June 14, 2011 – Mandeville, Jamaica…Nigel Coke/IAD
After serving for 20 years as president of the Seventh-day Adventist-owned Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Dr. Herbert Thompson has requested retirement as an active employee of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. His retirement was announced by Pastor Everett Brown, president of the church in Jamaica during a special constituency meeting held at the NCU Gymnatorium in Mandeville, Jamaica earlier today. The retirement became effective June 13.
Dr. Thompson, who has served the Northern Caribbean University, one of the largest institutions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the world, for more than 38 years will pursue personal interests in his retirement.
“My profound gratitude goes to Dr. Thompson and by extension, his family for their outstanding contribution to NCU over the past decades,” said Pastor Everett Brown, chairman of the university’s Board of Governors. “NCU under his visionary leadership has been a beacon of light to thousands who have graced its walls from Jamaica, the Caribbean and other parts of the world. The University has grown tremendously under his leadership. On behalf of the Board of Governors I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
A meeting of the University’s Board of Governors will be convened to start the process to replace Dr. Thompson, church leaders said.
As the longest serving president in the Institution’s 104-year history, Dr. Thompson spearheaded the transition of the West Indies College to its present university status in 1999. NCU has a current enrolment of approximately 5,600 students.
Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America, who is in Jamaica for other church related business, expressed appreciation for the years of service Dr. Thompson served in Jamaica, the Inter-American Division and the world, especially in the area of education.
A highly respected member of the Jamaican community, Dr. Thompson is a Justice of the Peace for Manchester, and is a recipient of the National Honor, Commander of the Order of Distinction (CD) awarded by the Government of Jamaica.
Presently, NCU is co-owned and co-operated by the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (JAMU) and the Atlantic Caribbean Union Mission of Seventh-day Adventists (ACUM), both of which came out of the reorganization of the former West Indies Union Conference on Nov. 29, 2010. On that day the various stakeholders of the institution signed ‘the NCU Accord’, formalizing their commitment to its sustainable growth and development.
NCU, one of the largest Seventh-day Adventist University world-wide, operates four campuses across Jamaica.
