MONTEGO BAY, St James — At 38, Tamoy Sinclair will be among the younger chief executive officers (CEOs) serving the country’s municipal corporations.
She begins her new role at the Trelawny Municipal Corporation on Thursday and already has a long list of goals she intends to accomplish. One of them is to improve the image of town centres within the parish.
“Persons within the different townships should recognise that the municipality is working within their communities. It should be visible that the services being provided by the municipality are taking place. The image of the town centres is an indication that the municipality is working, that the local governance process is strong and that the persons that they have elected to serve and to represent them are actually doing that; and it is seen visibly,” she told the Jamaica Observer.
Sinclair recognises that it will take prudent fiscal management to ensure that this and other targets are met and has embraced her role in achieving this formidable task.
“I will be working to ensure that revenue is enhanced within the municipality so that the necessary services can be provided to the residents who depend on the municipal corporation to ensure that they are in place,” she promised.
She believes her 16-year stint as parish disaster coordinator in the nearby St James Municipal Corporation has provided a strong foundation on which to take this next major step in local governance leadership.
“From my role in disaster management, coordination was at the centre of it, along with public representation,” she explained.
She also argued that her previous role has given her an appreciation for the impact the weather can have on residents’ lives. Sinclair pointed out, for example, the need to pinpoint “the uniqueness in northern and southern Trelawny to ensure that we pay attention to the impact of climate change”. She is convinced this will be the best way to identify solutions that can minimise the adverse effects of climate change.
Falmouth has had its fair share of issues with flooding and she wants to see how they can tackle that.
“By involving the right stakeholders such as critical government agencies, civil society and community groups, we will be able to identify the root cause of flooding and other risks and to develop practical solutions to alleviate or prevent its impact on the community,” the TMC CEO said, full of optimism.
Sinclair explained that it is important to protect the natural environment even as every effort is made to make the municipality prosperous for the benefit of all. She is looking forward to her new role.
“I am very happy for the opportunity to lead local governance in the Trelawny Municipal Corporation. I am happy for the opportunity that it presents in dealing with some long-term issues that the parish has been facing and to work with all the necessary stakeholders to come up with ideal solutions to solve them,” she said.
She is undaunted by those who may think she is too young for the job, or that a woman is less capable than a man in the role of CEO of the TMC.
“I know that some persons might look at it and think that I am inexperienced. But as a young person, what you are able to do is to look and to learn and to observe what the older persons have done, what has worked and what has not worked and why,” Sinclair explained.
“I’m not daunted by the task, to be honest. I look at all things as opportunities… I try my best to see the opportunities in everything that comes my way,” she added.
Sinclair is hopeful that what she has achieved will serve as inspiration for other young individuals.
“My ascension to this post should serve as an encouragement to young people — especially to the females — that there are opportunities out there. You just have to put yourself forward for them to be able to achieve them,” she said ardently.
She said she feels empowered by the role.
“It is definitely an empowering feeling as a female to be given this opportunity to lead in this manner; simply because, women are generally the backbone of the society and oftentimes we have male leaders,” Sinclair stated.
“As a woman, I have absolutely no problem supporting a male leader but as a female it is nice to be given this opportunity to lead and I intend to do so with the charisma that a woman carries, to be nurturing, caring and considerate but also to be very strong,” she said.
Sinclair successfully applied for the CEO position when it was advertised in late 2024 and after a series of interviews at the Services Commission, she was informed that she was successful. She succeeds Winston Palmer who opted for early retirement, indicating his intention to join family overseas.