Rotary Club SVG elects new president

This country’s first Permanent Representative to the United Nations has been elected president of the Rotary Club of St Vincent and the Grenadines for a one-year period.

Joel Toney, who resided in the United States of America for over 40 years, has been a member of the Rotary Club of St Vincent and has served as a director, secretary and president elect since his return home five years ago.{{more}}

While living in the USA, Toney worked in corporate America and as business executive with companies which include: Xerox Corporation and Equitable Life insurance Company.

He also served in the military and was stationed in Germany, where he attained the rank of Specialist E5 and received an honourable discharge. Toney was also actively involved in politics in New York and ran as a Democratic Party candidate for office in the New York Senate and also for a seat on the New York City Council.

In 1980, Toney became SVG’s first permanent representative to the United Nations and served simultaneously as consul general in New York and interim representative to the OAS.

Toney is also a founding member and secretary-general of the SVG Volcano Relief Committee of New York in 1979 and secretary of the Independence Committee.

The new Rotary Club president holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in management, as well as a Master of Business degree from Long Island University. He also holds a post graduate diploma in Diplomacy and a post-graduate diploma in World Order.

The new executive includes Kirk Da Silva – vice-president; Earl Tash – secretary; Reuben John – treasurer; Laela Constantine – president elect; and Francois Truchot, Victor Hunt, Joe Sheridan, Don Providence and St Clair Thomas as directors, with Bob Haydock as sergeant-at-arms. Brian Glasgow is the assistant district governor for all three arms of the Rotary Club in the St Vincent and the Grenadines.(CM)