UPP Names Final Set of Candidates-Elect, Completing its Slate

The United Progressive Party presents its final five Candidates-Elect, thus completing the slate to contest the next General Elections.

 

They are:

 

Sherfield Bowen            St. Phillip’s South

Tevaughn Harriette      St. Peter      

Cleon Athill                       St. Paul

Jamale L. Pringle            All Saints East & St. Luke

Harold E. Lovell              St. John’s City East

 

Their brief biographies are attached for your perusal and publication.

SHERFIELD P. BOWEN, St. Phillip’s South

 

“I am unafraid to be judged on my character.   I associate with the thoughts of James D Miles who declared, You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”

 

Sherfield P. Bowen first came to public life in the 1990s, driven by a desire to change the dynamics of the body politic, and dared to propose leadership that would rest on the firm pillars of good governance, accountability and transparency, the principles on which he would challenge the Antigua Labour Party Administration, in the early years of this century, and expose its failings in all three.

 

Although Bowen left active politics almost 20 years ago, he never abandoned his calling to service: to empower the ordinary man and woman; to positively impact lives; and to foster an enlightened democracy.

 

A community-minded individual to the core, Bowen brings impeccable and unassailable credentials, experience and competencies to the people of St. Phillip’s South.

 

His academic foundation was laid at the historic Bethesda Primary School and then he went on to the Pares Secondary School.  Bowen left Antigua to further his education at the City University of New York, Lehman College, earning a BSc. in Accounting (cum laude) in 1989.

 

Other professional credentials followed in 1990, as he distinguished himself as a  Chartered Financial Consultant [ChFC] and a Chartered Life Underwriter [CLU] through the American College in Pennsylvania,  and became a Certified Financial Planner [CFP] through the College for Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado.

 

After credentialing as a finance professional, Bowen attended the prestigious Howard University School of Law, in Washington, D.C., graduating in 1994 with a Juris Doctor degree, cum laude.  That same year, he became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with the Maryland State Board of Accountancy and, at the same time, qualified as a Lawyer in New York State.

 

Over his career he has been employed in Finance, first at the Antigua Commercial Bank (Accountant); Prudential Insurance Company, Bronx, NY (Registered Representative);  and the New York Advisory Group, Tarrytown, NY (Certified Financial Planner).

 

He later established the successful accounting firm of SPB Tax and Accounting Services in New York, where his clientele included not only Antiguans and Barbudans and other CARICOM nationals in the diaspora, but Chinese and Middle Eastern business owners and Hinterland Africans in that diaspora.

 

Bowen returned to Antigua in 1996 and served as a Tax Consultant to the Government between 1997-1999.  In 1999, he was elected to Parliament as the Member for St Phillip’s South.

 

He served the communities of St. Phillip’s South effectively and competently from 1999 to 2004, holding the position of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.  His commitment to the people of this constituency has never wavered.

 

Still residing in his community, and currently the Senior Attorney at Bowen and Bowen Law Firm, Mr. Bowen still regards himself as the boy from Bethesda, taking on the odds and conquering them all.

 

For such a time as this, “Sherfield – the Real Deal!” is standing up to serve with the United Progressive Party, which he describes as not only the best hope, but the only hope for Antigua & Barbuda.

 

 

1. CLEON ATHILL, St. Paul

 

Affectionately known as Pauline as she grew up in Liberta, Dr. Cleon Athill first attended the Liberta Primary and then the All Saints Secondary Schools. As a child and young adult she was active in the St. Paul’s community under the aegis of the Anglican Young People’s Association.

 

Apart from a brief stint as a travel agent while studying at Howard University in Washington, D.C.,  Dr. Athill has been a public servant all her working life.

 

She began her career as a teacher at the All Saints Secondary School and then was transferred to the Princess Margaret School (PMS), where she distinguished herself and earned lifelong admirers.  At PMS, Miss Athill – as she was then known – was able to impact the lives of both students and parents through the School Guidance Counselling Program piloted by the Ministry of Education.

 

From there, she took on the challenge of heading the country’s youth development programme as the Director of Youth Affairs.  Her ground-breaking work in this area was abruptly cut short after the change of administration in 2014, and youth affairs have not been a national priority since.

 

Nonetheless, this has not prevented Dr. Athill from continuing to advocate for them, as she did, most notably, with the decriminalization of marijuana for personal use.  Like many other teachers, she warned of the dangers associated with this decision, which she recognized as potentially life altering.

 

She is also a proponent of public-sector reform, advocating for its improvement, professional status and protection from political manipulation.

 

As a change advocate, Dr. Athill has a wealth of experience on which she can draw.  She has led and participated in many local, regional and international programs on various aspects of youth development, and is an avid volunteer, community-development activist, and trainer.  Many youth, church, and gender groups across the country have benefitted from her expertise.

