Movie and television producer Roger Bobb and Dr. Heavenly Kimes of the hit reality show “Married to Medicine” headlined a prestigious soiree that paid homage distinguished descendants of the East Coast islands during the annual Caribbean American Movers and Shakers Networking Series.
Taking place at the Caribbean-owned Stir it Up restaurant in the heart of bustling Midtown Atlanta, Bobb and Kimes recognized those from the Caribbean and parts of Latin America who have made indelible marks on the Capital of the New South.
Media maven Princess Dalton-Lofters summed up the sentiments and prestige of the Caribbean Amercicans honorees on hand — a woman who achieved great success in the male-dominated industry by creating and producing the “Real Housewives of Atlanta.”
“I’m a little overwhelmed. I was born in Jamaica and raised in Canada and now living in the U.S. The one thing that I do wanna say is that it is definitely … being born in Jamaica, being West Indian, has made me who I am,” she said. “I was raised with a certain set of values and mores and was built to make it in this industry. Growing up in Jamaica and then Canada and my parents being West Indian, they instilled in me to be who I wanted to be and to do what I wanted to do. And those who know me understand that I do not take ‘no’ for an answer, or that ‘can’t’ is something that I never embraced. I always embraced dreaming big and going after your goals.
“And I got a lot of ‘no’s’ along the way, and it took that drive in me that I attribute to be me being Jamaican and West Indian to make it in this industry. And for someone like me who has made it, I just encourage young women to follow their dreams (and) never, never, never take ‘no’ for an answer and to always go after what you want,” Dalton-Lofters continued. “Because, believe me, if you can dream it, it will happen.”
Born in the tropical climate of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Leslie Brathwaite redits have spanned the world of rap and R&B, and include collaborations with such artists as Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Ludacris, Ciara, and Young Jeezy. In addition to chart success, he has also been recognized with multiple Grammy statues, including nods for his work on the Monica/Brandy single “The Boy is Mine,” as well as TLC’s multiplatinum album Fanmail.
Ann-Marie Campbell is president of the Southern Division of The Home Depot. She is responsible for the sales and operations of more than 690 stores. Ann-Marie leads a team of more than 100,000 associates in 15 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas.
Tina Hart: National Black Latino Council Brand Ambassador. This Latin American women of Mexican and Puerto Rican hails from Puerto Rico.
Dr. Karen Godette, MD, is the medical director of Emory University Hospital Midtown Radiation Oncology: She specializes in breast and gynecological malignancies, prostate cancer and soft tissue sarcoma.
Dr. David Panton, is president of Panton Capitol Holdings and hails from Jamaica. He has 15 years of investment banking and private equity experience and has sourced, structured and/or invested in over 20 transactions with a total enterprise value of over $1.5 billion.
Jamaican-born Princess Banton-Lofters, spent her formative years in Canada but now resides in Atlanta, where she produces the hit television show “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” She is also the founder and CEO of Loft 22 Entertainment, an entertainment production company formed in 2007.
Jerry Gonzalez is the founding and current Executive Director of Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO) and the GALEO Latino Community Development Fund
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