The Business and Professional Women of St. John, the island's oldest civic organization, has been honoring resident professionals and entrepreneurs since 1961. On Sunday they recognized a hot pepper maven, a school counselor and a self-taught single mother as outstanding women of 1999.
Cheryl Miller, co-president of the St. John Action Committee and owner of A Taste of Paradise, a purveyor of jellies and condiments, was named the BPW Woman of the Year.
Celine Joseph, Caneel Bay Resort personnel director, was honored as this year's Woman of Achievement, and Dariel Bastian was recognized as the 1999 Woman of Appreciation.
St. John administrator Julian Harley and Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd joined about 75 association members, guests and friends at a luncheon at Caneel Bay where the honorees were recognized.
Harley hailed Miller, a 23-year resident of St. John, as "an activist in all forms of the word." Through the Action Committee, she has organized open forum luncheons featuring top government officials and business leaders. She has also been a leading advocate for disabled children as chair of the Maternal and Child Health Special Needs Task Force.
Her concern for the environment led her to get involved in the annual St. John Earth Day celebrations and to start up the Dry Closet Thrift Shop. In another recycling project that she organized, children are taught how to make woodcraft souvenirs from shipping pallets.
"This afternoon is an honor," Miller said as she accepted her award. She credited her success to meeting the challenges she has faced in raising her two children, Bea Westra, 17 and Hamlin, 13.
Making the BPW honor especially sweet, she said, she just learned that one of her hot pepper jellies, "Caribbean Sunburn," took third place at the national Scovie 2000 awards in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The "Scovie" recognizes producers of hot sauces and other "fiery foods" in the United States.
In paying tribute to the 1999 St. John Woman of Achievement, Liburd called Celine Joseph "Miss Caneel Bay — for as long as I've known her, she has been there." She was also recognized for her dedication to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church.
"I am very humbled by this award," Joseph said. "I'd rather stay behind the scenes and make things happen."
Bastian, a relatively new member of the St. John BPW, said she didn't feel she had made outstanding contributions to the organization. Andromeda Childs, a long-time BPW member, said the Julius E. Sprauve School guidance counselor was chosen for recognition because of her willingness to take on the duties of the group's membership committee and because of her work as a Girl Scout leader.