Director of Human Resources
Bio
David C. Knight has had a progressive career in the public service from September 1991 to his current appointment as Director of Human Resources at the JIS on September 1, 2021. His prior roles covered public sector management, leadership and governance starting at the Ministry of Construction (Housing) through to the Ministry of Transport and Works and most recently the National Works Agency.
He has performed in several capacities such as Administrative Assistant to the Permanent Secretary (Ministry of Construction), Administrator (Local Government Administration Unit), Director Human Resource Development (Ministry of Transport and Works) and Manager, Personnel and Industrial Relations & Ethical Officer (National Works Agency).
He was also appointed to various inter-ministerial committees over the years and is currently HR Council Member of the Transformation Implementation Unit (TIU).
A certified trainer and Prosci Change Practitioner, Mr. Knight has completed various courses and programmes such as Senior Public Service Executive Development sponsored by the Commonwealth Secretariat, Human Resource Management Seminar for Jamaica in China, Environmental Stewardship, Performance Coaching and Project Management at MIND. He is also a graduate of the 22nd Junior Chamber International (JCI) Japan Leadership Academy.
A graduate of the University of the West Indies, the Human Resources practitioner attained a Bachelor of Arts (General Studies) with Honours and a Diploma in Public Administration with Distinction. He also holds a Master of Science in Workforce Education and Development from the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Mr. Knight is committed to people development and social responsibility as manifested in the various non-salaried executive positions he has held such as Board/Company Secretary of the Best Care Foundation, operators of Best Care Special Education School; former Vice President of the Correctional Services Credit Cooperative, a Past Member of UTech Post Graduate Advisory Council and Past President of JCI West Indies, JCI Jamaica and JCI St. Andrew (Jaycees). He has conducted training in Suriname, Guyana and other Caribbean islands as a JCI-certified trainer and has served many local organisations as guest speaker, coach, facilitator, trainer and board member. He is the recipient of SDC Spirit of the Community Award, Best Debate Team (JCI Conference of the Americas), Spanish Literary Competitions, Ortega y Gassett & Trofeo Andres Bello, for Essay and Poetry at UWI and JCI Senator (Life Member).
A graduate of Highgate All Age School and a Past Head Boy of St. Mary High School, Mr. Knight enjoys debates, public affairs, nature watching and amateur photography, and living his life by faith and courage. He believes that “we are divinely made for a purpose”. One of his mantras is “To be more than an ordinary servant”. He fellowships with the Associated Gospel Assemblies and is married with one son.
A fun fact about Mr. Knight is that he filled the role of an amateur actor in an educational series called A-Graders. The programme was aired on local television. The series was a tool to assist students preparing for the then GSAT. He played the character, Mass Elroy, a single father to a daughter who was preparing for GSAT. It was a contribution to the education sector through a project sponsored by Guardian Life Limited, JCI St. Andrew and CVM TV. The programme focused on getting students ready for GSAT under the theme, ‘Bringing GSAT to Life’.
As Director of Human Resource, Mr. Knight’s goal is to contribute to Team JIS fulfilling its mandate by ensuring the maintenance of a high-performance workforce that is motivated, engaged and committed to the delivery of quality public services.