Colin Lesley Anderson James
Former Government Senator, Antigua and Barbuda
Colin James is an Antiguan and Barbudan politician and former Government Senator.
Early life and education
Colin Lesley Anderson James is the first of four boys born to Alfred and Tessie James of All Saints. He graduated from the Antigua Grammar School in 1984 and immediately began pursuing his dream of working in the media. His first job was with the Antigua & Barbuda Broadcasting as a sports reporter. During this time, Colin learned how to develop his writing, reading and interview skills and techniques under the tutelage of the some of the country’s best and most experienced journalists and media practitioners.
Career
In 1986, Colin took a job with the Antigua & Barbuda Employers’ Federation where he interacted with top corporate executives, key union officers and employees. During this time, he continued to try and better himself by taking extra courses and attending seminars and conferences on topics ranging from industrial relations to public relations and marketing, among other topics.
Throughout his highly-successful media career, he has worked with top Antiguan and Caribbean news outlets such as ZDK Radio, The Antigua Sun, the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), the Barbados Nation, The Jamaica OBSERVER and the Trinidad Express. Internationally, his work has appeared in top media outlets like Reuters, Associated Press (AP), Agency France Press (AFP) and Inter-Press. He has also done freelance work for the New York Times, the Miami Herald and The Mail on Sunday. Currently, he owns his own communications companies, Antigua Independent Media and C J Communications.
Before entering into politics, Colin pioneered the formation of the Antigua and Barbuda Media Congress, serving as the organization’s first President from 2004 to 2013. He is also a founding-board member of Antigua and Barbuda Coalition of Services Industries and serves on the Education & Public Relations sub-Committee for the Task Force on Trafficking in Persons.
Following the ABLP return to office through the 12 June 2014 election, James was was appointed a senator and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Industry, Sports, Culture and National Festivals.
He unsuccessfully contested the All Saints East and St. Luke seat in the 2018 general election, losing to Jamele Pringle of the United Progrssive Party (UPP) by 10 votes.
Personal life
Colin and his wife, Shane Benjamin, have three sons, Colin, Jr., Caric and Canya. A sports enthusiast, Colin is the President and Coach of the Young Warriors Football Club. He is a proud Christian, and is an active member of his community.
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Date |
| Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Industry, Sports, Culture and National Festivals |
18 Jun 2014 - 26 Feb 2018 |
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