FIVE STAR ALL THE WAY - JAMAICA TOURIST ISSUE 14
There is something captivating about Hope Masters, President and CEO of the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation. Perhaps the abundance of charisma was passed down by her father, Baptist minister, civil rights leader and social activist Reverend Leon H. Sullivan, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize eight times. The first to take up residence at The Palmyra, the humanitarian entrepreneur from Washington DC enjoyed Christmas and New Year with her husband and five children at their new island home. Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett added his special touch to the occasion by performing the official hand-over of the key.
“I love Jamaica so much. I knew that I had to buy when I learned that the developers were putting up The Palmyra project,” said Masters. With roots to Jamaica established through a grandmother, her current day connection to the island has grown even stronger through her Jamaican husband, renowned lobbyist Ambassador Carlton Masters.
The DC philanthropist, whose love affair with Jamaica started when she was 15 years old, is clearly thrilled with the purchase of her luxurious, four-bedroom penthouse at The Palmyra. Perched majestically, overlooking the entire resort community, lush tropical gardens and the turquoise Caribbean Sea, The Palmyra penthouse provides a luxurious retreat for Masters to escape everyday life. “My new home comes fully furnished and the staff here will fill your refrigerator with whatever you need,” she revealed. “It’s a 5-star hotel all the way.” Throughout their vacation, the Masters combined relaxation and family dinners in the privacy of their new home with visits to the area restaurants and hotspots.
Since she started to work with her father upon graduating from Temple University School of Law in 1989, Masters has grown into a humanitarian force in her own right. She has clearly inherited her famous dad’s passion to be a force for good and even her name, Hope, is a tribute to their united aspiration of creating a better world. Following her father’s passing in 2001, Masters established the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation, to which she refers as “the testament of a daughter’s love.”
If you are not “in the know” about Masters’ many charitable achievements and casually bumped into her at a cocktail party, you would never guess that you were talking to a woman who may very well be in line for her own Humanitarian Awards in the not too distant future. Joined by former US President William J. Clinton, the Sullivan Foundation’s Honorary Chairman, and civil rights icon Ambassador Andrew Young, who is an Executive Board Member, Masters recently addressed 600 world leaders in the European city of Amsterdam as the keynote speaker. A fundraising force to be reckoned with, her charitable Foundation is currently engaged in relief efforts for the earthquake stricken island of Haiti.
Among its many endeavors, the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation Annual Award Ceremony honors people for their advocacy, humanitarian efforts and contributions to helping the poor and disadvantaged worldwide. Last year’s award ceremony, which took place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, honored the Founder of ‘Wheels to Africa’ Winston Duncan; actress/ activist Mia Farrow, scholar and educator Dr. Henry Louis Gates; composer/ musician Herbie Hancock; mobile communications entrepreneur Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim; Grammy-award winning conductor, producer/ arranger Quincy Jones; and actor/ producer/ playwright Tyler Perry.
Aside from her work at the foundation, Masters serves as legal counsel for IFESH (The International Foundation for Education and Self-Help), an organization established by her father, and on the Board of Directors of the Southern Africa Enterprise Development Fund. She has also played a central role in the planning and development of the Leon H. Sullivan Summit, a non-profit organization founded in 1981 by Rev. Sullivan, which is devoted to facilitating sustainable development to the nations of sub-Saharan Africa through economic development and education.
Said Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, who was onsite to hand over the keys to the luxury penthouse at The Palmyra, “These are the keys to many things: your residence, the people of Jamaica, the country, the culture and the peace.”
Planning to use her luxury penthouse to recharge her batteries between her many, international undertakings and missions, Masters hopes to live in her new penthouse long term. “This is my retirement home. I always told myself I wanted to retire in Jamaica,” she finished.
“I love Jamaica so much. I knew that I had to buy when I learned that the developers were putting up The Palmyra project,” said Masters. With roots to Jamaica established through a grandmother, her current day connection to the island has grown even stronger through her Jamaican husband, renowned lobbyist Ambassador Carlton Masters.
The DC philanthropist, whose love affair with Jamaica started when she was 15 years old, is clearly thrilled with the purchase of her luxurious, four-bedroom penthouse at The Palmyra. Perched majestically, overlooking the entire resort community, lush tropical gardens and the turquoise Caribbean Sea, The Palmyra penthouse provides a luxurious retreat for Masters to escape everyday life. “My new home comes fully furnished and the staff here will fill your refrigerator with whatever you need,” she revealed. “It’s a 5-star hotel all the way.” Throughout their vacation, the Masters combined relaxation and family dinners in the privacy of their new home with visits to the area restaurants and hotspots.
Since she started to work with her father upon graduating from Temple University School of Law in 1989, Masters has grown into a humanitarian force in her own right. She has clearly inherited her famous dad’s passion to be a force for good and even her name, Hope, is a tribute to their united aspiration of creating a better world. Following her father’s passing in 2001, Masters established the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation, to which she refers as “the testament of a daughter’s love.”
If you are not “in the know” about Masters’ many charitable achievements and casually bumped into her at a cocktail party, you would never guess that you were talking to a woman who may very well be in line for her own Humanitarian Awards in the not too distant future. Joined by former US President William J. Clinton, the Sullivan Foundation’s Honorary Chairman, and civil rights icon Ambassador Andrew Young, who is an Executive Board Member, Masters recently addressed 600 world leaders in the European city of Amsterdam as the keynote speaker. A fundraising force to be reckoned with, her charitable Foundation is currently engaged in relief efforts for the earthquake stricken island of Haiti.
Among its many endeavors, the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation Annual Award Ceremony honors people for their advocacy, humanitarian efforts and contributions to helping the poor and disadvantaged worldwide. Last year’s award ceremony, which took place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, honored the Founder of ‘Wheels to Africa’ Winston Duncan; actress/ activist Mia Farrow, scholar and educator Dr. Henry Louis Gates; composer/ musician Herbie Hancock; mobile communications entrepreneur Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim; Grammy-award winning conductor, producer/ arranger Quincy Jones; and actor/ producer/ playwright Tyler Perry.
Aside from her work at the foundation, Masters serves as legal counsel for IFESH (The International Foundation for Education and Self-Help), an organization established by her father, and on the Board of Directors of the Southern Africa Enterprise Development Fund. She has also played a central role in the planning and development of the Leon H. Sullivan Summit, a non-profit organization founded in 1981 by Rev. Sullivan, which is devoted to facilitating sustainable development to the nations of sub-Saharan Africa through economic development and education.
Said Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, who was onsite to hand over the keys to the luxury penthouse at The Palmyra, “These are the keys to many things: your residence, the people of Jamaica, the country, the culture and the peace.”
Planning to use her luxury penthouse to recharge her batteries between her many, international undertakings and missions, Masters hopes to live in her new penthouse long term. “This is my retirement home. I always told myself I wanted to retire in Jamaica,” she finished.
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