Up Front
Donna Bush ...
Coming of Age and Proud
Donna Bush, new Corporate CommunicationsManager at Cable & Wireless
Like a magnet, people are drawn to her wherevershe goes.
On a simple shopping trip to the supermarket, she often has anaudience people eager to meet her, perhaps to see if inthe flesh, she conforms to the image conjured up by her appearanceon television.
There is something about Donna Bush that commands attention. Tothe casual observer, it may be her strong presence, a beautiful,and obviously well-cared-for face or the eyes that crinkle atthe corners and sparkle when she smiles.
To Donna Bush, its something else. "I'm a proud woman,"she says. "I know who I am and what I want."
To the public, she has been one of the most recognizable facesin the Cayman Islands, thanks to her years as the news anchorat CITN 27, Cayman's sole television station with local news content.
Recently, she ended an eight-year career at the station, and since14th November, has been the Corporate Communications Manager attelecommunications provider, Cable & Wireless.
She has taken on a new role, and as she describes it, a "newattitude."
"I'm going to persevere; I'm going to work hard and I'm goingto pay my dues," Donna says of her approach to her job atCable & Wireless. But this time around, she says, she willensure a better balance between her job and other elements ofher life.
It is part of the reason, she moved on. Her career in televisionbegan as a part-time job nine years ago as a master control operatorat CiTV 33, Cayman's first television station. A year later, shejoined CITN, and overtime she progressed through the ranks, fromreporter, assistant producer, the six o'clock news producer andultimately to news presenter for four years.
And there, she found little scope for further upward mobility.In addition, the demands of the job, and the extraordinary hours,she says, robbed her of some quality time with, and attentionto her children, 12-year-old Brandon and four-year-old Hailee."I scarificed a lot," she says.
Although doors were left open for her at the television station,it is not something that Donna is contemplating, though she says,"you never know."
She reasoned that though she would work hard, and sometimes putin extra hours as a manager at Cable & Wireless, the job wouldallows her more time with her family than her television careerallowed.
At Cable & Wireless, which she describes as "a wonderfulcompany," she is still "getting her feet wet,"and acknowledges that with a new government and with the publicclamouring for competition and lower rates, there challenges aheadin presenting the company's image.
She refers to the public call for competition and warns that peopleshould really consider if such competition would be the best thingfor Cayman. One thing the public should consider, Donna says,is quality of service. "I think it takes one who has travelledto know the quality of service we offer here; not only in telecommunicationsand Cable & Wireless, but in places like CUC," she pointsout, while acknowledging that there is need to reform and regulatethe market.
"I think government should continue to negotiate with Cable& Wireless," she says.
The company, she says, is highly Caymanianised with over 90 percentof its workforce made up of Caymanians and the company "believesin training its people."
Yet, the new Corporate Communications Manager says, "I don'tthink we sell ourselves enough." But this is about to change.Part of her job, Donna says, will be " to tell our peopleexactly what we do."
She heads a three-person department and sees the possiblity ofgrowth in the number as the company focuses on getting its messageacross. As Corporate Communications Manager, she will also travelto other Cable & Wireless regional offices "for trainingpurposes."
If she seems undaunted at the task, it is perhaps because Donnabelieves that with a strong faith in herself, and with God's help,she will go as far as she wants.
As a child growing up, her belief in herself and some "verygood values" were instilled by a strong mother, Margine Bush,who she says "made me feel that I could accomplish anything."
"I have my insecurities like everbody else," she says,but "I'm always putting things into perspective and sayingwhat can I do to make this a learning experience. I don't lettoo many things get me down for too long." She credits hermother with the way she has remained humble, even while beinga public figure. "My mother always said, remember where youcome from," she explained.
The thirty-something-year-old Donna came from a single-parenthome, the first of seven children, with four sisters and two brother,one of whom died. Her father died when she was quite young.
Donna left Cayman for New York in the 70s to join her mother,who had left the island a few years earlier. She attended elementaryto high school there, in Staten Island, and later moved with hermother to Florida, where she did her junior year. It's an experienceshe says she was happy to have. They returned to Cayman and Donnacompleted high school here.
On her return, encouraged by her cousin Lana, she entered theMiss Teen Cayman pageant. That was in 1984. Donna won the contestand walked away with three of the six prizes: the overall title,Miss Personality and Miss Best Legs. In 1986, she entered theMiss Cayman Pageant and emerged first runner up.
The caprices of being young and in love played a part in shelvinga university career, but that is something, Donna says, she doesnot regret. "That never holds me back," she stresses.
What pushes her forward she says, is her belief in God, and apersonality that is her "greatest gift" and loads ofcommon sense. "I'm compassionate. And I'm not afraid to saythat I'm a real soft-hearted person," Donna says.
It's the common sense that makes her speak in terms of five andten-year plans for her life. Like leading a "life closerto God." And moving on from her present job, maybe in 10years, to establish her own business. This could be anything shesays, from the restaurant business to something to do with children,whom she adores.
It's the personality that helps to define her success. "Peoplewarmed to me," she says, recalling the empathy she oftenfelt with her audience and sources, while she worked in television.She says even while in the news business, she didn't believe insensationalism and would'nt "jump on a story to get ratings."
"There was never any façade there," she muses.
So much so, that when, in August 1999, she went on a one-monthtraining course at the CNN centre in Atlanta, Georgia, Donna saysit was "disheartening" to see the display of ego fromthose at the top in the business. Although she received job offers,she declined. "Cayman is my home," she said simply."I love this place."
It is the belief in God, and herself, that informs Donna's adviceto Cayman's young women. "Be yourself. Always see that thereis room to learn more. There is always someone who cares aboutyou," she says.
Of her own role models, she cites her mother "her rodand staff" and the women in Cayman's politics, suchas Edna Moyle and Julianna O'Connor-Connolly.
Drawing on the strength of her past, and looking ahead with quietconfidence to her place at Cable & Wireless, Donna speakssomwhat philosophically. "I think it's all about coming ofage. And I've come of age. I know who I am,"she says.