The four honorees—Sir Allen Lewis, Mr. Ferrel Charles, Sir Julian Hunte and Mr. Leslie Clarke—served at the helm of the National Development Corporation between 1971 and 1994.

Invest Saint Lucia paid glowing tribute to four of its past chairpersons at its annual staff appreciation dinner held on Saturday, Jan. 3.

The first Chairman of the then National Development Corporation (NDC), the late Sir Allen Montgomery Lewis was honored posthumously. His son, Dr. Vaughan Lewis received the award on his behalf. Sir Allen’s successor Mr. Ferrel ‘Bam’ Charles was also absent at the ceremony due to ill health. However, his son and current Deputy Chairman of Invest Saint Lucia Mr. Gordon Charles accepted on his behalf.

Receiving their plaques of honor in person were Sir Julian Robert Hunte, who served as chairman of the then NDC from 1979 to 1982 and Mr. Leslie Clarke who had the distinction of being a General Manger of the NDC before later serving as Chairman in the early 1990’s.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, current Chairman of Invest Saint Lucia Mr. Costello Michel thanked the esteemed gentlemen for their meritorious years of service to the organization and for paving the way for others like him to follow.

“This tribute to four of the pillars of this organization which we now call Invest Saint Lucia, is long overdue,” he said. “These four men laid the foundation for the then National Development Corporation and by so doing, afforded us [here present] the opportunity to work for this well-regarded organization.” Mr. Michel also encouraged the staff of Invest Saint Lucia to follow the examples set by the four honorees.

Minister for Commerce, Business Development, Investment and Consumer Affairs, Emma Hippolyte also offered strong words of acclaim and appreciation to the honorees, as did CEO of Invest Saint Lucia, McHale Andrew, who read the citations and contextualized the significance of the occasion.

All the honorees, either personally or through their representatives, accepted the awards with grace and gratitude while underscoring the important role of Invest Saint Lucia in the country’s development thrust.

The four honorees – Sir Allen Lewis, Mr. Ferrel Charles, Sir Julian Hunte and Mr. Leslie Clarke - served at the helm of the National Development Corporation between 1971 and 1994.

Invest Saint Lucia staff were also recognized for their excellence and contributions during 2014.