 

For many years she has also lectured in the Undergraduate Department of the University of the West Indies, drawing upon a strong education background in psychology and social psychology.

 

Athill earned a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Walden University in 2019, building on her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Vermont College, Norwich University, and a B.Sc. in General Psychology from Howard University.

 

But she is not only an academic or psychologist.  Over the years, she developed a keen interest in politics and governance and noted the shortcomings of the political system, as a whole, and those of our governance structure and culture.

 

Unfortunately, these weaknesses have been exploited by some political leaders to the detriment of the people, and she sees St. Paul as yet another victim of neglect or underdevelopment, with too many poor roads, dingy alleys, and areas of dereliction, even among the new and modern homes.

 

She sees some residents doing well; but they are outnumbered by those who struggle to eke out a living daily, with many falling by the way or at the poverty line.

 

These are the issues she will work to address, and she believes in the United Progressive Party’s transformative power to correct them.

 

Coupled with the Party leadership’s dedication, people-centred philosophy  and integrity, Dr. Athill believes that her passion, her commitment to change, and her ability to connect with and mobilize the community will bring home the St. Paul seat for the UPP.

 

 

 

TEVAUGHN G. HARRIETTE, St. Peter

 

With roots deeply embedded in the Parham community, Tevaughn G. Harriette wields considerable influence – particularly among the  youth –  in St. Peter.

 

Starring in the No. 1 sport of football, “Peter Redz,” as he is affectionately known, came to leadership early as the captain of the Parham Football Club and as a leading striker for the Antigua & Barbuda National Football Team.  When Redz plays, the “Three P’s” come out in their numbers: Parham, Pares and Paynters.

 

This graduate of the Pares Secondary School declares the pride and affection he still carries by descibring it as “the best school in the world.”  But he longs to see Pares Secondary develop as an institution that turns out not only scholars, but more sportsmen and women of community and national stature.

 

Harriette’s secondary education prepared him for the world of work, and he went into the security business after completing school.  Three years after he was hired as a supervisor, he had mastered the daily operations of the business and was promoted to the position of Assistant General Manager.

 

“This is where the load of the operations and negotiations of keeping the business going were placed on my shoulders,” he says.   “I had to put my shoulder to the wheel and rise to the occasion in all aspects.”

 

The time, effort, and dynamic approach paid off, and young Harriette was promoted to the position of General Manager two years later.  He says, “These unprecedented times, dealing with COVID-19, have helped to sharpen my management skills,” and these attributes have allowed the company “to still be in existence.”

 

As a member of the Parham Community Group and the East Boys Promotion, Harriette is deeply concerned about the lack of development in St. Peter after decades of Antigua Labour Party representation.

 

He believes the community should be further ahead in every aspect – especially in its infrastructure; in the employment and deployment of its young people; and in the use of its resources – the land and the ocean – for the benefit of local residents, and not only for investors.

 

Harriette is also concerned that the elderly are being under-served in the area of health, as the Parham Clinic is in poor condition while Pares has no facility.

 

Now, as he branches further afield, politically, he is getting to know better the communities of Vernons, Cedar Hill, Fitches Creek-Weirs, Paynters, Gunthorpes, and Lightfoot.  And Harriette acknowledges that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the issues plaguing this very diverse constitutency.  Therefore, he promises to “consult with all the people” in order to create a collective vision and deliver proper representation to St. Peter.

 

He says he speaks for the youth – as well as the adult population – when he declares, “No more of the hand-out mentality.”  Instead, he is looking to bring to his constituency “develop-mentality.”

 

Tevaughn Harriette is convinced that the time for change is now, and the agent to bring about that change is the United Progressive Party.  As part of “The Team to Redeem,” he intends to score big for St. Peter.

 

1. JAMALE PRINGLE, All Saints East & St. Luke

Thrown into a leadership role after emerging the only winner on his Party’s ticket in 2018, L. Jamale Pringle now faces the next elections with hard-won political acumen and experience.

As Leader of the Opposition, he has faced down the hostility of the Government Bench and the strictures of the House Speaker and earned the respect of his political opponents and peers, alike.

In a riveting sitting of the Lower House, this youthful MP proved his mettle and lived his principles, preferring to walk rather than bow to what he perceived as political discrimination.  His declaration that he was standing on the “solid ground” of representation won him support not only among  his constituents but nationwide.

“Single Pringle,” as he is called with admiration and affection, left a career in teaching to become a successful entrepreneur, and has married the science of business with the art of politics.

He is a man who knows how to get things done – despite not being in government and despite institutional roadblocks.  And he has demonstrated this, time and again, in projects he has undertaken in his constituency – even when he has had to go into his own pocket to compensate for the Government’s neglect.

