ANTIGUA & BARBUDA HONOURS SIXTY YEARS OF SERVICE TO TOURISM Monday 7th February 2011
Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda, Dr. The Honourable Baldwin Spencer hosted a cocktail reception in honour of two senior members of the diplomatic service who recently retired, Miss Madeline Blackman; Consul General to Canada and Dr. Werner Giersch; Honorary Consul to Germany. Government Ministers, members of the diplomatic service, permanent secretaries, representatives from the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Tourism and other tourism stakeholders gathered at the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday 3rd February 2011 to pay tribute to the two retired diplomats; Miss Madeline Blackman and Dr. Werner Giersch. In addition to their diplomatic roles, the two also functioned as tourism directors for their respective markets.
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Madeline Blackman
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Miss Madeline Blackman began her distinguished career working for the Antigua Tourist Board at 18 years of age. In 1977 she left Antigua and went to Canada to work at the Antigua & Barbuda Tourist office. While in Canada Miss Blackman earned a degree in Communication Arts from Sinclair College and rose through the ranks until her retirement after 43 years of public service. Miss Blackman is a highly respected figure in diplomatic and tourism related circles.
“She is described as the consummate public servant who commands the respect and admiration of her peers. A perfect example of the traditional values of honesty, fairness and commitment to the work of Government” said the Prime Minister.
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Dr. Giersch
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Dr. Werner Giersch came to Antigua & Barbuda in the late ‘70s to work as a consultant on an OECS tourism related project for the European Union. As a result of his expertise he was invited to take up the position of Honorary Consul and Director of Tourism in Germany; the position he held for 23 years. Dr. Giersch and his small team in the German Office worked tirelessly to promote Antigua & Barbuda in Germany and throughout Northern and Eastern Europe.
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| Prime Minister awards Madeline Blackman |
The Prime Minister in addressing the gathering commended both public servants, “They are perfect examples of what dedication, hard work and commitment are all about. And whether they are retired or not they will always make significant contributions to the service of people.”
Mr. Colin James, CEO of Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority expressed his gratitude to Miss Blackman and Dr. Giersch for their work in the area of tourism. “It is important to recognize the efforts and achievements of those who went before us. It is the hard work and diligence of people like Madeline Blackman and Werner Giersch that has helped to build our tourism industry to the level that it is today. They set the standard and we applaud them for their efforts.”
The two were presented with retirement gifts from The Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a special gift basket from Rosie McMaster; proprietor of Susie’s Hot Sauce.
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