Solamon Energy President For Invest Caribbean Now 2012
February 7, 2012
CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Feb. 7 2012: The man who is set to build the Caribbean’s largest solar energy plant is among the speakers confirmed, for the 2012 Invest Caribbean Now.
The second annual Caribbean Tourism Organization and Hard Beat Communications investment forum is set for June 6, 2012 in New York City and comes on the heels of June 9, 2011that drew over 300 high powered investors to the New York Marriott Marquis event and earned rave reviews from money managers, real estate developers, architects, entrepreneurs, ministers of governments and the media, and the top speakers including Wendell Dave Dowrich, Vice President, Goldman Sachs; David Brillembourg, Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Brilla Group and Martin Mohabeer, Managing Director, Spackman Group and CEO of Spackman Capital.
President and co-founder of Solamon Energy Corp, Jay Yeo, will join other top speakers this year, including Damion McKinney, CEO of McKinney Rogers and Jonathan Blue, Chairman of Blue Equity LLC.
Solamon Energy Corp is a renewable energy developer, providing Caribbean clients with cost effective and reliable RE power generation solutions. The company recently announced it will build the biggest solar energy plant in the Caribbean in Jamaica. With a keen understanding of the Caribbean energy marketplace, Yeo has become a cornerstone of organization, developing business opportunities in key territories across the region. Solamon presently has over 100 MW of projects in their pipeline.
An export of the blossoming Canadian solar industry, Jay previously worked with Spark Solar, a solar development firm and manager of the AGRIS Solar Co-operative, an agricultural energy co-operative with over 700 PV installations.
Prior to his career in renewables, Jay held several executive positions with emerging technology companies working in the areas of business development and marketing.
Ideally suited for the burgeoning renewable energy sector, Jay has made a career of articulating the benefits and value of new technologies to consumers and business professionals.
Jay presently splits his time between Toronto and Barbados.
Additional sponsors include the PR Newswire, WSEE TV, CaribPR Wire, News Americas Now, Damoola Inc. and ALTA.
For additional sponsorship opportunities log on to http://investcaribbean.wordpress.com/sponsorship-opportunites/
Caribbean News In Brief
February 5, 2012
Haitian American Helps NY Giants To Super Bowl Win
February 5, 2012
News Americas, INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, Mon. Feb. 6, 2012: Haitian American footballer, Jason Pierre-Paul, helped lead his team, the New York Giants to a nail biting 21-17 win Sunday night to take home the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLVI at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
As his blind Haitian-born father, Jean Pierre-Paul, sat in the stand, experiencing his first Super Bowl as he listened to the game in French, the Florida-born JPP, helped make a big impact for the Giants defense.
Pierre-Paul, who was drafted by the Giants in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft and led the team with 16.5 sacks, and was selected to his first Pro Bowl.
On Sunday he helped blocked several passes for his captain, Eli Manning.
It was 9-3 after Stephen Gostkowski’s 29-yard field goal and The Patriots got to the Giants’ 11, but All-Pro DE Jason Pierre-Paul blocked a third-down pass.
Soon after, when the Patriots had a three-and-out and Pierre-Paul blocked another throw.
As for JPP’s dad, well the Haitian migrant told USA Today through a translator: “I am 60 years old and even if I die right now I will be happy. I am so proud.”
Meanwhile, Manning was named MVP and as the team and fans celebrated last night, New York City Mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg, announced that the city will host a ticker-tape parade in honor of the Super Bowl XLVI Champions New York Giants on Tuesday, February 7th, 2012.
The parade will begin at Battery Place and Washington Street at 11:00 AM and continue northbound up the Canyon of Heroes to Worth Street. The parade will be followed by a ceremony at City Hall Plaza, at which the Mayor will present the NY Giants with Keys to the City.
“Big Blue gave us a game to remember, and on Tuesday we’re going to give them a parade to remember,” said Mayor Bloomberg.
The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust
February 5, 2012
LONDON, Feb. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Today marks the formal launch of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, on the 60th anniversary of the accession of the Queen to the throne.
