The Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority (ABPA) and Port Manager Darwin Telemaque have paid an emotional and deeply personal tribute to former Chairman Senator Mary-Clare Hurst, describing her as the driving force behind the transformation of the nation’s port system and one of the most influential leaders in the institution’s history.

As Senator Hurst is laid to rest today, Telemaque reflected on her years of service, her fearless leadership, and the legacy she leaves behind not only at the Port Authority but across Antigua and Barbuda and the wider Caribbean maritime community.

“Today we lay to rest a woman who contributed greatly to her country, her people, and this institution that she chaired,” Telemaque said.

According to Telemaque, Senator Hurst took over leadership of the Port Authority during one of the most difficult periods in the organization’s history — a time marked by financial instability, unresolved staff matters, and uncertainty about the future direction of the institution.

“Senator Hurst arrived at the Port Authority at a very difficult time in its history. She rose to the challenge,” he said.

He recalled how she immediately engaged the board of directors and management team and pushed for reforms aimed at restoring public confidence and ensuring the Port Authority fulfilled its obligations to the people of Antigua and Barbuda.

“She ensured that in all we do, the expectations of the people of Antigua and Barbuda were met,” Telemaque stated.

Telemaque said Senator Hurst worked relentlessly to address longstanding issues affecting workers and retirees, many of whom had waited years for payments owed to them.

“Senator Hurst worked tirelessly toward resolving many unsolved issues — unpaid retirements, unpaid severance payments, unpaid back pay, issues where retirees had gone home without receiving their severance,” he said.

At the time, the Port Authority was also struggling financially and lacked critical systems needed to stabilize operations.

“There were so many challenges, a port without a proper overdraft facility, and she sat down in that small office on Popeshead Street and we began creating structure,” Telemaque recalled.

He described Senator Hurst as a leader who demanded accountability, professionalism, and fairness from everyone around her.

“It wasn’t just support for an employee she recognized for some ability. It was support for accountability,” he said. “She demanded that in every way possible we did things that aligned with the vision of the board, the government, and the expectations of our country.”

Among the instructions she repeatedly gave management, Telemaque said, were simple but powerful directives: “Get it right. Treat people right. Put the effort in. Make the right decisions. Make better decisions.”

He said those principles became the foundation upon which the modern Port Authority was built.

Under Senator Hurst’s leadership, the Port Authority successfully cleared outstanding back pay owed to more than 100 security officers, restored staff bonuses that had not been paid for years, and implemented salary increases for workers.

“We brought the severance issue under control. We eliminated that. We eliminated the back pay due to over 100 security officers that had been left unpaid,” Telemaque said. “The staff got pay raises. The staff got the back pay that was due from those raises. All because she demanded competent, efficient, and accountable management.”

Telemaque said the reforms quickly began producing measurable results.

“It began to show up in the numbers. The port improved in 2016 and 2017,” he noted.

One of the defining moments of Senator Hurst’s tenure came when the Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority was named Port of the Year by the Port Management Association of the Caribbean — an achievement Telemaque described as especially meaningful to her.

“Those were two very, very special moments for Senator Mary-Clare Hurst,” he said. “The organization she chaired had now ascended from the doldrums and had begun to raise its head.”

Telemaque also highlighted Senator Hurst’s pivotal role in the redevelopment and expansion of the country’s port infrastructure, including negotiations with the Chinese government regarding financing and construction of the modern cargo port.

At one stage, he said, Chinese officials questioned whether the Port Authority was financially capable of meeting the requirements attached to the funding arrangement.

However, Senator Hurst remained determined and deeply involved throughout the lengthy planning and negotiation process.

“She was in the middle of all of it — travelling to China multiple times with us to negotiate and make sure that what we wanted was what we got,” Telemaque said.

He also credited her with ensuring Antiguan and Barbudan workers benefited from the major infrastructure project.

“She pushed back against the Chinese desire to have only Chinese employed under the construction of the port,” he explained. “She insisted on a 60-40 arrangement for local labour, and the Prime Minister was equally adamant that local people had to be involved.”

According to Telemaque, that insistence helped create one of the few regional projects where there was significant local participation alongside Chinese labour.

“Had she and the Prime Minister not insisted on it, that local component would not have existed,” he said.

Telemaque described Senator Hurst as a quiet but commanding leader whose influence stretched far beyond Antigua and Barbuda.

“She never shouted, but she spoke very loudly,” he said. “She cared and loved from the bottom to the top. She engaged everyone regardless of status or class and was always willing to be the fair arbiter.”

He noted that tributes and condolences have poured in from across the Caribbean and internationally following news of her passing.

“From St. Kitts, Trinidad, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados, London — people from all over the world are calling, expressing their sadness and shock,” he said.

Telemaque credited Senator Hurst for helping elevate Antigua and Barbuda into a position of regional maritime leadership.

Today, the Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority chairs the Port Management Association of the Caribbean and also chairs the OECS Port Committee. In addition, Antigua and Barbuda currently serves as second vice chair of the Inter-American Committee on Ports, which represents ports throughout North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

“That could not happen without Senator Hurst,” Telemaque declared.

He said her belief in Antigua and Barbuda’s capabilities pushed the country to become a respected voice in regional port strategy, development, and planning.

“It was her belief that Antigua had a lot to offer. She helped place Antigua and Barbuda at the pinnacle of port strategy, port development, and port planning,” he said. “That is her legacy.”

The Port Authority also announced plans to permanently honour Senator Hurst by renaming its administrative building in her memory.

Telemaque revealed that a special ceremony will soon be held to officially designate the facility as the “Senator Mary-Clare Hurst Administrative Building.”

“That will be one fitting moment where no one can doubt the impact of her leadership, the demonstration of her courage to always do the right thing and to lead well,” he said.

In closing, an emotional Telemaque thanked Senator Hurst for her mentorship, confidence, and unwavering support throughout his career.

“To my boss, Senator Hurst, I salute you ma’am,” he said. “I thank you for believing. I thank you for empowering. I thank you for giving me a chance to serve with you when it was your choice.”

“You will always be honoured in my mind. You will always be appreciated.”

Senator Mary-Clare Hurst is being laid to rest today following years of distinguished public service and transformational leadership that helped shape the future of the Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority and the wider maritime sector.