Former Parliamentarian, Sharon Hay Webster, To Be Conferred With Order Of Distinction

Former Parliamentarian, Sharon Hay Webster, will be conferred with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer (OD) during the Ceremony of Investiture at King’s House on National Hero’s Day, Monday, October 20.

The national honour is in recognition of her contribution to international relations and the development of community leadership across Jamaica.

“I appreciate the honour extended; it feels good. I have enjoyed [and] am enjoying the opportunities that I have had. There are institutions that I have helped to build, there is infrastructure that I have helped to build, and I will continue,” she tells JIS News.

Further reflecting on the honour, Mrs. Hay Webster affirms her deep commitment to community development, emphasising the value of purposeful work and the importance of building trust.

“I am always about leadership, exercising influence to organise activities in communities to allow the citizens the benefits of understanding how you live in your space. At the end of the day, leadership always makes the difference,” she says

Mrs. Hay Webster, a Community Development and Communications Consultant, reflects on her early family life in Guy’s Hill, St. Catherine, crediting it with teaching her how to lead with empathy and resolve.

As the eldest child in her father’s second marriage, she recalls having to mediate frequent quarrels between her younger siblings, noting: “I had to learn to break up fights.”

These formative experiences, Mrs. Hay Webster shares, helped cultivate the skills and mindset needed for community advocacy and political leadership.

“So, I would say my family prepared me to be able to do a lot of what I needed to do,” she adds.

Mrs. Hay Webster, who served as Vice-Captain of St Hugh’s High School’s 1981 Schools’ Challenge Quiz team which advanced to the quarter finals, has been widely praised for her transformative work in community development during her tenure as Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Central constituency. She played a pivotal role in fostering social cohesion, and contributing to political stability.

“White Marl School was the first big project I had as MP then. It had a new tank put in, classrooms refurbished, the teacher’s cottage… we had it converted to four classrooms, because it was needed, and got some fencing put in. Every single basic school in that community, at that point six, were all refurbished through [the then] Lift Up Jamaica programme,” she tells JIS News.

Lift Up Jamaica was a national youth empowerment and skills training initiative designed to address unemployment, social exclusion, and community development across Jamaica. It was spearheaded by the Government of Jamaica in partnership with international donors and local agencies.

“One of the last projects that came out of that was the community centre in Windsor. There was nothing there, just windows and doors… and we got to rebuild it. We put in a multi-purpose court, we put in a good football field, and we formed a combined citizens association,” Mrs. Hay Webster states.

She notes that in her current role as Chief Operating Officer to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and Peace, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, she relishes bipartisan engagement in political representation.

“I have had some of the most challenging inner-city communities to provide leadership for as an MP; I encouraged building capacity of leadership, and this shifted the barometer. This is something I have encouraged to representatives, and practiced across the country, alongside Dr. Chang,” she states.

In October 2002, Mrs. Hay Webster’s organisational and communication skills propelled her onto the international stage, where she represented the Caribbean region with distinction.

She held senior positions within the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States organisation, and served on the ACP–European Union (EU) Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Mrs. Hay Webster’s global engagements have taken her to over 40 countries, including Darfur, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Mali. During her visit to the latter country, she was conferred with the Order of the Republic of Mali.

Meanwhile, several stakeholders have welcomed Mrs. Hay Webster’s conferment with the national honour.

Senior Pastor of the Lighthouse Assembly Church of God International in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Bishop Dr. Rowan Edwards, describes her as a “people person”, noting that he worked alongside her for many years.

“I want to commend her on the Order of Distinction that she is receiving, and hope and pray that God’s blessings will always be with her, and that she can continue to serve. The many churches in Spanish Town… congratulate you,” Bishop Edwards states.

Meanwhile, President of the St. Catherine Chamber of Commerce, Dennis Robotham, commends Mrs. Hay Webster for her distinguished service to her former constituency.

He notes that, as a former chairman of both a high school and a primary school in the area, he witnessed first-hand Mrs. Hay Webster’s unwavering dedication to education and youth development — a commitment rooted in vision, compassion, and transformative impact.

“She was a very dedicated advocate for young students at all levels, and youth in general, always trying to enhance the lives of the youth, especially in those [challenging] communities. She was always on hand, making herself available, easily accessible to those in her constituency, and was involved in our church, the New Life Community Church International. I believe that she is deserving of [the national honour]… she has served well. So we congratulate her, and we share in the recognition,” Mr. Robotham tells JIS News.