NewzST CATHERINE, Jamaica -- Six individuals, two companies and five staff members of the Portmore Municipal Council were honoured Monday at the annual Heroes Day Civic and Awards Ceremony, held on the grounds of the council under the theme “Resilient People, Proud Heritage”. Lana Louise Finikin, Tremayne Ochardo Perry and Carmen Eunice Morris were recognised for community development, while Odean Godfrey Taylor was honoured for his contribution to sport. Oshane Nicardo Dixon and Davoy Amani Burton were the youth development awardees.
Finikin, a founding member of the Sistren Theatre Collective, which was established in 1977, has served as its executive director since 2004. She was commended for using theatre and the creative arts to address issues such as gender-based violence, crime prevention, teenage parenthood and community safety, and for her work in women’s empowerment. Her advocacy has extended internationally through engagement with the United Nations and UN Women.
Locally, she has been active in Portmore and chairs the West Cumberland Community Development Committee. Perry was cited for sustained service to the Naggo Head community and beyond. He provides recurring support to vulnerable families, particularly in low-income households, and organises annual back-to-school and Christmas programmes for children.
He also runs an ongoing feeding programme for the elderly and needy, and has led sponsorship drives to develop the local football club. During Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, he coordinated emergency relief, delivering cooked meals and care packages. Morris was recognised for about 42 years of voluntary and public service to Greater Portmore and wider Jamaican society, through grassroots development and community leadership.
She has been a first aid responder and officer with St John’s Ambulance since 1984, and has worked as a shelter manager, assisting individuals and families during crises. She has served on the board of Kensington Basic School since 1996, and is active in the Four East Citizens Association and the Greater Portmore Joint Council. She is also a choir member at St Paul Anglican Church in Portmore.
Morris was commissioned a Justice of the Peace on January 22, 2002, and received the Badge of Honour for meritorious service on October 19, 2018. Community Development and Outreach awardee Lana Louise Finikin is flanked by fellow awar…
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