Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter

Lisa Grant tells Flair about her day-to-day experience at the Emancipation Park that celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 31. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

For manager of Emancipation Park, Lisa Grant, architecture is in her blood.

Her late father, Aubrey Grant, was an architect and she remembered watching him work at home and became intrigued. "As a little girl, I was always drawing. I even used my crayons to draw on the walls. I used to get in trouble, but architecture was just something in my blood," said Miss Grant.

Pursuing her Passion

Pursuing her passion, Grant completed a diploma in architecture at the University of Technology in 1988. She then did her master's degree in the same field at Howard University in United States of America. She returned home and got her first job at Designs Collaborative. The company did many hotel designs and she got the opportunity to work on few of the Sandals hotels.

"It was a very interesting and dynamic job which is what I like. I don't like regular nine to five jobs."

It was from that early stage in her career that she began to face detractors. While working on the Sandals Dunn's River project, her responsibilities included making sure that designs were on par and that the finishes were correct.

"The workmen would see me and wonder who was this little girl coming in to tell them whatto do? At first they did not want to listen, but when they realised that I knew what I was talking about, they began respecting me."

Miss Grant spent two years with the company before moving to Edward Young and Associates, another architecture firm. After only a year, she left and became an architectural consultant for a firm in St. Kitts.

While commuting between Jamaica and St. Kitts, she saw an advertisement in the paper offering a scholarship for a master's degree in environmental management at the University of the West Indies (UWI). She applied, was successful and completed the degree with an elective in park management. "I thought that maybe one day I could manage a park." Little did she know that in two years she would be doing exactly that.

Park Challenges

Lisa Grant takes a walk in the park. - Ricardo Makyn/ Staff Photographer

Though Grant enjoys her job, it's not without its challenges. "I have learnt how to deal with the Jamaican people, how demanding they are and to interact with them."

Her multifaceted job includes the maintenance, day-to-day operation, event planning, and security of the park. When she got the job, people were sceptical about her ability to lead and thought she would fail within a year. "They did not believe I would have made it to the first anniversary. But look, we have been going for five years now; that is something I am proud of."

One of the challenges she faces is littering.

"We tell people not to litter and they tell us that is why there are staff employed to clean it up. If they don't litter, the staff wouldn't have anything to do and it is their tax dollars that are being used so they can do whatever they want."

She said that the public is often demanding but are not willing to work with you. "They want to mark on the trees, put their feet on the benches, litter the premises. You have to be behind patrons all the time who don't understand public space and its maintenance."

She has also faced challenges with her staff. "As a young female, you have to know what you are doing because they will test you just to see how you handle the situation. You always have to be a step ahead."

Despite the challenges, Grant has found ways to motivate them and now they work together harmoniously which is why the park is so successful. Now that the Litter Act is to be implemented, they have trained two members of staff to be 'litter wardens'. They will begin their duties as soon as they receive approval from the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).

New Plans

Miss Grant told Flair that there are several plans for the further development of the park. There will be more exhibits throughout the park depicting different periods of emancipation. They also plan to expand the greenhouse as patrons are often interested in purchasing the plants they see on the grounds. With that expansion, plants will be available for sale.

Being park manager does not give Grant much play time. However, she still gets a chance to dabble in architecture. Single and in her early 30s, she tries to create a balance and in her spare time she goes to the movies, theatres, concerts, listens to music and visits art galleries. She also works out as she believes it's important to have a balance of mind, body, and soul. For spiritual balance, she attends church and prays a lot, a routine she believes has helped her in her life's journey. She also revealed that devotions are kept every Monday at the park and that aids in its success.

She said she is grateful to her mother, Hillary and brother Jason for their support because her job is very demanding. She also looks up to her mother for taking the mantle of raising them on her own after her father died. She said she regrets that her father is not alive to see how successful his children are and that they have followed in his footsteps.