Ambassador Marks Bids Farewell to Embassy Staff

Former Ambassador to the United States, Audrey P. Marks, on Thursday (March 13), bade farewell to the Embassy staff as she demits office to take up a position in the Senate.
Ambassador Marks has served as Jamaica’s top diplomat in Washington DC from 2010 to 2012 and 2016 to present.

At a special meeting, Ambassador Marks expressed her deepest appreciation to the staff, noting that her job was made easier through the consistent support she received from the team.

She also stated her gratitude for the remarkable resilience, generosity and dedication of the Jamaican diaspora, with whom she was privileged to work on many initiatives.

The Ambassador shared that she was leaving at a time when “the relationship between the United States and Jamaica remains strong, where both countries have enjoyed a long history of mutually beneficial cooperation grounded in our geographical proximity, our historical and cultural ties, as well as our shared respect for the rule of law and human rights, and the large Jamaican diaspora in the United States”.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, in a statement commended Ambassador Marks for her outstanding service to Jamaica.

“On behalf of the Government, I wish to express to you my gratitude for representing and promoting Jamaica’s interests at the highest level as Jamaica’s diplomatic representative in Washington over the past eight years. Through your sterling leadership, several bilateral cooperation initiatives, including security cooperation, technical cooperation, trade and investment initiatives have been undertaken to strengthen Jamaica’s relationship with the United States of America,” Dr. Holness said.

Minister of Foreign and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, also expressed gratitude to Ambassador Marks for her exemplary service as Ambassador of Jamaica to the United States.

“Through your efforts, Jamaica’s relationship with the United States continues to grow from strength to strength. I wish to especially commend you for the passion with which you have been able to drive the varied initiatives that have and will continue to impact positively the lives of our young people, through support for scholarships, cooperation and exchange programmes between universities at home and in the United States. Please accept our warm wishes for your continued success in the future,” she said.

Ambassador Marks created history twice, first when she was appointed Jamaica’s 10th Ambassador to the United States as the first and only female to hold the position and again as the only person ever to be appointed to the position under two different administrations.

She was first appointed in 2010, serving for two years until 2012 and again in 2016 to present. In addition, she served as Jamaica’s Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS).

An entrepreneur by profession, Ambassador Marks founded and led several companies in Jamaica including Paymaster Jamaica Limited, an internet based online bill payment system that she pioneered in 1997.

In 2024, the Ambassador was conferred with the Order of Jamaica by the Government in acknowledgement of her entrepreneurial pursuits and for her outstanding service to the Government and people of Jamaica in economic development, promotion of social development enterprises, and nation-building.

She is also the recipient of numerous other awards and citations from various organisations in recognition of her outstanding work in entrepreneurial endeavours and community service.