An attorney at law for over thirty five years; Ms. Rene Baptiste during the period 1976-1986 served as the first offshore manager of the Trust Authority of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Her duties included, administering, supervising and registering international business companies, trust banks and insurance companies.
In March 1986, she launched her private law firm (Baptiste & Co. Law Firm Inc.); where she practiced extensively in international business company formations and registrations; family law; property and probate law; shipping; conveyances; adoptions; agreements; registration of foreign judgments;registration of trademarks; residence & work permits; domestic and commercial injunctions; Landlord & tenant.
In the year 2000 she entered active politics in her home country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. She became an elected member of parliament and served as Minister of Tourism and Culture.
Ms. Baptiste would eventually be dubbed by the people- "Mama Culture" or "Ms Culture". Her love for the Arts as she stated in a September 2007, interview with me, (published in FOCUS, a quarterly produced by the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines), began in her childhood.
As she explained then:
From a child, ... I went to music
classes; I learnt to play the piano and my mother was what you call a song bird
and was often compared to Lena Horne. My mother was very much involved in music
and musical productions in her day ... She inculcated this
in me -a love for music, ... She often relates to
me a story of when I was a little girl I was always talking, I wanted to go the
Park to see the limbo and when limbo actually came on stage I was fast asleep. We have always been involved in that way and
when I was in the Young Women's Christian Association our youth group used to
have concerts. I sang at the YWCA concert and I have always been so attached to
the Arts. I love the Visual Arts and when I went into my private practise, I
joined the entertainment section of the International Bar and there I learnt a
lot about copyright and Entertainment Rights and Contracts related to
entertainers. I also got an insight into cinematography.
During the elections of 2005, Ms Baptiste was again elected to Parliament and was asked to serve as Minister of Urban Development, Culture, Labour and Electoral Matters.
In December 2010, she retired from active politics.
Ms. Baptiste is an active member in the St.George's Cathedral Anglican Church; Soroptimist international; SVG Red Cross;and the SVG Girl Guides Association, serving as President in the latter. She is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Electricity Company (VINLEC).
Posts
