nicaragua William Tavares-Finson; Honorary Consul of the Royal Thai Kingdom Thalia Lyn and husband, Captain Michael Lyn.
We saw: Honorary Consul of Ghana Patrick Lynch and wife, Marguerite; newly appointed Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic Jimmy Joseph; Richard and Diana Stewart; Phillip and Christine Gore, Ian and Celia Levy, Paul and Becky Stockhausen; Mark Jones, Russell and Carol Hadeed, Peter Millingen and his fab wife, Stacey Barbar Millingen; Leicester and Belinda Levy; chair of the Jamaica Tourist Board John Lynch; the lovely Jennifer Stanigar, John Burrowes and companion, Judy-Angel Markes; Richard Khourie and wife, the fab Simone Khourie; Michael and Ann-Marie Feanny, and Captain David McRae.
Judy-Ann MacMillan (left) hangs out with art collectors Andrew and Theresa Roberts.
Mexican Ambassador Leonora Rueda hams it up with George Fatta, while her daughter, Itzel, looks on.
Style maven Michelle Bovell basks in the compliments of Charles Hanna.
Richard Stewart (left), Glynne Manley and Roy Collister hobnob the night away.