But All Saints East & St. Luke is more than the seat he represents in Parliament; for Pringle it is home, the place where he grew up.  His ambition for his people is a future in which this agricultural district develops to its fullest potential, providing not only work for citizens and residents, but economic independence through continued ownership of the land and related businesses.

At the 2019 National Convention, Pringle was selected by Harold Lovell as the Deputy Political Leader of the Party, a position he has grown to define.  A shrewd negotiator, he has become known for pouring oil on troubled waters and mending fences.  These attributes were on display recently as he headed the Elections Management Committee that oversaw the holding of several Party Primaries.

However, Pringle’s passion is for youth development through economic opportunities, including entertainment and recreation.  To this end, he constantly invites young people to reach out for advice, information and encouragement, in the hope of building a new and stronger business class.

In revitalizing the Youth Arm of the Party and galvanizing his peers into political awareness, Pringle is credited with staging the Miss Sunshine Pageant – scheduled to become an annual event on the UPP’s calendar – to a huge and highly appreciative audience in February.  In addition, he makes the time to host social gatherings and discussion groups and to appear on the Youth Take-over program on Progressive FM, taking his responsibility as a role model seriously.

Through his businesses, he also supports other Party, community and charitable events, demonstrating both economic leadership and social consciousness.

For many supporters, he represents the face of the next generation of leaders – not only in the UPP, but on the national stage.  Accordingly, L. Jamale Pringle continues to stride – not on thin ice, as he was warned – but into a future made better under the governance of the United Progressive Party.

HAROLD E. LOVELL, St. John’s City East

Harold E. Lovell has been involved in national politics for nearly all his life and has served in the highest levels of Government.  He was a Senior Cabinet Member for the 10 years of the United Progressive Party Administration, serving with distinction in the two most important ministries.

 

In Tourism, the Nation’s largest income-earner, he oversaw a period of spectacular growth in the industry, with the opening of six new major hotel properties and the expansion and upgrading of several others.  And it was under his leadership that Antigua & Barbuda earned the title “Honeymoon Destination” of the region.

 

 

He is credited with piloting the Cricket World Cup Projects (Incentives) Act through Parliament, by which more than 40 local entrepreneurs moved into ownership of small hotels and guest houses, staking a claim in the hospitality industry.

 

In Finance & Economics, the Nation faced its biggest-ever challenges during the turbulent years of the World Economic Crisis.  As one of the most tourism-dependent economies in the world, Antigua & Barbuda saw its revenues plummet, while, at the same time, seeing the Stanford Empire and the British American-CLICO giant collapse.

 

This was the situation Lovell inherited in 2009.  But with nerves of steel and a cadre of homegrown young professionals, he kept the ship of State from going under – as many large economies had done – keeping every public-sector worker employed; every social program intact; and Social Security pensioners afloat.

With his team, Lovell even devised ways in which to deliver a stimulus to the economy, including the acclaimed CABI program that jump-started the construction industry and secured jobs in the private sector.

 

By 2012, growth had returned to our economy, actually outstripping regional neighbours who had been impacted less severely by the crisis, and placing the country, by 2013, on the launch pad “to become rich,” according to Forbes magazine.

 

After the UPP lost office and many of its front-liners retired, Lovell remained true to his call to service and committed to the Party he has always championed, ensuring that this Nation had the benefit of a vibrant Opposition.

 

He was elected Political Leader in 2015 and again in 2019 – patiently building back and building better to face the next general elections, and proving, time and again, that leadership matters.

 

His love for the people of St. John’s City East – where he grew up and where he now runs his law office – has never wavered, and his passion for representing this multicultural constituency has never dimmed.  He actively supports the sporting life of the community; maintains his interest in the education of the youth, primarily at the Princess Margaret School; and continues to look about the well-being of the elderly.

 

On the national stage, Lovell continues to engage the population as a sober, thoughtful, and experienced statesman, speaking to current economic and governance issues, and displaying a breadth of knowledge that ranges from geology to geopolitics.

 

Already he is engaged in finding new avenues for development in order to lessen the country’s dependency on Tourism. He is committed to making Agriculture the second-largest driver of the economy; to nurturing young entrepreneurs and business start-ups; and to revamping education to meet the needs of a 21^st century population.

 

As the UPP prepares to hit the ground ready and running after its return to office, Lovell is proud to lead a team that is grounded in experience yet freshened by the new faces, talents, and energies that have been attracted to his leadership, competence, integrity and deep-seated love for Antigua & Barbuda.

 

“We can do better!” he declares. And in this regard, for Harold E. Lovell, there is no retreat and no surrender.

 

 

 

 

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