The establishment of the Trust was originally announced at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Perth, Australia in 2011. The Trust aims to celebrate HM The Queen’s enormous contribution and unswerving dedication to the Commonwealth over the course of her 60 year reign.
Sir John Major, Chairman of the Trustee Board said, “I am delighted and honoured to have been invited to Chair the Diamond Jubilee Trust. The purpose of the Trust is to raise funds throughout the Commonwealth, and then work with strategic partners to identify charitable projects that will enrich the lives and opportunities of all its citizens – across generations and geographical boundaries – in order to provide a lasting legacy for HM The Queen.
It is our hope that individuals, organisations and countries will all wish to contribute to the Trust, as a tangible and enduring way of honouring HM The Queen, and to demonstrate the enormous respect and affection in which she is held, not only within the Commonwealth family, but also the wider world.”
The Trust aims to reflect the qualities that citizens respect and value in Her Majesty. It will identify investments in legacy projects which will have a transforming impact on the life of Commonwealth citizens. The Trust will aim in particular to invest in some projects which encourage generations to work together for the benefit of communities, and activities that bring Commonwealth citizens together across geographical boundaries.
The Commonwealth Secretary General, Kamalesh Sharma, also on the board of Trustees, said, “Throughout sixty years of dedicated service and leadership as Head of the Commonwealth, The Queen has shown personal and unwavering commitment to all that the Commonwealth represents and holds dear – especially our shared values of democracy, development and diversity. The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust is an opportunity for Commonwealth citizens everywhere both to contribute and to be associated with initiatives that will ensure Her Majesty’s commitment and service are celebrated in ways that are to the enduring benefit of our global Commonwealth family.”
Details of some of the initial planned investments and partnerships will be announced in due course.
During the Jubilee year, individuals, groups, organisations and companies inside or outside the Commonwealth are invited to contribute to the Trust, as a lasting tribute to HM The Queen.
More details about the Trust, including a way to contribute, can be found at the Trust’s website: www.jubileetribute.org
Notes to Editors:
1. Queen Elizabeth is Head of the Commonwealth of 54 states embracing 2 billion people living in 16 Commonwealth Realms.
2. The Trust will be run and administered to ensure that every donation is used to the maximum benefit of commonwealth citizens and delivers results that make a real difference to people’s lives. It will not establish a major new institution. It will work with established partner charities and organisations across the Commonwealth, both in the UK and elsewhere, to deliver iconic projects that are a fitting tribute to The Queen.
3. As announced at CHOGM this may include tackling curable diseases, promoting all forms of education and culture and other Commonwealth priorities.
4. The trustees are: The Rt Hon Sir John Major (Chairman), The Commonwealth Secretary General, The Rt Hon Lord Robertson, Professor Sir Mervyn King, The Rt Hon Sir Christopher Geidt & the Rt Rev and Rt Hon Richard Chartres, Bishop of London.
5. Projects will be chosen by the Trustees, who will consult widely before reaching decisions.
China, India, Brazil! Is The Caribbean Next?
February 2, 2012
CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Feb. 3, 2012: Find out this June when the second Invest Caribbean Now power forum returns to New York City.
“The first Invest Caribbean Forum in June 2011 was a pivotal moment in developing interest in a new era of entrepreneurship and investing in the Caribbean. This year’s forum promises to be even more significant in advancing U.S. and worldwide interest in emerging opportunities throughout the Caribbean,” said Felicia Persaud, the convener of Invest Caribbean 2012 for the Caribbean Tourism Organization, in announcing this year’s forum.
Coming on the heels of an ultra successful event in 2011 that featured over 300 money managers, investors, hoteliers, ministers of governments and real estate developers, the Invest Caribbean Now power forum will return to New York City this June as part of Caribbean Week in New York.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization will again partner with digital media company, Hard Beat Communications, to present the second investment forum on June 6, 2012 in New York City.
The event earned rave reviews in its inaugural years in 2011 and secured significant media coverage for its impassioned appeal from Hard Beat CEO, Persaud, and presentations from Wendell Dave Dowrich, Vice President, Goldman Sachs; David Brillembourg, Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Brilla Group and Martin Mohabeer, Managing Director, Spackman Group and CEO of Spackman Capital.
