Prime Minister Bruce Golding of Jamaica Confirmed for Upcoming Miami Conference - December 3-5, 2007
Washington, D.C. – October 24, 2007. Caribbean Central American Action (CCAA) confirmed today the participation of The Honorable Bruce Golding, Prime Minister of Jamaica at the upcoming 31st Miami Conference on the Caribbean Basin . The Conference is scheduled to take place December 3-5, 2007 at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Miami Florida .

Prime Minister Golding will deliver the plenary dinner keynote address, December 4th.
Sworn in as Jamaica 's eighth Prime Minister on September 11, 2007, Bruce Golding was born on December 5, 1947. He was educated at Alpha Primary School (1955-1957), St. George’s College (1958-1962) and Jamaica College (1963-1966). He earned a BSc degree in Economics in 1969 from the University of the West Indies . In that same year he was elected to the Central Executive of the Jamaica Labour Party at the age of 21 and was subsequently elected to Parliament in 1972 at the age of 24. He served as General Secretary of the Jamaica Labour Party (1974-1984) and Chairman (1984-1995). He has had 19 years experience as a Member of Parliament representing the constituencies of West St. Catherine and Central St. Catherine as well as 9 years experience as a Senator.

Golding was appointed Minister of Construction in 1980 serving in that position until 1989 and in that capacity was elected Chairman of the United Nations Commission on Human Settlements (1984-1985). He was the Opposition Spokesman on Finance and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (1989-1995) and he has served as a member of the Electoral Advisory Committee, the Board of Governors of the Institute of Jamaica and the Board of Directors of the National Lotteries Commission.

In 1995 he resigned from the Jamaica Labour Party and was one of the founders of the National Democratic Movement, serving as its first President (1995-2001). In 2002, he rejoined the Jamaica Labour Party and in November 2003 was again elected Chairman of the Party. He was appointed Senator and Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and held both positions up to April 2005. On February 20, 2005, he was elected Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party and in April 13, 2005 he was elected Member of Parliament for West Kingston . Mr. Golding is a businessman. He and his wife, Lorna, were married in 1972 and have one son and two daughters.

CCAA is a non-governmental organization that promotes private sector-led economic development in the Caribbean Basin . More information on the organization and the Annual Miami Conference can be found by visiting CCAA's website at http://www.c-caa.org/.
Contact: Anton Edmunds
aedmunds@c-caa.org
Phone 202-466-7464