Resident Judge to administer Oath of Office to Federation’s third Governor General

Sir Edmund Lawrence

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, DECEMBER 27TH 2012 (CUOPM) – Sir Edmund Wickham Lawrence, KCMG, OBE, CSM, JP, becomes the Federation’s third Governor General on Wednesday 2nd January 2013.

Sir Edmund will be administered the Oath of Office by Resident Puisne Judge, His Lordship Mr. Justice Errol Thomas at Government House during an Inauguration Ceremony which starts at Government House at 9 a.m.

Following the arrival of the Governor General designate and the playing of the National Anthem, the Invocation will be said by the Venerable Valentine Hodge, Archdeacon of St. Kitts Anglican Church.

The Commendation will be said by Reverend Dr. Wycherley Gumbs, Superintendent Minister of the St. Kitts Methodist Circuit.

Introductory Remarks will come from Mr. Elvis Newton, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, and Labour & Social Security

Following the Administration of the Oath of Office by His Lordship Justice Errol Thomas, remarks will be said by Dr. Louisa Lawrence

There will also be presentations by Violin and piano duet (Schubert: Ave Maria) by Dr. Taresa Lawrence and Dr. Victoria Lawrence

Vocal and Piano Duet of (Handel’s Messiah: If God be for us) will be done by Dr. Elizabeth Lawrence and Dr. Louisa Lawrence.

Psalm 23 will be read by Dr. Victoria Lawrence.

Remarks and Introduction will be said by the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis followed by the response from the new Governor General, His Excellency Sir Edmund Wickham Lawrence.

He will inspect a military Guard of Honour and host a brunch to conclude the inauguration.

Born in St Kitts and Nevis, Sir Edmund Lawrence, an Economist by training, was educated in his native land and England. Sir Edmund established the St Kitts Nevis Anguilla National Bank (SKNANB) in 1970, a major milestone in a career in the banking and financial services sector that has exceeded forty years. Under his leadership SKNANB’s assets have increased from less than $200,000 in 1971 to over $2 billion in 2012.

Sir Edmund served as a consultant for the establishment of the indigenous Banks in Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines and the National Bank of Anguilla and its subsidiaries. He has provided independent consultancy services in banking and finance to the Caribbean Development Bank as well as to the Governments of Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts and Nevis.

In the seventies, Sir Edmund expanded the local market by establishing and developing a secondary mortgage market jointly between the Caribbean Development Bank and National Bank Trust Company (St Kitts Nevis Anguilla) Limited to provide mortgage financing for new housing projects and individual housing properties on St. Kitts and Nevis. Following on from this initiative, Sir Edmund established and developed low cost housing solutions for low income earners throughout St. Kitts.

During his long and illustrious career in the banking and financial services sector, Sir Edmund has served on the Boards of the SKNANB Group of Companies, Cable Bay Hotel Company Limited, Digicel (St. Kitts Nevis) Limited, ECIC Holdings Limited (Chairman) and the Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Finance Company Limited (Chairman). He was Vice President of the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Banking, President of the Bankers’ and Financial Services Association of St. Kitts and Nevis; Treasurer of the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society and Past Assistant District Governor, Rotary District 7030.

Prior to Sir Edmund’s appointment as the Federation’s third Governor General, he served for several years as the Governor General’s Deputy; securing much accolades for his dedication to banking and hard work in other areas of endeavour.

In 2010, Sir Edmund was appointed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as a Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George for his services to the Banking and Financial sector.