Audrey Patrice Marks has served two terms as

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

's Ambassador to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

from 2008 to 2012 and again starting in 2016. She is Jamaica's first female Ambassador to the US and the first individual to hold the position twice in two separate terms. She simultaneously serves as Jamaica's permanent representative to the Organization of American States.

Background

Prior to assuming her Ambassadorial role, Ambassador Marks, an

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...

by profession, started and operated six previous businesses, including a 100-acre banana exporting farm, a transportation company, as well as a real estate sales and development company. She also operated a Venture Capital Company with diverse investments, including manufacturing, travel, and entertainment. She is perhaps best known for having founde
Paymaster (Jamaica) Limited
an online bill payment system which she conceptualized and started in 1997. Paymaster operates payment agencies from which all types of bill payments and remittances can be made and is the first multi-transaction agency in the Caribbean. Ambassador Marks has also served on several private and public sector Boards, including being the Chairman of th
Central Wastewater Treatment Company Limited
(CWTC); Chair of th
Tourism Product Development Company
(TPDCo); Deputy Chair of th
Urban Development Corporation
(UDC); Director of the Board o
RBTT Securities Jamaica LimitedJamaica Trade and Invest
(JTI)
National Health Fund
(NHF); and the University of the West Indies (Mona School of Business). She has the distinction of being the first female President of the

American Chamber of Commerce The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is the largest lobbying group in the United States, representing over three million businesses and organizations. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urgin ...

of Jamaica (AMCHAM), an organization which promotes investment and trade between the United States and Jamaica.

Early life and education

She attended

Marymount High School Marymount High School is an independent, Catholic, all-girls, college-preparatory high school located in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It sits on Sunset Boulevard across from the University of California, Los Angeles camp ...

after St Theresa's Preparatory and finished high school at Immaculate Conception High School in Jamaica. She holds a Bachelor's and a

Master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

degree in Business Administration from the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, and Nova University,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

in the U.S. respectively.

Awards and honours

Ambassador Marks is the recipient of numerous citations and recognition from her peers and various organizations for her pioneering work, entrepreneurial endeavours and commitment to social causes. These include: Ernest & Young Nominee for the "Caribbean Entrepreneur of the Year 2000"; Business Leader of the Year Award nominee for 2000; and the

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Miami-Dade County. Founded in 1965, the school opened its doors to students in 1972. FIU has grown to become the third-largest university in Florid ...

Business Leader of the Year Award for 2003 and 2010. She was also awarded the distinguished

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ...

, ''honoris causa'' from Northern Caribbean University (NCU).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marks, Audrey P. Ambassadors of Jamaica to the United States Jamaican businesspeople Jamaican women in business People from Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica Living people 1968 births Jamaican women ambassadors University of the West Indies alumni Nova Southeastern University alumni