Jamaican-American Nick Perry has officially been confirmed as the new US Ambassador to Jamaica.
Perry was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 10, receiving more than the required 51 votes.
His nomination had also received the unanimous support of the US Foreign Relations Committee.
Perry replaces former Ambassador Donald Tapia, whose tenure ended in 2021 with the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
Nick Perry is the first person born in Jamaica to hold this position. He was nominated for the post by United States Senate Majority Leader Charles “Chuck” Schumer” who said Jamaica-born Perry becoming the next ambassador would be “an important milestone.” President Biden announced Perry’s nomination on November 3, 2021.
Born Noah Nicholas Perry, the seasoned politician was born and raised in St Andrew, Jamaica. He graduated from Kingston College in Kingston and worked at the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union before immigrating to the United States in 1971.
The following year, he volunteered for the United States Army, from which he was honorably discharged at the rank of Specialist Five in 1978 after having served as an active-duty serviceman for two years and inactive reserve for four years.
Nick Perry graduated from Brooklyn College with a B.A. degree in political science. He later returned to Brooklyn College to study for an M.A. in public policy and administration. While in college, he was a student leader and student rights activist.
In 1983, Perry was appointed as a member of Brooklyn Community Board 17 – he would become chairman of that board. The following year, he ran as a candidate for District Leader in the 42nd Assembly District. He would later serve as a member of the Executive Board of the 67th Police Precinct and as a director of Flatbush East Community Development Corporation.
In 1992, following the 1990 Census, a new assembly district was added in Brooklyn, located in East Flatbush. Assemblyman Perry won the new 58th District seat in the November 1992 election.
Since 2001, Perry has been the Vice-Chair of the Assembly Majority Conference and Majority Whip. He currently serves on the New York State Assembly Committees on Ways & Means, Rules, Codes, Labor, Transportation and Banks.
In 2006, Assemblyman Perry declared his candidacy for the 11th Congressional District in New York State, which was being vacated by retiring Congressman Major Owens, and for which four other Democratic Party candidates were contending. He however withdrew from the congressional race, which was seen as potentially assisting the candidacy of City Councilwoman Yvette Clarke whose family also hails from the Caribbean. Yvette Clarke went on to win the seat with Assembly-man Perry’s strong backing.
Nick Perry ran uncontested in his 2008, 2010, and 2012 general elections for State Assembly.
He and his wife Joyce reside in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. Perry’s granddaughter is popular recording artist, Justine Skye. Via Twitter, she congratulated her grandfather, writing: “My grandfather accomplished a huge dream of his… US Ambassador of Jamaica! LETS GOOO!.”
