Board of Directors

Ian Dear is a Jamaican-born businessman with more than 25 years experience in Caribbean tourism and real estate development. He is an original founder, and the current Chairman and CEO of Margaritaville Caribbean Group (MCG). In addition to purchasing local goods and services, MCG provides employment for more than 1,000 Jamaicans; providing significant economic impact to the island. MCG locations can also be found on Grand Cayman, Grand Turk and St. Thomas.

Ian’s relationships with key contributors to the Caribbean tourism industry have resulted in long-standing MCG partnership agreements with Sangster International Airport, Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. With Ian’s leadership expertise, Margaritaville joined Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the world’s largest vacation ownership company, to open the Margaritaville Vacation Club resort, in St. Thomas.

Ian believes in responsible corporate citizenship, giving back to the community, and is dedicated to ensuring our associates, and their families, have the opportunity to learn, develop and thrive. Although Margaritaville Caribbean Group supports many charitable organizations, Ian is most proud of the significant contributions his organization has made in scholarship funding since the 2006 launch of its Margaritaville Scholarship Program which provides financial assistance to the children of MCG associates. 

Ian maintains active involvement in several community service organizations. Currently he serves as a Justice of the Peace for the parish of St. James, since originally being appointed in 1996. Over the years he has also served as a member, and board member for several organizations to include the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica, Young President’s Association, the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, the Jamaica Cruise Council and the Attractions Association of Jamaica.

Ian attended Montego Bay Community College and Cornwall College. He is married to Carla and has 3 children, Lauren, Jayson and Chloe, all raised in Montego Bay, Jamaica

Mrs. Laura Heron has worked in the Tourism sector since 1981. Her sojourn began with the establishment of a family business (Resort Divers Limited), which provided water-sports activities within hotels across Jamaica. Resort Divers Limited was instrumental in developing scuba diving in Jamaica. Over the period she worked with approximately 25 hotels.

In 2008 she served on the TPDCo board as Deputy Chairman and Chair of the Audit Committee. She returns to TPDCo to share her wealth of experience in management and the several sub sectors. She is Deputy Board Chairman and currently sits on the Project, Product Development Community Tourism & Craft and Human Resources sub committees of TPDCo. She is also chairman of the audit sub-committee of the current board.

Mrs. Heron worked at St Ann Development Company from 2008 to 2014 as General Manager. Her responsibilities spanned the management of the iconic Dunns River Falls as well as Green Grotto Caves, Turtle River Park, Roaring River Estate, Laughing Waters, Ocho Rios Bay Beach and all other properties owned by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) in the parish of St Ann.

In 2014, Mrs. Heron joined the Guardsman Group of companies to establish a Tourism and Hospitality Division where she continues to serve the industry on a day to day basis.

She is a graduate of The St. Andrew High School, Kingston and studied Business Administration at Florida International University. She is also a certified PADI Scuba Diving Instructor who still enjoys diving. She enjoys cooking, needlework and participating in community activities especially within schools in the parish of St. Ann. She is a former school board member at the Runaway Bay All Age School.

Mrs Heron is a member of Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association (JHTA), The Association of Jamaican Attractions Ltd (AJAL) and served as Vice President of the Jamaica Association of Dive

Mrs. Marilyn Burrowes is an experienced and qualified hospitality and tourism professional. For several years she worked in servicing the industry in the areas of mega events including the opening of hotels. The Sandals and Super Clubs Groups were among her clients.

Trained in Creative Designs and Events Planning, she along with her husband Stafford founded the Dolphin Cove Attraction where she was and remains Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations.

A two time President of the Association of Jamaican Attractions Ltd. she has given yeoman service to the attractions sub-sector for the past fifteen years.

Mrs. Burrowes previously served for eight years on the Board of the Tourism Product Development Company Ltd and was the then Chairman of the Attractions Committee. In this her second stint she is the Chair of the Product Development sub-committee.

A Director of the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce for four years she has also held the position of Vice President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association for several years.

Mrs. Burrowes is a Justice of the Peace, member of the Lay Magistrates Association and also an ardent supporter of the Ocho Rios based Teen Challenge, a non- profit, faith based, rehabilitation centre transforming “one life at a time.”

Ms. Vana Taylor has worked in the Tourism Industry for over thirty years and has held several management positions. In 1983 she started her first company, Sunflower Villas which she still operates and also manages and operates Fisherman’s Point and Skycastles in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.

She has been a Council Member of the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association for several years and Area Chairman for the Ocho Rios/Runaway Bay Chapter. She has served as the 4^th Vice President of the Association for the past five years and has also served as Vice Chairman of the Allied and Small Accommodation Sector.

Ms. Taylor has a wealth of experience in the Hospitality Industry and has served as the Chairman of the Jamaica Association of Villas & Apartments since 1989. This Association has been representing the Villas and Apartments sector for over forty five years and has lobbied the Government on several matters for its members. Over the years at various times she has been a member of several boards and has chaired several committees. She is presently a member of the Jamaica Tourist Board Marketing Sub-Committee, a board member of the Tourism Product Development Company and chair of the Product Quality/Tourism Training Sub-Committee; a board member of the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce and Vice Chair of the St. Ann/St. Mary Resort Board.

Ms. Taylor is a devoted Catholic and Lay Leader, a Justice of the Peace and has received a Badge of Honour from the Government in 2001 for her services to the Community and Tourism.

Board member of the Tourism Product Development Company Ltd, Christopher Whyms-Stone is a Registered Architect with the Architect Registration Board of Jamaica since 2002, Board Member of Architect Registration Board of Jamaica, since February 2008 and member of the Jamaican Institute of Architects, JIA, since 2002. He is also a past Vice-President and Past President of The Jamaican Institute of Architects. He has served on numerous boards and committees in several public sector entities.

He is a graduate of the University of Technology Jamaica where he earned a Masters in Architecture. He also holds a Bachelors Degree in Design Architecture. Mr. Whyms-Stone is a Director at Cornerstone.design Ltd which he co-founded in 2000. His company focuses on residential, heritage, commercial and civic buildings and small commercial buildings urban planning and also interior design. Primary responsibilities include administration, design and contract administration.

Mr. Whyms-Stone was also a Part-Time Lecturer/Senior Tutor Experiencing Architecture and Part-Time Lecturer/Senior Tutor in Design Studio 4, at the University of Technology Jamaica, Caribbean School of Architecture and has done extensive traveling in Europe, the Caribbean and the Americas.

Since 2001 Mr. Whyms-Stone has been Director and Curator of the Trench Town Culture Yard Museum.

His hobbies are: Reading, Writing, Snorkelling, Football, Traveling and Culture.

Matthew Robinson grew up in Walter Fletcher beach in Montego Bay, where his passion for the sea and food started in his grandmother’s restaurant, the Beach Barrel. His love of reading and passion for sports took him to Canada and the United States where he studied political science. He returned to Jamaica, enrolled in law school, and worked various roles within agencies of the Ministry of National Security. In 2016 Matthew’s passion for food and love of Jamaica inspired him to create Jamaica Food Tours Limited to educate visitors and locals about authentic Jamaican food and culture. His Jamaican “Food Boss” persona has over 20 million YouTube views. He has also worked with some of the world’s top bloggers and YouTubers bringing Jamaica closer to millions around the world.