Daraine Luton, Sunday Gleaner Reporter
When Parliament opens on Thursday, these People's National Party (PNP) first-time Members of Parliament, who graced the party's 69th annual conference at the National Arena last Sunday, will be among the 60 persons making that memorable walk up Duke Street, into Gordon House. From left are: Ian Hayles - Hanover Western; Kern Spencer - St. Elizabeth North West; Natalie Neita-Headley - St.Catherine East Central; Noel Arscott - Clarendon South West; Lisa Hanna - St. Ann South East, and Colin Fagan - St. Catherine South East.- Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Colin Fagan
When Portmore became a municipality in 2003, Colin Fagan entered history as its first deputy mayor. The 50-year-old has climbed the political ladder from being councillor for the Edgewater division in Portmore to Member of Parliament for South East St. Catherine.
Fagan replaces Dr. Paul Robertson as MP for the constituency. He brings to the constituency his expertise as an educator and businessman.
A past student of Holmwood Technical High, Fagan grew up in Manchester.
Fagan has served as chairman of the Portmore City Council. He has also served as treasurer/manager for the Jamaica Welfare Co-operative Credit Union and regional vice-president for Jaycees of Jamaica. He has worked with the National Youth Service.
Mr. Fagan studied at the West Virginia University of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Vocational Education. He has also received training in municipal management in Korea, has studied in Israel, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in community development and psychology.
He is married and has two children.
Natalie-Neita Headley
Natalie Neita-Headley is not only a politician, she is also a singer.
Neita-Headley, the new People's National Party representative for East Central St. Catherine, has a love for music, which was one of her stepping stones into politics. When her grandfather, Sydney Douglas, took her to her first political meeting and she sang Young, Gifted and Black to herald the entrance of the candidate for the area, her fate was sealed.
She seemed to have won the hearts of the people by gaining 7,466 votes to her Jamaica Labour Party opponent Leslie Campbell's 6,183. An Independent candidate, Ainsworth Campbell, received 72 votes.
The 39-year-old is a human resource consultant for Omni Industries Limited, with nine years' experience in the field. She has a bachelor's degree in the social sciences with a minor in economics, and a master's degree in labour relations from State University of New York.
Neita-Headley grew up in Brown's Hall, St. Catherine, where she currently resides with her husband, Alvin Headley, and daughters, Morgan and Sydney. She says she has learned over the years to balance politics and family life with the assistance of her extended family.
Kern Spencer
AT 33, Kern Spencer will be one of the youngest members in the House of Representatives. Yet, he is not new to the Parliament, having served last in the Upper House.
Entering on a People's National Party ticket representing the North East St. Elizabeth constituency, Spencer was a Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce. He has also served as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of National Security.
Educated at Munro College and later the University of the West Indies (UWI) where he earned a B.Sc. in management studies and international relations, Spencer has served as president and also general secretary of the People's National Party Youth Organisation.
At the UWI, he was president of the guild of students. He was also vice-president of the organisation.
Spencer has served as a member of the Michael Manley Foundation, and as a board member of the Factories Corporation of Jamaica and the National Insurance Fund. He has also served as a board member of the National Youth Service.
Lisa Hanna
BEAUTY-queen-turned-politician Lisa Hanna is a professional communicator who enters politics on a People's National Party ticket, representing the South East St. Ann constituency.
Hanna holds a bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees in communication studies from the University of the West Indies.
Before entering representational politics, Hanna worked in television. Most Jamaicans will peg their first memory of her back to 1993, the year she won the Miss Jamaica World title and then the coveted Miss World title.
In recent years, she has devoted her time to community service. She has been instrumental in raising funds to develop recreation and play areas for children in the Arnett Gardens community in Kingston; providing audio-visual equipment for several basic schools in North West Manchester and organising fund-raising ventures towards the annual rebuilding of basic schools in areas such as Clarendon and Denham Town in Kingston.
Noel Arscott
KNOWN to his constituents as 'Butch', Noel Arscott may be a stranger to representational politics but no stranger to the People's National Party. He has been elected to represent the constituency of Clarendon South West.
Arscott defeated the Jamaica Labour Party's Joel Williams by 1,237 votes to win the seat. He was contesting for the first time.
A graduate of the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, Arscott has served as vice-president of the People's National Party Youth Organisation.
By occupation, Arscott is an agro-processor/farmer. He currently serves his community as president and founder of the Osborne Store Youth Club. He is also an executive member of the Clarendon Football Association, member of the board of the 4H Advisory Council, and a member of the Red Cross.
Ian Hayles
SHOULD you be following Parliament and hear reference being made to the member from Western Hanover, it is Ian Hayles.
Hayles enters the Parliament on a People's National Party ticket. He carries with him years of expertise as a businessman.
Hayles, 35, served Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) affiliate group Generation 2000 as a vice-president. He was also a JLP caretaker for North Trelawny before leaving the Labour Party two years ago to join the PNP.
