February 17, 2026
The beautiful Footprints Café, at 5 Belmont Road, Kingston, Jamaica, was filled with laughter, nostalgia, and a profound sense of respect, recently, as colleagues, friends, and family gathered for a pre- early retirement luncheon for veteran journalist, Garfield L. Angus, and the honouring of his mentors and motivators.
The event was dubbed “Celebrating What Has Been, and Nodding Toward What Lies Ahead,” where Angus who has been journalism for 35 years, used the occasion to specially thank his former Chief Executive Officer, Huntley Medley, and two of his former managers, Shelly-Ann Harris, and Desmond Richards.
Angus who is a Senior Reporter at the Jamaica Information (JIS), and hails from the community of Kitson Town, in St. Catherine, while tracing the many facets of his career, glorified his fellow reporters who chased deadlines alongside him, to the photographers who captured stories in a single frame, to the editors who “polished prose until it shone,” and to the support team.
“Whose work often goes unseen but never unappreciated. Every byline in the 30 plus years reflects is a collective effort, and I am honoured to have been part of this extraordinary professional family. I especially want to acknowledge three people whose creative guidance shaped my career in ways I could not have imagined. Mr. Medley, you took a chance with me, and for that I am eternally grateful,” he told the audience.
Adding that the chance that Medley took to give him full employment, “bore immense fruits, because during his first full year at the JIS, he was awarded the top performer for the year, and thereafter he set and broke production records, and for that “I am eternally grateful,” the journalist argued, stressing that his former CEO’s exceptional management, open minded approach to leadership, performance driven guidance, leading by example, and “unwavering commitment to success and growth of persons across various units,” impacted him in a positive way.
“You have been a part of my very challenging journey, and your ability to seek new talents and build potential has been a guiding and nurturing blessing to me personally. You oversaw, and fostered a nurturing work environment, holding everyone to accountability. Your contributions have helped to shape and elevate the way I work, motivating me to always focus on the goal of growth and success,” he stated.
For Shelly-Ann Harris, Angus shared that her exceptional leadership and “consistent innovative contributions” to the development of team members within her supervision, have resulted in multi-skilled communications professionals, and he was “deeply grateful” for her time, expert career development skills, and “I am forever indebted to you, for your support.
“You have significantly shaped my career, and the lessons you have taught me have made a profound impact in my life’s trajectory. Thank you for being a true champion of my growth, and I hereby hail your creativity and passion, which have transformed my approach to work and made a lasting impact. I appreciate how you listened to the ideas of others and encouraged open communication within the team,” he said.
Further noting the impact of Harris’s contribution to his career, the journalist said as a “solution-oriented manager, with exceptional mentorship skills,” she demonstrated leadership of “fairness, stern reprimand, coloured by grace and dignity,” and for those qualities, his respect and admiration are “boundless.
“Your ability to stay calm under pressure set a great example and standard for the rest of the Department. Your leadership has made a lot of difference in my life, both professionally and personally, and I appreciate you more than words can express. Thank you for being a kind, listening, thoughtful, and supportive manager,” he said.
Describing Richards as a “talent nurturer,” Angus said his skills to nurture emerging talents, and “unique style to develop investigative competence,” and spotting the news in very complex and mind-blowing experiences, have all made Richards an “invaluable mentor,” as he thanked him for his unwavering support, and for “discovering my potential, guiding, and nurturing it.
“Your influence has been transformative, and your wisdom has been a gift and guiding light in my career journey. I am deeply grateful for your time, expert career development skills, and am forever indebted to you,” he said.
The luncheon concluded with testimonials from Harris who told the audience that she was impressed with how Angus took her counsell, and “and his dedication to tasks assigned to him, and him pursuing very important initiative. He was a very valuable member of my team,” she said, while Medley said he was proud that the retiring journalist followed protocols, and made the team of journalists at the JIS all looked good, by him “holding down his head, doing the work, and being true to the profession of journalism,” Medley stated, while Angus pointed to future endeavours.
“From the introduction done by the late Leslie Miles, at the Jamaica Record, to the Jamaica Herald, the Sunday Herald, and now the JIS, all of you granted me the freedom to take risks. Thank you for your camaraderie, and your critiques, the feedback meant a lot. I will carry your energy into my next chapter, whether that means occasional freelance pieces, mentoring young reporters, or simply becoming a voracious reader of the next generation’s work. As I move toward early retirement, I am not closing a book but opening a new page,” he said.
Angus is a former Head of the JIS Mandeville Regional Officer. He began his career in journalism at the then Jamaca Record, then he moved to the Jamaica Herald, and the Sunday Herand. He has done opinion articles for the Gleaner, the Jamaica Observer, and several Caribbean publications, on the United Staes (US) political system, Caricom, the United Nations (UN), Constitutional reform, and other topical subjects.