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(E-057/01)
March 12, 2001

 

BARBADIAN NAMED TO YOUNG AMERICAS BUSINESS TRUST BOARD

 

The Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), an arm of the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS), has named Barbadian national Deryck Murray to its board of directors.

Mr. Murray was appointed at a recent meeting of the Young Americas Business Trust's board of directors, to represent the Caribbean region. He was nominated by Ambassador Jeanette W. Hyde, a former US envoy to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, who chairs the board of directors.

Murray is Managing Director of his own company, Community Asset Development Consultants, a leading Caribbean consulting firm specializing in community development. He has also worked as a consultant on a number of OAS projects over the years.

Roy Thomasson, the Young Americas Business Trust's chief executive officer, welcomed the board's newest member, declaring the great respect he and Ambassador Hyde have for Deryck Murray and "the work that he has done over the years, both with the OAS and as one of the founders of the Pinelands Community Group."

The functions Murray will assume include such business development projects as the Young Business Leaders Network, which identifies successful young business leaders throughout the Caribbean and Latin America to take on leadership and act as role models for other young people. He will also promote another project to encourage young people in schools to go into business.

"It is about creating opportunity," declared Mr. Murray, stressing that "it does not make sense to train young people in the region without providing opportunities for them to use their skills." He commended the OAS for its important role in providing skills training throughout the region, but noted the increasing demand for opportunity--chiefly by way of financing and market access.

 

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