2012 is set to be more exciting as the event will feature private equity investors in the region, telling their “Why Caribbean” story to other investors and attendees. This year’s confirmed speakers are CEO and founder of the award winning firm, McKinney Rogers, Damian McKinney; President and co-founder of Solamon Energy Corp, Jay Yeo; and Chairman and Managing Director of Blue Equity, LLC., Jonathan S. Blue.
In just ten years McKinney, a former British Royal Marine has built a global organization with offices on every sub-continent. Today, McKinney Rogers is a premiere global consultancy, specializing in business execution. The firm has delivered tangible and sustainable results for such respected global organizations as Walmart, Bacardi, Grohe and Diageo. McKinney was also the winner of the coveted Executive of the Year Award for 2011.
Solamon Energy Corp is a renewable energy developer providing Caribbean and Central American clients with cost effective and reliable RE power generation solutions. Jay and his team work recently announced plans to build the Caribbean’s largest solar power plant in Jamaica. It is expected that the program, estimated to cost 450 million dollars, will enhance and improve Jamaica’s energy infrastructure, as well as help attract additional investment in the ICT and green tech sectors.
Blue Equity is a private equity firm with a diverse and innovative portfolio of business enterprises, with concentrations in oil and gas, media, healthcare, defense, financial services, real estate, manufacturing, art commerce, and sports and entertainment. Jonathan and Blue currently are already investing in the Caribbean through Cool Petroleum Limited, the licensed user of Shell brands in Jamaica and Island Ice & Beverage Company Limited, which manufactures and distributes packaged ice in the Caribbean. Blue Equity LLC says it will be expanding the network of gas stations in Jamaica under the Cool Petroleum brand and also hinted at another acquisition later this year, saying it remains optimistic about Jamaica’s prospects as an investment destination.
“The Caribbean Tourism Organization is proud to team up with Hard Beat to present this event for the second year, since in these tough economic times, investment in the Caribbean and Latin America is critical and the CTO believes strongly in continuing to boost the tourism sector of this vibrant region by presenting investment opportunities for its members,” said Sylma Brown Bramble, director of CTO-USA Inc.
Partners to date include the PR Newswire, WSEE TV, CaribPR Wire, News Americas Now, Damoola Inc and The Affiliated Lawyers of the Americas (“ALTA”).
For partnership and exhibitor opportunities log on to the sponsorship section of http://investcaribbeannow.com/ or call 646-820-5694.
Leading Puerto Rico Benefits Attorney, Juan Luis Alonso, Joins Groom Law Group, Chartered in Washington, D.C.
January 30, 2012
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Groom Law Group, Chartered, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm that focuses exclusively on employee benefits law, announced today that Juan Luis Alonso – a widely respected attorney with broad-based expertise in Puerto Rico employee benefits matters, has joined the Firm.
Before joining Groom Law Group, Alonso spent over a decade at McConnell Valdes LLC in Puerto Rico, most recently serving as Chair of the Employee Benefits team. He has an extensive background in the design and qualification of Puerto Rico and U.S. qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, ERISA litigation support, and Puerto Rico, U.S. tax code and ERISA compliance, including fiduciary issues. Alonso, who is also a CPA, worked for a Big 4 accounting firm for three years as a tax consultant before joining McConnell Valdes.
“Adding Juan Luis to our Plan Design and Taxation Group fits the firm’s strategic expansion plans – consistent with our goal to provide clients with ‘one-stop benefit services’ from a single location in the nation’s capital,” explains the Firm’s managing partner, John McGuiness.
McGuiness notes that many of the firm’s Fortune 500 clients maintain pension and savings plans for their Puerto Rico workers, and many other firm clients invest the funds of Puerto Rico plans. Groom has advised clients on plan qualification, distribution taxation, and ERISA issues on Puerto Rico plan matters for many years. Most recently, Groom has spearheaded efforts to persuade IRS and Treasury policymakers to provide relief for Puerto Rico plans to invest alongside their U.S. counterparts. Alonso’s expertise will greatly enhance Groom’s ability to meet client needs in this important area.
