7 T:9.8" T:6.7" Targeted financial support programs available now For eligible Canadians or business owners who continue to struggle due to COVID-19: Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program Canada Recovery Hiring Program Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit canada.ca/coronavirus SOUTH FLORIDA: K AREN MORRIS-CLARKE is quick to point out that she is not just another person of Caribbean descent seeking elected office in Florida, or the United States. It’s more than that. For her, it’s a call to service for the greater good of community and country, a response that she hopes will give her a seat on the Wellington Village Council on March 8 this year. She recalls hearing ‘Make each day your masterpiece’ throughout much of her formative years. Though somewhat shy as a child, she knew then that working each day to be better would be the key to fulfilling her innate desires to learn and lead. Her three years at Montego Bay High School for Girls in St James, Jamaica, gets worthy credit for inspiring and equipping her with foundational disciplines to complement her longing for exploration and excellence. “My family and I migrated from Jamaica to New York in 1978, so I completed my secondary education at Bay Ridge High School in Brooklyn”, she shares. “I encountered many challenges, but always chose to focus on my goals.” After high school in the hustle and bustle of New York City, Morris-Clarke worked for corporate giants like Delta Airlines, U.S. Airways, and American Express (corporate travel). “It is no longer surprising to me that so many of my purpose-defining seasons and lessons still come from or while travelling, and interacting with people from all walks of life, whether locally, nationally, or internationally,” she adds. Her relocation from New York to Florida in 1998 was no exception. However, now married with a young family in tow, this trip was a lot more daunting. Nevertheless, this go-getter immediately regained her footing with a rewarding term at Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) in Boca Raton. Her stint at CWT was relatively short-lived, as the business closed its doors following the sombre events of September 11, 2001. She recalls solemnly contemplating the personal significance, or the true purpose, of her move from New York City to Florida. Unwavering determination, faith, and fortitude would propel her - a wife, mother of four, and the first in her family to complete college - to her finish line, graduating from Florida Atlantic University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. In 2009, wanting to be closer to home, she joined Wellington’s KellerWilliams Realty Brokerage, and in 2015 earned their prestigious High Sales Bronze Award. Yet this career high failed to mitigate a personal loss in the death of her 25-year-old son, Chris, due to a traffic collision in 2016. For Morris-Clarke and her family, that reality has come full circle. “No parent envisions outliving their child. I have always considered myself a silent giver, avoiding any publicity regardingmy giving.With Christopher’s death, I also became a listless, silent griever,” she confides. “Yet, I couldn’t quiet the constant inner voice, prodding me to action.” Action time is March 8, when residents in Wellington will give her the necessary vote of confidence to effect change in such areas as road and public safety, small business development, fiscal responsibility, and community empowerment. If nothing else, her son’s death would serve to galvanise this grieving mother’s resolve to fully commit to enacting positive changes in Wellington, her home town since 1999. “I was heartbroken, but did not wish to be defined by my loss and grief. When isolation offered little to no solace, I started praying that this tragedy would, instead, refine me,” she says. And so was born her decision to enter the race for Seat Number Two on Wellington’s Village Council. Her desire to bring the community together led to her campaign motto: ‘Community, Better Together’. Mindful that some causes are, however, too great for any one person to address, Morris-Clarke has targeted her appeals for community changes at all of Wellington, and particularly at those who rarely take part in local, civic matters. ‘“Community, Better Together”, has served me and my husband, Patrick, exceedingly well as a blended family with six adult children and three grandchildren. I have given of my time and resources, creating and serving in non-profits, alumni organisations, church, social and grass-roots civic groups. My triumphs, as well as tragedies, have governed my trajectory. I know Chris would be extremely proud of me and cheering me on as he, too, loved community.” Now that she is ready to serve her beloved Wellington township, a place she has called home all these many wonderful years, Morris-Clarke says she knows the residents in Seat Two are on her side and ready. Karen Morris-Clarke ready to serve! Karen Morris-Clarke is running for office, Seat 2 Wellington Village Council in Florida. CONTRIBUTED THE WEEKLY GLEANER | FEBRUARY 14 - MARCH 16, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | PROFILE
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