CSA People: Dionne Mason-Gordon

An experienced hand on the tiller

Few people have been involved in the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) longer than Dionne Mason-Gordon – or, for that matter, achieved more from quietly behind the scenes. In fact, no conference or CSA AGM over the last 25 years or so would have been run by something approaching clockwork without Dionne’s air of unflappability and experienced hand on the tiller.

But Dionne’s roots in the Caribbean maritime sector pre-date her role within the CSA and remain unchanged, in many ways, to this day. Dionne joined the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ) in Kingston back in 1986 and fresh out of secretarial college (now there’s an institution from the past). She arrived at the SAJ as a junior secretary to deputy training and welfare manager Carl Young.

It was to be some years later, in 1994, before Dionne also began assisting with the CSA; attending her first AGM up the road in Montego Bay the same year.

Legendary

No-one who has worked at the CSA Secretariat during the 1990s can have done so without acknowledging the legendary presence of the late Monica Silvera. Dionne is no exception. Dionne says: “For me it was an honour to have worked with Monica. Monica was a stickler for perfection so she would always be giving advice on how to carry out our tasks in the most efficient manner. Monica was like our grade school teacher, firm when she needed to be but also a mother hen when that was required. I was always amazed how Monica could remember all the names of the members at the conference and would always enquire about their family and knew all their children by name. I found myself trying to do the same, but I must confess, I can’t hold a candle to her in that are

“I remember when we were preparing for the last meeting Monica ever attended, which was in Guyana, she came into the boardroom where we were working and she said ‘you know why I am so hard on you ladies at times, because I want you to get it right all the time’ and that stayed with me.”

In addition to Monica, Dionne has worked for or alongside a series of eminent CSA general managers and an Executive Vice President (EVP).

Good advice

“Alvin Henry was the first EVP I worked with. He was also the SAJ’s General Manager. Alvin was like a father to us – always giving good advice and encouraging us to further our education and to own a home. This was important to me as I started at the SAJ as a youngster and spent all my working life at the Association.

“On the CSA side, Alvin was like Monica. Everything had to be done right and he would come into the Secretariat each day to ensure the preparations were progressing smoothly. In October 2001 when Alvin retired, Monica was appointed EVP. But she passed within a year of being appointed. Next was Pauline Gray and I worked directly with Pauline as she was also General Manager of the SAJ. Pauline was a nurturer and, like Monica, was a stickler for perfection. I recall one day she came in and said to me, ‘why are you not furthering your education?’ Then she called our projects officer and said ‘help her get enrolled in some classes’ and I didn’t stop until I finished my Masters.

“Sadly, Pauline passed away in 2003 and the CSA appointed its first General Manager, Stephen Bell. Working with Stephen was fun. We worked hard and played hard. He was a hands-on type of GM and was involved in everything as much as possible. Clive Forbes was appointed GM when Stephen resigned in 2008 and he brought his own style to the position.

“My recollection of Clive is that he improved the conference registration process by introducing Regonline, the platform that CSA would implement to collect conference and membership fees and promote the conferences. When Clive resigned in 2011, Fernando and I became a part of an executive committee that eventually led to Fernando being appointed General Manager.

“Fernando. . . . what can I say about Fernando? I love him like a dad. Fernando was the first GM who was not resident in Jamaica; proving the regional character of the organisation. Fernando was very inclusive; always including Shorna-Kay and me in whatever was happening in the Association. He would call and say: ‘Hey ladies, tell me what you think about this’ and he encouraged ideas from us and, most times, our ideas were incorporated into the bigger plan.

“When he announced that he was retiring, we were apprehensive about his replacement and this was due to the kind of relationship we enjoyed with him, however, Milaika (Capella Ras) has now been appointed and while we are in the ‘getting to know each other’ stage, so far, she is just as inclusive as Fernando. We are already working closely with Milaika as she started in March as Deputy General Manager and we organised the CSA’s first ever virtual AGM which was a success.”

Dionne is accustomed to wearing two hats – one involving her work for the CSA and her substantive role with the SAJ, and pays tribute to the SAJ and CEO, Trevor Riley.