Extensive 2011 changes in the Puerto Rico tax code have further harmonized the plan qualification rules in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. McGuiness adds, “Juan Luis’ knowledge of Puerto Rico law – and of Hacienda’s policies and procedures – will complement and add substantial value to Groom’s practice in this area, benefitting firm clients.” Alonso will continue to be actively involved with Puerto Rico legislative and regulatory officials when working from the firm’s D.C. office.
Groom’s Plan Design and Taxation Group has a national reputation for its expertise in the design and operation of all forms of employee benefit programs. The firm provides services to Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, government entities, tax-exempt organizations, churches, and financial institutions – working with them to create and maintain a wide variety of employee benefit programs that adhere to the highest regulatory standards.
About Groom Law Group
Groom Law Group, Chartered (www.groom.com) is the premier employee benefits law firm in the United States with 55 attorneys dedicated to this dynamic and complex area of law. Groom provides clients with cost-effective, creative, and practical solutions to sophisticated benefits and tax law challenges.
Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Conference To Focus On Sustaining Natural Resources
January 25, 2012
News Americas, BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Weds. Jan. 25, 2012: Caribbean tourism planners, policymakers and stakeholders will receive valuable guidance on how to sustain the region’s resources in the context of climate change, at the Caribbean’s premier sustainable tourism gathering in April.
The 13th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism (STC-13), set for Guyana from 15 to 18 April – will focus on effective ways to monitor and manage the use of the region’s natural resources to limit depletion while maximizing the socio-economic benefits of tourism.
Conference organizer, The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), has chosen as its theme, Keeping the Right Balance: Sustaining our Resources. The CTO explains that because the natural environment – including coastal areas, coral reefs, wetlands, mountains, volcanoes, terrestrial and marine biodiversity, as well as the national and marine parks – serves as a major tourism pull, it’s imperative that action is taken to sustain these resources.
“The theme of STC-13 will therefore highlight best practices in how this requirement can be fulfilled in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts within the Caribbean and beyond. It will also provide valuable guidance on investing in, developing and marketing sustainable tourism products that can assist in sustaining our resources,” said Gail Henry, the CTO’s sustainable tourism product specialist.
The conference, which will be held at the Guyana International Conference Centre, is being organized in collaboration with the Guyana Tourism Authority.
The CTO, along with the GTA and industry partners, is finalizing the conference program, which will include a mix of panel discussions and workshops with presentations from leading local, regional and international tourism experts and practitioners. Informative and exciting study tours to attraction-packed sites, including the majestic Kaieteur Falls, will expose delegates to the rich history, local culture and scenic beauty of Guyana.
For more information on STC-13, visit www.caribbeanstc.com.
HBO Latin America Presents its New Channel, HBO Signature
January 22, 2012
MIAMI, Jan. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — HBO Latin America enriches its premium television offering with the launch of a new HBO channel, HBO Signature. This new channel, which can only be enjoyed by those who subscribe to HBO’s premium package, arrives to further enhance the originality and exclusivity of the brand’s original programming by offering the market’s most premium and acclaimed content.
HBO Signature will be the destination of the most award-winning material from pay-tv, and will reinforce the importance and excellence of the material produced exclusively by and for HBO. The new service, which will be available as of Feb. 1, will allow viewers to enjoy shows, miniseries, exclusive films made for TV and documentaries that have set milestones in the industry not only for their production value, but for the talent found both in front of and behind the camera.
As part of its programming schedule, HBO Signature will offer impactful and exclusive shows such as The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and Entourage; successful miniseries such as Band of Brothers, The Pacific and Mildred Pierce; Premium television films such Too Big to Fail, Grey Gardens and You Don’t Know Jack; and also documentaries, all with HBO’s seal of exclusivity and vanguard.
