Edith Baxter Award

Presented on a biennial basis by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and Baxter family, the Edith Baxter Memorial Award recognizes an outstanding community leader who uses their influence to elevate Destination Jamaica within Canada.

ABOUT EDITH BAXTER, OD

As co-founder of Baxter Media and editor-in-chief of Canada’s most influential travel trade publication, Canadian Travel Press, Edith Baxter was a powerful voice within the Canadian travel industry for more than five decades. A passionate advocate for Destination Jamaica, Mrs. Baxter was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Government of Jamaica in 2009 in recognition of her contributions to the tourism industry.

Throughout her career, Mrs. Baxter played an important role in supporting and spotlighting Jamaica’s tourism product within the Canadian market and this memorial award honours both her legacy and her special connection to the island.

AWARD CRITERIA

The Edith Baxter Memorial Award recognizes individuals who have made a substantial contribution towards the positive advancement of Jamaica’s tourism industry and/or Jamaican culture within Canada. Individuals working in the fields of tourism and hospitality, music, arts and culture, community activism, education, healthcare, athletics, communications and technology, and public service will be considered for the award.

ELIGIBILITY

The Edith Baxter Memorial Award is open to individuals only. Groups, companies and organizations will not be eligible for consideration.
Nominees must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, aged 18 or older.
Individuals can apply for the award themselves or nominate someone else for consideration.
Individuals who are directly employed by the Jamaica Tourist Board or Baxter Media will not be eligible for the Edith Baxter Memorial Award.

ENTRY DEADLINE

Nominations for the 2025 Edith Baxter Memorial Award are now closed.

For more information about the Edith Baxter Memorial Award, please contact [email protected].

PRIZE

Finalists for the 2025 Edith Baxter Memorial Award will be announced in October 2025. Each of the finalists will receive a prize certificate in honour of their nomination and will be recognized during the a special presentation ceremony in October 2025.

The grand prize winner of this year’s competition will receive a luxury all-inclusive vacation for two to Jamaica courtesy of award partners Sandals Resorts and Air Canada Vacations.

JUDGES

Angella Bennett

Regional Director, Canada, JTB

With almost 30 years of travel industry experience, Angella Bennett brings an impressive level of knowledge and passion to her role as Regional Director of Tourism for Canada at the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB). Leading the tourism board’s national sales team, she works closely with industry partners and travel agents across the country to build relationships, provide educational resources on the destination, and drive year-round tourism to Jamaica. Originally from Montego Bay, Bennett has worked in hospitality sales and marketing positions across the globe in several international markets, the U.S., Europe, Latin America and her native Jamaica. Prior to joining the JTB, Bennett previously served as Director of Sales at RIU Hotels & Resorts, Jamaica overseeing sales and revenue management activities for 2,500 rooms across five resorts. During her 13-year tenure with the organization, she successfully opened five of the six RIU Hotels in Jamaica and most recently launched the opening of the Melia Braco Village hotel in Trelawny.

Wendy McClung

Executive VP, Baxter Media

Wendy leads Baxter Media, Canada's foremost travel industry media source with its long-standing print and digital publications, Canadian Travel Press, Travel Courier and OFFSHORE Travel Magazine. She has been captivated by the world of travel from a young age, touring the world with her parents, co-creators of Baxter Media. However, it was her mother who introduced her to the island of Jamaica, a special place that she has returned to for business and leisure countless times in her life. After graduating from Trent University, she began her career as a flight attendant for Transair where she learned the value of customer service. Concurrently, she joined the family business, combining her passions for the travel industry, family, publishing, and business into a successful career. With her dedicated team, she has spent decades building Baxter Media into the most trusted source of travel news and information in Canada today with a commitment to serving the travel agent community and outbound destinations such as Jamaica.

Kurt Davis

Consul-General, Consulate-General of Jamaica, Toronto

Kurt Davis is a career diplomat with two decades of solid experience in the Jamaican public sector, having joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade as a Foreign Service Officer in 2003. Mr. Davis developed expertise in multilateral diplomacy, negotiation, drafting, speechwriting and protocol. He is also passionate about communicating foreign policy and the evolution of diplomacy. Mr. Davis was appointed Consul-General of Jamaica at Toronto in September 2023. In promoting and safeguarding the interests of Jamaica and Jamaicans in the Greater Toronto Area, his mandate includes deepening engagement with the Jamaican Diaspora, pursuing economic diplomacy for increased trade and commercial relations, and ensuring the efficient provision of consular services to clients. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Davis was Deputy Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations in New York, where his portfolio included Political Affairs, Disarmament, Peace and Security as well as Ocean Affairs. He was formerly Chargé d’Affaires in the Embassy of Jamaica, Berlin and from 2006 to 2010, represented Jamaica in Pretoria, South Africa.

Maureen Barnes-Smith

Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Canada Unique Vacations (Canada) Inc.

Maureen Barnes-Smith is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Canada for Unique Vacations (Canada) Inc., affiliate of the worldwide representatives of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts, a globally recognized brand of luxury allinclusive resorts based in the Caribbean. She has been an integral part of the organization for over 30 years since joining the Toronto office in 1994, holding a series of progressively responsible roles including operations and human resources. In 2009, she assumed the leadership role as Director of Sales & Marketing which she held for over a decade, prior to her promotion to Vice President in March 2021. Under her strategic leadership, the Unique Vacations (Canada) Inc. team has flourished. Maureen has consistently spearheaded national expansion and growth across Canada in both sales revenues and personnel, all while maintaining great fiscal prudence.