On March 11, the International Women’s Conference at Hofstra University in Hempstead, Long Island, will feature a keynote speech by Juliet Holness, the First Lady of Jamaica and a Member of Parliament (MP).
The “extraordinary” meeting will be held at Nevalliance, a training and development firm run by Dr. Neva Helena Alexander. As the CEO of Nevalliance and a professional speaker, advisor, trainer, and author, Dr. Alexander remarked, “We are thrilled to have the First Lady of Jamaica, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness, MP, as our keynote speaker.”
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Nevalliance offers college admissions assistance to high school students, according to Dr. Alexander, who founded the non-profit organization NEVA and is also the creator of the National Educational Venture Alliance. She referred to the one-day seminar as “fascinating” and mentioned Holness as one of the prominent speakers.
Dr. Alexander is one of them, along with Assemblywoman Michaelle C. Solages, Dr. Karen Dunkley, the former Northeast USA representative for the Jamaican Diaspora, Dr. Sylvia Forchap-Likambi, the founder and global chair of the Global Visionary Women Network, Dr. Kenia Nunez, the director of the Hofstra University Entrepreneurship Center, Dr. Erise Mary Mbunui Dinga, the president of the EMMI Empire, Carla Hamilton, the CO-OP
Alexander said the event is “designed to speak to every woman” and that attendees will have “An opportunity to network, exchange knowledge, connect, facilitate lasting connections, and showcase a range of products and services all under one roof.”
She described it as “an innovative and targeted conference” that started in 2017. The theme of this year’s conference is “The International Women of Influence.”
The purpose of the Women’s Leadership Conference series, according to Alexander, is to “enhance awareness and create a more informed understanding of the opportunities, issues, and approaches of women empowerment with resultant attention and resources directed towards supporting women.”
“Our program is centered on cutting-edge topics from a wide range of fields: international business, entrepreneurship, social issues, and leadership, as well as many other subjects to be covered,” she added, “Our conference will also have two-panel discussions; one panel will discuss women, money, and investment. The second panel will discuss overcoming adversity.”
Alexander stated that the International Women’s Conference also “celebrates women’s social, economic, cultural and political achievements,” outside of the speaker sessions.
“We celebrate the power of individual women and their vibrant and diverse accomplishments and successes,” she noted.
According to Alexander, the fundamental goal of the International Women’s Conference is to ‘increase awareness and foster better knowledge of the possibilities, challenges, and strategies for women’s empowerment with the consequent focus and resources dedicated toward helping women.
“The underlying objectives of this conference will promote entrepreneurship among women and provide new opportunities to bridge the gaps and increase opportunities for linkages,” she said.
Even though Holness hasn’t written her address yet, she has “so much to discuss” she said to Caribbean Life on Friday.
“I must be an example for every lady,” she noted. “My approach is to be the best parliamentary representative.”
The MP for St. Andrew East Rural continued, “I also want to see what are some of the best practices from the conference,” adding that she is looking forward to taking part in the occasion.
“I made a projection at the last JLP (incumbent Jamaica Labor Party) Caucus; Let us try to give women the support they need,” Holness added. “With that, I’m very laser-focused on doing what I’m doing.”
Juliet Holness was raised in a close-knit family where scholastic achievement and perseverance were valued values.
It comes as no surprise that she excelled in school at both Wolmer’s Trust High School for Girls and St. Catherine High School.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Economics and a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of the West Indies, Mona, thanks to her exceptional academic performance and aptitude for hard work.
In addition to being a senior manager at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, she is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
The Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness is her husband. They have two kids, Adam and Matthew, whose bright futures continue to inspire the couple’s steadfast commitment in Jamaica’s future, according to Mrs. Holness.
Mrs. Holness has carved out a successful career as a recognized real estate developer in addition to her illustrious profession as a chartered accountant.
Along with worrying about her family’s well-being, she claimed that concerns like community development, gender equality, and disenfranchised young also occupy her thoughts frequently.
Visit www.nevalliance.com for details on the global conference for women. Direct inquiries should be made to [email protected].
