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Jason Henzell Age: 43 Title: General Manager/Chairman Company: Jakes/Breds, The Treasure Beach Foundation Jason Henzell is the general manager and an owner of Jakes Hotel, Villas and Spa, located in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth. A social entrepreneur, Henzell is also the founder and chairman of Breds, The Treasure Beach Foundation, which promotes education, sports, environmental awareness, emergency health care and small business development. Henzell’s emphasis on grassroots development is anchored by his ties to the Treasure Beach community. Jakes itself was founded in 1993 after his mother started a small restaurant in 1995. Henzell added two rooms for overnight visitors and the family opened the hotel side of the business. Under his hands-on watch, Jakes has grown to 50 rooms. “Jakes is building Treasure Beach one guest at a time,” Henzell said. Along the way, the hotel has won numerous awards, including the Jamaica Hotel and Tourism Association (JHTA) Hotelier of the Year 2003 for Most Distinguished Service; Environmental Ambassador - Hotel Sector for outstanding contribution and efforts in promoting environmental stewardship and sustainable development and the Nation Builder Award from the National Commercial Bank in 2010. Henzell began his career with Hyatt Regency Cayman in 1986 as a night auditor, leaving two years later as the youngest front desk supervisor for Hyatt worldwide. He plunged into Jamaican finance and banking, managing Lion Finance Company for two years, before moving to the Pan Caribbean Merchant Bank. Henzell founded and chairs Breds, the project dearest to his heart. It is a registered not-for-profit organisation dedicated to community projects in the area. These include the building and equipping of a computer lab in the basic school, training a volunteer corps of emergency response personnel, installing a radio system and Global Positioning System (GPS) for local fishermen and sponsoring local football and cricket teams.
makes available computers, training programmes, space for workshops and community meetings and support for small businesses in the area. Most recently, Breds received the support of UNICEF to expand their EduSport programme that provides coaching to 1350 students in 11 schools in the Greater Treasure Beach area.
Currently, Breds is developing a 15-acre sports park, academy and community centre comprising a cricket pitch, football field, tennis courts, basketball and netball courts and children’s playing area. The community centre already
Henzell and wife Laura have two children: Seya Rose and Max. Henzell was last seen returning from South Africa excitedly pursuing ideas and developing the prospects of sports tourism in Jamaica.
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