CTO Plans to Honor Distinguished People at Fundraising Event

The Caribbean Tourism Organization will honor distinguished sons and daughters of the Caribbean during the annual fundraising event for the CTO Foundation at the Governments of the Caribbean State Ball at the Waldorf Astoria.

Among the honorees will be a senior public servant, a carnival organizer, a filmmaker and a Caribbean band.

Headlining the honors will be the presentation of the CTO Lifetime Achievement Award to the Honorable Dame Billie Antoinette Miller, in recognition of her outstanding service to her native country Barbados and her dedication to the Caribbean region, and in particular, for helping the Caribbean grow stronger through her service and leadership.

The Honorable Dame Billie Antoinette Miller has been a praiseworthy and illustrious public servant contributing to her homeland, Barbados, for 30 years.

Her distinguished political career began in 1976 when she was elected Member of Parliament for the City of Bridgetown. From 1986 to 1999, Dame Billie Miller held many offices, including Minister of Education and Culture, Leader of the Opposition, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and International Business.

In 1994, she was named Deputy Prime Minister and in 1995 added Tourism and International Transport to her portfolio. In 1999, she was reelected as Member of Parliament and reappointed Deputy Prime Minister with the portfolios of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

The CTO Award of Excellence will be presented to Carlos Lezama, longtime president of the Carnival Association and Chairman Emeritus of the West Indian American Day Carnival Association.

Another CTO Award of Excellence will be given to Euzhan Palcy for her contribution to the film industry. Mrs. Palcy is an award-winning filmmaker who holds the distinction of being the first black female director produced by a major Hollywood studio.