Meet the United Progressive Party candidates

The United Progressive Party (UPP) unveiled 16 candidates to contest the next general election constitutionally due in 2019.
Today, we present a biography on four of those candidates.
Richard Lewis – St. John’s Rural West
He holds a master’s degree, summa cum laude, in management information systems and a bachelor’s degree in computer and management studies. Richards was awarded the President’s Gold Medal for outstanding academic achievement from Jamaica’s University of Technology. He also holds certificates in accounting and photography.
As an information technology consultant in Antigua and Barbuda, Lewis is credited with creating the first electronic management information system used in the local schools.
He co-authored a secondary-level information technology textbook that is a part of the school’s curriculum. An educator for 22 years, he is a lecturer at both the Jamaica University of Technology and the University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies.
He is an advocate for better schools for students and better working conditions for teachers and administrators.
Trevor Young – St. John’s Rural East
This retired police inspector is a businessman and driving instructor who operates a long-established driving school. He engages in community outreach and is passionate about reforming the criminal justice system, particularly as it impacts the future of youthful offenders.
A national of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, former Inspector Young came to Antigua and Barbuda and served in the Royal Police Force for more than 20 years.
The UPP describes him as a “model citizen ideally suited to appreciate the apprehensions of nationals” and to understand the concerns of immigrants who make this nation their home.
Dr. McChesney Emanuel – St. John’s Rural North
He was Antigua and Barbuda’s first appointed New York Consul-General, serving from 2004 to 2014, and was chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority for three years.
This political hopeful holds a Ph.D. in organisation and management/business general, a master’s degree in Caribbean and Latin American studies, and a bachelor’s degree, with honours, in international studies.
He has over 20 years of business leadership and management experience in business analytics, business intelligence, economic planning, diplomacy and international relations. He is a former school principal and educator.
Responsible fiscal accountability and the rule of law are among his passions.
Kyron Simon – St. John’s Rural South
He’s a newcomer to the political arena who recently attained project management professional credentials from the Project Management Institute in Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of the Antigua State College’s engineering department and City and Guilds, with distinction.
Simon is an active member of the Rotaract Club. His life as a businessman started immediately after he graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy, first with a trucking operation and then he transitioned into the construction industry.
Through sponsorship, his company has supported community basketball, football and cricket among other sporting initiatives.