By Garth A. Rose
“It’s really unbelievable how time has flown. It has been twenty years already since we began operations in Lauderdale Lakes,” said Carmen Bartlett, South East USA Regional Manager of Jamaica National Money Transfer (JNMS) in an interview with Caribbean National Weekly.
During May, the agency celebrates 20 years operating in Florida. When Bartlett came to South Florida in 1996, she had no idea she would be heading Jamaica National for the next 20 years.
“I came to South Florida to attend to my daughter Lisa, who was quite ill, and unfortunately passed. While here, I was offered the position to head the JN Money Transfer office which opened in Lauderdale Lakes in May, 1997. I knew very little of the community but although my heart was heavy from losing my daughter I absorbed myself into the community, and did my best to effectively market the agency. And, after 20 years, we have made significant strides.” Bartlett — wife of Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett —said although she has made personal sacrifice, “leaving my husband behind in Jamaica to attend to the business of the Jamaican government,” she has thoroughly enjoyed serving Jamaicans in the Diaspora.
“Over the twenty years, JN Money Transfer has grown significantly. From one JNBS-controlled office in Lauderdale Lakes there are now four in South Florida,” she said. “We also have offices in Lauderhill, Miramar and Plantation. In addition, we are also served by 30 agents who have extended our remittance services deep into the region. And, besides providing a service to send remittances from the SE USA to Jamaica, we now remit funds to the general Caribbean region, The Philippines, Ghana, Canada and throughout the US. It has been a very fulfilling experience.”
JNBS’20th anniversary includes a series of customer promotions including a special branch promotion at the Lauderdale Lakes office tomorrow; a salute to the agency’s partners; recognition of employees; and a thanksgiving church service at the Merrill United Methodist Church on Sunday.
The Bank of Jamaica reports that Florida registers the second largest percentage of remittance to Jamaica, at slightly under thirteen percent of funds remitted from overseas.
