Honouring excellence in our young leaders. The Young Caymanian Leadership Award is set to take place on Saturday 23 March 2013.

On CITN/Cayman27’s Daybreak morning show on Thursday (17) the five finalists were announced as:

Michael Blackburn, Marzeta Bodden, Victor Crumbley, Melanie Scott and Shomari Scott.

These five will be chasing the title of Young Caymanian Leader.

The winner will be crowned in March at the televised awards ceremony at a black tie gala at The Ritz-Carlton. The evening and weeks leading up to the event focus heavily on the leadership and accomplishments of candidates, who were selected from a large group of what the organisers said were impressive nominations .

“The YCLA selection committee was presented with an almost insurmountable task; a task to identify five finalists out of so many suitable candidates who embody the mantra of the Young Caymanian Leadership Award. The five finalists are certainly upstanding young leaders in our communities and they hail from all throughout the islands,” said Jonathan Tibbetts, Chairman of the Nomination Sub Committee.

“The decision process was approached with great care and attention to detail. The members spent much time reviewing, confirming and questioning the submissions. The five finalists were selected for their dedication to growing our island and young people; their discipline in their careers and volunteerism; and their desire to change the islands for generations to come.”

What is YCLA?

Young Caymanian Leadership Foundation has created, Young Caymanian Leadership Awards Programme (YCLA), to identify and establish role models for the youth of Cayman. The Programme provides a platform designed to inspire, motivate and empower young people to achieve their best.

The YCLA recognises outstanding young Caymanians who are making a significant contribution to society and who, through their achievements and actions, serve as positive role models for the youth of Cayman. Candidates and winners of the YCLA Award are honoured at the Annual Awards Celebration, a televised, black tie event. This gala evening, which serves as a fund-raising initiative, also recognises the efforts and support of the Sponsors and Patrons of the YCLA.

The Programme is managed through the young Caymanian Leadership Foundation, a non-profit organisation whose goal is to raise funds to support community based initiatives that target the young people of the Cayman Islands. The Foundation is responsible for the fund management and administration of the organisation. The YCLA’s Honorary Board assists with the administration and development of the Awards Programme.