Ms. Shauna Chin is the incumbent Vice Chair and USA West | Mid-West Representative for the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council.

The Gulf War veteran uses her skills as a US Army trained Nurse and her notoriety as an actress to bring not just one, but multiple areas of expertise to the GJDC in the key subject areas: citizen security, education, health and wellness, arts sports and culture, commerce, and development issues.

For her region, she championed a successful immigration and deportation plan with the goal for every Jamaican national to have: a valid government issued ID and an adjustment of status plan, which to date, a total of 387 persons have benefited. In her role on the Council, she sits on the Peace Working Group and traveled to Ireland to participate in the IOM conference to learn best practices globally in how other countries deepen the engagement with their diaspora.

She is a long-standing champion for diaspora matters, previously serving as Goodwill Ambassador for the National Association of Jamaican and Supportive Organizations (NAJASO), former United Nations Association of Jamaica (UNAJ) Ambassador, and for the period 2014-2018, she volunteered at the Consulate of Jamaica-Los Angeles.

My name is Vanessa Myrie and I was born and raised in Negril, Jamaica, until age 18, when I migrated to California.  My Jamaican upbringing plays a significant role in the woman I am today. Growing up, I was always keen on observing and questioning complex issues such as poverty, brain drain, unemployment, crime rate, and poor healthcare that plagued our country and significantly impacted our society. Unsurprisingly, these early observations and a desire to implement change influenced my career choice.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 12 years of experience in healthcare and mental health. I work in a hospital setting, providing counseling, care coordination and advocacy to the geriatric population. I received a dual master's degree in Social Work and Gerontology from the University of Southern California (USC). Over the years, I have garnered extensive leadership skills and experiences from serving as a board member of several student organizations.

If given the opportunity to be elected for the West/Midwest region, I am confident that my combined personal, academic and professional experiences will benefit the GJDYC in its goal to enhance Jamaica by connecting, engaging and empowering youth on the island and within the diaspora.