Naomi Francis, the powerhouse press secretary who stood beside Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness for almost nine years, has now moved into another phase of her career as Assistant Director of International Affairs at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is one of the world’s busiest and most efficient airports. Annually, over 100 million people use the airport, which has a growing global influence.

“It is an opportunity that I really couldn’t say no to. It aligns with my own goals of global growth and global development, and it keeps me having an eye on Jamaica. I still have a foot in Jamaica but [I’m] also very present in Atlanta doing what I’m doing,” Francis said.

“It aligns with the fact that, having had all my academic training in media, psychology, communication, behaviour change, and I’m now doing a PhD in governance and digital transformation, it’s just bringing everything together. So I’m in a space where it will allow me to grow even more—and it will help me to actualise in different ways,” Francis said.

“So, it’s just another phase of life for me. I’m very grateful for the opportunity and very, very grateful to serve not just Jamaicans and the Jamaican Diaspora but a wider audience, a wider customer base, [and to help them] grow and glow and develop in so many different ways. I thank the people of Jamaica for loving me for the nine years in government and prior to that in media,” she added.

Francis’ career in media started while still a student at Kingston’s St Hugh’s High School, by hosting the popular 1990s teen television programme called Rappin’.

Francis then served as a reporter, producer, editor, and host for various media entities, including JBC/TVJ, The Gleaner Company, and Nationwide News Network, where she co-hosted the popular morning show Nationwide This Morning.

She then served as the Corporate Communications Manager at Flow Jamaica.

In 2016, after Dr Holness was sworn in as prime minister, Francis became the voice of the Office of the Prime Minister, which played a leading role in the communications team.