“With this announcement, HBO continues demonstrating its commitment to the continent’s premium television and its consumers and clients, by offering unique and stand-out content all consolidated into one channel, HBO Signature. These innovative productions are what define this one-of-a-kind television experience, adding value to HBO’s Premium package,” stated Gustavo Grossmann, the channel’s vice-president and general manager.
HBO Signature will begin transmission in all of Latin America and Brazil as of Feb. 1. For more information, visit www.hbomax.tv
About HBO Latin America Group
HBO Latin America Group is a group of affiliated businesses belonging to Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P. and Ole Communications Group. HBO Latin America Group’s companies operate, direct, and are proprietors of the leading cable and satellite service providers in Latin America, Brazil and the Caribbean, including the signals of HBO, HBO2, HBO Plus, HBO Family, HBO Caribbean, HBO HD, HBO On Demand, MAX, MAX HD, Max Prime, Cinemax, A&E, A&E HD, AXN, AXN HD, The Biography Channel, E! Entertainment Television, The History Channel, The History Channel HD, Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Entertainment Television HD, Sony Spin, Warner Channel and Warner Channel HD.
Haiti Minister of the Interior & OAS Discuss Potential Areas of Cooperation
January 20, 2012
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Jan. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Haiti’s Minister of the Interior Thierry Mayard-Paul accompanied by Prime Minister Garry Conille at a meeting with Ambassador Albert Ramdin, Assistant Secretary General for the Organization of American States, discussed potential cooperation in the areas of civil registry, security and disaster relief.
Topics addressed included a potential contribution from the OAS to strengthen security and disaster relief capacity building, as well as preparedness. “We had a very productive meeting and are encouraged by the OAS’ intent to support and contribute to the reinforcement of our institutional capacity, particularly in areas that the Ministry has outlined in its strategic action plan,” said Minister Mayard-Paul. “Our goal is to strengthen our institutional capabilities across the country, as a key element within our decentralization strategy.”
The delegations agreed to meet again in February to discuss specifics.
The meeting was also attended by Francois Bolduc, OAS Representative in Haiti, Shelly Dass, Counselor to Ambassador Ramdin, General Guy Thibault, IACD, Lieutenant Dennis Lepes, IACD and Catherine Pognat, OAS’ Senior Officer.
Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic Among Blacks Says New Book
January 19, 2012
CaribPR Wire, Brooklyn, New York, January 19, 2012. Chronic vitamin D deficiency is a silent epidemic that is taking the lives of countless blacks worldwide. Correcting the Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic: Strategies to Fight Diseases and Prolong Life for Black People (ISBN 978-0-912444-49-9), is the first book to comprehensively address the under-examined issue of critical vitamin D deficiency among blacks, a major contributor to the health disparities present in Black communities.
The author, Mrs. Emily Allison-Francis, is a nutritionist, librarian, and educator.
Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among dark-skinned people because high concentrations of melanin in dark skin block the production of vitamin D from the sun, the most natural and abundant source of vitamin D. More than 90 percent of Blacks have critically low vitamin D levels and Blacks also suffer disproportionate illness and mortality rates from major chronic diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency.
Correcting the Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic: Strategies to Fight Diseases and Prolong Life for Black People explores the connection between vitamin D deficiency and the high illness and mortality rates among Blacks. It also provides practical steps that dark-skinned people worldwide can take to improve their vitamin D status as well as useful, natural health strategies to help prevent and fight chronic diseases. Leading scientists in the field of vitamin D research have commented on the book including:
• Dr. Cedric Garland, professor at the School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, who urges “all society, and concerned people of all ethnicities to act upon” the information provided in the book.
• Dr. William B. Grant, director of The Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center, who advises that the book “should be required reading for every black family in the United States; white and brown Americans could learn much from it as well.”
• Dr. Bruce Hollis, director of pediatric nutritional sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, who implores “patients and physicians [to] heed [the book's] advice.”
• And Dr. Vin Tangpricha, associate professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, who notes: “This book covers the link between vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D status in African Americans and the diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency.”
Copies of the book may be purchased from amazon.com and outlets posted at the website below.
Contact www.healthieryounutrition.com, info@healthieryounutrition.com or 718.916.8974 for more information.
