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Jonel Powell

Jonel Fraschette Herbert Powell LLB LEC JP MP (born 19 January 1983) is a Kittitian politician and Minister of Education, Youth, Sport & Culture for St. Kitts and Nevis since 14 June 2020 in the second term of the Team Unity government, following the 5 June 2020 general elections. Powell previously served the St. Kitts and Nevis government as Ambassador at large and Special Envoy within the Ministries of Sport and Culture from May 2015 to June 2020 when he was elected to the Federal Parliament of St. Kitts and Nevis. Prior to entering politics, Powell worked as an attorney.

Powell currently serves as the youngest member of the Federal Cabinet of St. Kitts and Nevis as well as the youngest member of the country's Federal Parliament as the elected Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Number Two (Central Basseterre). He is also the Chairman of the People's Action Movement, the political party currently holding the largest block of seats in the Federal Parliament.

Career

Legal career

Having graduated the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica in July 2008, Powell embarked upon his legal career in neibouring Anguilla as an Associate in the law firm of Webster Dyrud Mitchell in October of that year. There he practiced for 14 months before accepting an offer from rival law firm in The Valley, Caribbean Juris Chambers where he stayed for 12 months.

After successfully practicing in Anguilla for two and a half years Powell made the decision to move back to his native St. Kitts and Nevis to join long time friend and senior at the bar Lindsay Grant. In January 2010 the two opened the doors of law firm and partnership Grant, Powell & Co. Powell serving as Managing Partner and Grant as Senior Partner.

Political career

Other business interests

As part of the creation of the partnership of GPC, Powell became a shareholder in Grant's trust company Gibraltar Trust Company where he served as Director and then Managing Director.

Grant and Powell eventually created Island Realty, a real estate company to complement the the law firm and trust company in an effort to create a one stop shop for clients.

Personal life

Early life

Jonel Powell was born the first of two children to Franchette "Miller" Powell and Alicia "Al" Powell nee Herbert. He has an older brother Tonito Lee on his father's side and a younger sister Chetta Carter nee Powell. He has one child, a daughter, Skylar Jonelle Powell (born 25 September 2017).

Jonel grew up in McKnight in inner city Basseterre with his parents, sister and maternal grandmother Cynthia Herbert nee Manchester before the family moved to Mattingly as a teenager.

Family and politics

Powell's mother's family, the Herbert family is well known in politics and business in St. Kitts and Nevis. His maternal uncle Dr. William Valentine Herbert, better known as "Billy Herbert" was the founder of the PAM which he served as Political Leader and then Chairman up until his misterious disappearance at sea in 1994. Herbert was a very well known and highly regarded constitutional lawyer in the Caribbean and political giant in St. Kitts and Nevis. At the time of his disappearance he served St. Kitts and Nevis as its Ambassador to the United Nations and Permanent Representative to the Organisation of American States (OAS).

Powell's maternal great great uncle Thomas Manchester was the founder of the Workers' League in 1932, a political party which developed into the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party. Ironically the Manchester family was responsible for the establishment of the two main political parties on St. Kitts, the Labour Party and then PAM. Powell who grew up very close to his Uncle Billy chose the philosophy of PAM over that of Labour and would eventually succeed in his second bid for electoral office on a PAM ticket, defeating Labour Party candidate and incumbent, Marcella Liburd.

Education

He attended Slack's Pre-School, then the George Moody Stuart School (Factory School) before moving to the Newtown Primary in grade five. From there he progressed to the Basseterre Junior High School and then the Basseterre High School from which he graduated in 1999 with nine CXC O level subjects. After two years at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College he graduated with three Cambridge A level subjects.

Jonel entered the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus in Barbados in September of 2003 where he successfully attained an LLB, Bachelor of Laws degree with Lower Second Class Honours in 2006. That year he progressed to the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica. Therefrom he graduated in 2008 with a Legal Education Certificate (LEC).