SKNNS salutes The ‘Fab’ 5 on IWD 2023- ‘Strength of a woman’ in PS Jasmine Weeks
MRS. JASMINE WARNER-WEEKES CRISSCROSSED THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS from the early 1990s to todayin a distinguished academic and professional career,
She started as a public servant in 1993 as a Project Officer in the Ministry of Planning (now called the Ministry of Sustainable Development). She moved up the corporate ladder as an Assistant Secretary in both the ministries of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
Currently, she is the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of International Trade, Industry, Commerce, and Consumer Affairs. This senior civil servant position means that among her slew of daily responsibilities, Warner-Weeks would be the policy adviser; lead the day-to-day management of her ministry, oversee the preparation of its annual budget, and manage the senior staff.
As the PS, she was also an important voice for the ministry and its departments within and outside the civil service.
The breadth and depth of her education equipped her with an educated voice. Warner-Weeks holds a Bachelor of Science (B. Sc) in Economics and a Post Graduate Diploma in International Relations. She followed this up with a Master’s Degree in Trade Policy, completing all her post-secondary studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI) at Cave Hill and St. Augustine Campuses.
In the private sector tenure, Mrs. Warner-Weekes worked at Delisle Walwyn and Company from 2005. There she was promoted to Manager of Kantours Travel and functioned in that capacity before returning to the Public Sector as Director of International Trade and subsequently Permanent Secretary, a position she has now held for the past five years under the Team Unity regime of Dr. Timothy Harris, and the incumbent St Kitts and Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) government of Dr. Terrance Drew.
Throughout her professional career, whether in the public or private sectors, PS Warner-Weeks consistently exhibited remarkable leadership and management proficiency making her deservedly occupying a central role in coordination and implementation of business support and technical assistance policies and mandatory strategies to help create sustainable growth and development.
However, her personal and professional successes never blinded her to the needs of others, especially young people whom she wants to be empowered for self-development.
PS Weekes is not only an academic, but is also a poet, dramatist, and writer of short stories to complement her passion for other aspects of culture and the arts.
She also loves pageantry and once participated in the National Carnival Queen Pageant; coached and chaperoned many contestants and queens at the national and community levels.
In recent years she has settled for volunteering as a judge.
She introduced the now-defunct PACE – Performing Arts and Cultural Entertainment – group in her hometown to help hone the talent and skills of primary and secondary school children in developing their expertise in the art form.
Many former members have blossomed into talented and skilled professionals and see the need to harness the talent of other youths.
‘Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose‘ is PS Warner-Weeks’ mantra.
