Sir Frederick Nathaniel Ballantyne, GCMG (born July 5, 1936) is the Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. A trained cardiologist and former chief medical officer of the country, he was appointed governor-general on September 2, 2002. He replaced Dame Monica Dacon, who had acted in post-Charles Antrobus's death.
Video Frederick Ballantyne
Early life and medical career
Ballantyne was born on July 5, 1936, as his parents' parents. His father owns a small hotel, and he describes himself as "from a business family". Ballantyne was the first family member to attend high school. On the advice of an acquaintance who had studied medicine in the United States, he chose to attend universities in the country (rather than in England or Canada, as usual for Vincent's people at the time). He completed his first degree in chemistry at Howard University (in Washington, DC), and then went on to SUNY Upstate Medical University (in Syracuse, New York) to study medicine. "The only black individual" enrolled in medical school, Ballantyne was elected to student reigns annually in his title, and in his final year was elected chairman of the student organization. He was apprenticed at Montreal General Hospital upon graduation, and then completed his residency in internal medicine in Rochester, New York, followed by a scholarship in cardiology.
After returning to Saint Vincent in 1971, Ballantyne was "the most trained physician on the island". He was appointed head of medicine at the newly built Kingstown General Hospital (now called Milton Cato Memorial Hospital). Ballantyne oversaw improvements at regional hospital and clinical health facilities, with one of his first priorities being to expand hospital immunization programs. He also instituted a Visit Specialist Program at the hospital, which recruited foreign medical specialists to volunteer at Saint Vincent's hospital in exchange for free accommodation at resorts in the country. In 1985, Ballantyne was appointed head of Saint Vincent's head of service, who served in his position until 1992. He remained involved in medicine after his formal retirement from practice, in a consultant role. Beyond his medical career, Ballantyne has business interests in several other fields. Prior to his appointment as governor-general, he served as president of the Millennium Bank, an offshore bank listed in Saint Vincent, and also president of Dimethaid International Inc., a Barbados-listed pharmaceutical company. He is also the founder of International Business Services Limited (IBS), a financial services provider now run by his son, Marcus, and co-owner of Young Island Resort, a tourist resort on a small island off the southern coast of Saint Vincent.
Maps Frederick Ballantyne
Governor-General
Ballantyne was sworn in as Governor-General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on September 2, 2002, which has been nominated to a position by the country's prime minister, Ralph Gonsalves. He replaced Dame Monica Dacon, who has served as governor-general since the death of Sir Charles Antrobus in June 2002. Later in 2002, in connection with his new appointment, he created the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George by Queen Elizabeth II. In June 2009, Ballantyne also earned a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree by the University of the West Indies (UWI), as one of sixteen recognized regional figures for their contribution with honors.
References
External links
- Governor-General: Official Website of St. Vincent & amp; Grenadines
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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