Winston Dear – Passionate About Jamaica’s Development

On National Heroes Day, October 16, Montego Bay businessman, Herrick Winston Russell Dear, will be among the approximately 170 Jamaicans conferred with national honours and awards for outstanding service to country.

He will receive the Order of Distinction (OD) in the rank of Commander (CD) for contribution to business and community development.

It is the second national award for the well-known land surveyor and development consultant, who received an OD in the rank of Officer class in October 2010.

Speaking during an interview with JIS News, Mr. Dear, who grew up in Drax Hall, St. Ann, but who has called Montego Bay home since 1966, says he is proud and honoured to be recognised for more than 50 years of contribution to infrastructure development in St. James and the wider western Jamaica.

“I deem this recognition as the crowning moment in my life, in which I have merely tried to make my country better over the years. I was born and raised in Jamaica, and it is my duty to play a role in ensuring that the country that I call home is indeed the place to live, work, raise families and do business, not just by 2030, but beyond,” he says.

Mr. Dear, who was trained at the South West Essex College of Land Surveyors, England, in the early 1960s, began his professional career at TRB Vermont Land Surveying Company, becoming a partner in that firm.

He later established his own land surveying company, which he operated for almost 50 years before his retirement in 2016.

Over this career, he assisted in the development of several recognisable projects, inclusive of Montego Freeport, Rose Hall, Montego South, Ironshore, Tryall and The Greater Montego Bay Development Plan.

Mr. Dear was also a proponent of the economic diversification efforts towards the development of non-tourism-based industries in western Jamaica, which led to the formation of the port authorities, the Montego Bay Free Zone and the establishment of the Montego Freeport cruise-ship terminal and the National Cruise Council of Jamaica to represent private-sector interests.

He cites his involvement in the development of Highway 2000 as among his most notable professional achievements.

He says the project came out of a document he wrote in the early 1990s and presented to former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. P. J. Patterson.

That document, Mr. Dear, tells JIS News, contained details for improving Jamaica’s road network and resulted in the construction of toll roads, which has transformed travel from Kingston to the north and south coasts.

Though retired, the 75-year-old continues to serve as Director of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC); Chairman of the UDC’s western Parish Development Committee (PDC); Chairman of Lagoons Development Company Limited; and Director of the Margaritaville Caribbean Group. He is a former President of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr. Dear tells JIS News that when he is not busy attending meetings and playing a role in the continued development and growth of the land-surveying profession, he enjoys sailing his boat, ‘Nina’.

He has the distinction of being the first Jamaican to be granted a Maritime Captain licence in 2006.

Mr. Dear tells JIS News that he is optimistic about the future of the land-surveying profession, noting that more young people are seeking training in the vocation.

“The interest in the profession remains high, and Jamaica will not be short of professionals in the field. I have been involved for almost all my adult life and have seen the growth of the profession, which, once you are dedicated to it, will reward you with a very good standard of living. Land surveyors are highly skilled professionals, who will continue to serve Jamaica well,” he notes.

He is urging young people to work hard and commit to nation building.

“My motto is ‘altogether better’, and that has served me well over the years. I have tried to lead from the front…. and I have worked hard in building my community and country. I have also used my position to influence others to adopt my principles and to work hard, take nothing for granted and aim to be successful,” he says.

Mr. Dear’s wife, Denise, is proud of her husband, noting that the national award is well deserved.

“As a couple we have been involved in many sectors of the society – business, community development and charity. Winston is such a deserving recipient, and as a family, we are very proud of his achievement and the fact that he is being recognised and rewarded by the nation,” she tells JIS News.

The couple, who have been married for 54 years, have three children – Ian, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Margaritaville Caribbean Limited; Stephen, a banker; and Kathy-Ann, who is a masseuse.