“As many may know, I am Operations Manager with responsibility for Property and Administration with the SAJ and Trevor has allowed me the time to be involved with the work of the CSA. When Clive Forbes resigned and then President Carlos Urriola asked if I could be a part of the Executive Committee, Trevor agreed without hesitation. I’m allowed the time to travel for the meetings and site visits and this is in addition to providing oversight for the CSA’s Secretariat which is based in Jamaica. For me, this is a great opportunity, which has afforded me invaluable exposure to port operations in the various territories and in addition to making lifelong friends in a number of the places we have visited.”

Efficiency

As is clear, getting a conference or an AGM organized requires hard work and tremendous efficiency. Dionne says she relies upon a detailed action plan and an effective contact/resource person in the hosting territory. “Planning a conference is a lot of work and it is even more tedious when it has to be done remotely. You have to liaise with the hotel, the host, and the suppliers remotely, which means we have to rely heavily on the point of contact in the territory along with the internet, which facilitates the constant communication required.”

As mentioned earlier, there is also Dionne’s ability to appear as a swan, serene on the surface while paddling frantically under the water. “I can’t say that any of our meetings have gone off without a hitch, it’s just that it’s not seen. I recently shared with Milaika that at one of our meetings, the night before the conference, we discovered that there was no conference banner. This was Sunday night at about 7pm., and the conference was scheduled to begin 8.30am. Monday morning. So, you know we had to have someone work through the night to get the banner done, but by Monday morning, a banner was in place. We have had items stuck in customs, which has resulted in us to traveling with the very important items and also ship items well in advance. So, I would say each meeting and each territory will come with challenges or uniqueness, as I like to say, so we prepare for the unexpected and improvise where possible.”

Having been around and been involved in the CSA and its conferences for so long, it’s only natural that subtle, maybe imperceptible changes have taken place over the years. As Dionne explains: “The AGMs and the CSECs have definitely changed over the years. When I started assisting with the CSA, the May meetings were actually Semi-Annual General meetings and had about 80 persons attending. That has changed to the Caribbean Shipping Executives’ Conference and now, depending on the territory, sees over 200 attendees. The AGMs used to attract about 120 persons, we now have AGMs with over 350 in attendance. Attendees were normally from the Caribbean, now we have participants from Europe, Canada, and the US. Technology has factored significantly in the change as we now collect fees through our online registration platform and we are able to promote the conferences through our website and social media. We are now sharing presentations with participants which was not possible in the 1980s and 1990s.

Camaraderie

And as for dealing with the delegates. “All I will say is what happens in the CSA Secretariat stays in the CSA Secretariat. One thing I will say is nothing happens that a little “spirit” couldn’t fix. I must say that the camaraderie among the Secretariat and the membership of the CSA has been, and still is, a great experience. I recall our meeting in Fort Lauderdale in May 2018 and when my good friend, Nazilia Simone Phillips, current Vice President of the Shipping Association of Barbados, arrived. So happy I was to see her that I ran and literally jumped on her and we both fell to the ground… hilarious, but that’s the love we have for our members.”

Dionne believes the CSA is just that little bit different from other similar associations. “I have been to a few conferences and the experience with those secretariats is totally different to what is experienced at CSA. As our Vice President, Marc Sampson, has said many times, ‘we are a family and if you cut one of us, the other one bleeds’. We are indeed a family. Through the relationships formed at CSA, we have access to some the most influential executives in the regional maritime sector. Past CSA President Carlos Urriola is the President of a major maritime operation and I am able to take up the phone and call Carlos at any time. This just demonstrates how the friendships created in the Association facilitate partnerships and the more serious business of cooperation among the various territories, organizations and individuals.”

Finally, looking ahead to the rest of 2021, Dionne reflects on the disappointments of last year but is bullish about future prospects. “We already had certain plans in place for St Lucia and Puerto Rico and we had even done our site visit to St Lucia prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, we would be ready to roll if the world can get Covid-19 in check.” That’s something everyone is wishing for in 2021.