Five Bermudians have joined Justice Edward Zacca, the former President of the Court of Appeal, in receiving recognition in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for 2015.

Mr Justice Zacca, who left his position at the end of last year, was made Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, while Debbie Jones, John Cann and James Amos were made members of the Order of the British Empire. Judith Burgess, David Frith and Stuart Hayward were awarded the Queen’s Certificate and Badge of Honour.

The Rt Hon Sir Edward Zacca, KCMG, OJ — for services to Justice in Overseas Territories. Until December 31, 2014 Justice Zacca was President of the Court of Appeal in Bermuda. He was first appointed as Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for Bermuda on October 21, 1996. He was President of the Court from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2014.

He attended Kingston College in Jamaica from 1941 to 1947 and was Called to the Bar in Middle Temple, London, in 1954. That year, Sir Edward was admitted to practice and was appointed Clerk of Courts in Jamaica in January 1958. He served successively as Resident Magistrate, and Judge of the High Court of Jamaica, before being sworn in as Chief Justice of Jamaica in 1985. He served in that capacity until 1996.

Sir Edward was appointed to the Privy Council in London in 1992. He is also President of the Court of Appeal of Turks & Caicos Islands, and a past President of the Court of Appeal of the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. He has also served as Acting Governor-General of Jamaica.

Order of the British Empire

Deborah Jean Jones, OBE — for services to the community. Debbie Jones is a Diabetes Nurse Educator. She was educated at Warwick Academy, Toronto Western Hospital and University of Toronto. She is a Certified Diabetes Educator and has worked as a Research Nurse and managed the Bermuda Hospitals Board diabetes centre as well as coordinated international clinical research for Bermuda. She retired in 2014.

She founded the Bermuda Diabetes Association in 1979.

Mrs Jones has served as the past vice-chairwoman and chairwoman of the North American Region of International Diabetes Federation and vice-president of the International Diabetes Federation for two terms, from 2006 to 2012. She is the chairwoman of the IDF Young Leaders in Diabetes Programme. She is a board member of the Federation of European Nurses in Diabetes.

She is the author of two children’s books, the recipient of the Outstanding Young Persons Award, a Rotary Paul Fellowes Award and was awarded the Queen’s Certificate and Badge of Honour in 1994.

John Cann, MBE, MD, MPH, JP — for services to improving public health in Bermuda. Dr Cann trained at Howard University and later at the University of North Carolina. After a period as a Teaching Assistant at Howard University’s Department of Pediatrics, he returned to Bermuda and became the Department of Health’s Medical Officer for two years.

He served as the Senior Medical Officer from 1980 to 1983 and Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health from 1983 to 2011. He has served on numerous statutory boards: the Pharmacy Council, Advisory Board on the Misuse of Drugs, Bermuda Hospitals Board, Hospital Insurance Commission and the Bermuda Health Council. He has also served on the Psycho-Educational Committee, Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO), GEHI Appeals Tribunal, HIV/Aids Task Force, Staff Medical Board and the Seniors Advisory Council.

Dr Cann sat on numerous international boards, including: Caribbean Health Research Council and the Sub Regional Commission of English Speaking Caribbean on the process of documentation and verification of Measles, Rubella and CRS Elimination.

He is a member of the Sandys Secondary Middle School Board of Governors and a member of the Board of Trustees. He is also a Trustee of the Packwood Home.

James Frank Amos, MBE — for services to the community. James Amos represented Bermuda at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. He participated in yachting, crewing for Eugene “Penny” Simmons in the Dragon Class at Kiel. He also represented Bermuda in yachting as crew in the Western Hemisphere Snipe Class Championship five times with skipper Bernard “Easter” Hayward in the following events: 1960: Buenos Aires, Argentina (winners) and Bermuda Amateur Athletes of Year Award; 1962: Brasilia, Brazil; 1964: Montevideo, Uruguay; 1966: Oakville, Canada; and 1968: Jacksonville, Florida.

Mr Amos served as an officer in the Bermuda Regiment from 1965 to 1978. He was a member of Bermuda Olympic Association for 15 years and was the vice-president from 1988 to 1992 and represented various federations dating back to 1973. For the 1987 Pan Am Games and 1992 Olympics Games he was the chef de mission. He is a past commodore for the Spanish Point Boat Club and past president for the Bermuda Yachting Association.

He was a member of Paget Parish Council from 1969 to 1996. From 1980 to 1982, he was the vice-president for the Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association, from 1980 to 1985 he chaired the Youth Advisory Council and was a trustee of Saltus Grammar School from February 1982 and then became the chairman in May 1994 for six years.

In May 1993, he received a Bermuda Government Special Achievement Award for sustained contribution in administration and development of yachting, swimming, track and field athletics and Olympics in a voluntary capacity. He has served on the board of the Bermuda Sports Hall of Fame since 2004. In 2012 he received the Catlin End to End Walk Charity Award. He is a member of the Friends of St Peter’s Church (Their Majesties’ Chapel) Board. He is also a director of the St George’s Foundation.

Queen’s Certificate and Badge of Honour

Judith Burgess — for services to youth development and addiction prevention in the community. Judith Burgess has worked in drug prevention for 30 years. She is a founding member and the Executive Director of PRIDE Bermuda which was established in 1986. Mrs Burgess serves as the Chairperson for The Bermuda Coalition and has been a Superintendent at St John AME Church for 25 years.

She has also served on the Board of the Bermuda Family Council (a government board), the boards of The Centre on Philanthropy, PRIDE International and the Eastern States Alliance of Youth to Youth in Rhode Island. She has worked with the Inter-Agency Committee for Children and Families and serves on the Bermuda Addiction Certification Board.

Alan David Frith — for services to the Bermuda Pipe Band, St Peter’s Church and St George’s. Alan David Frith, an accomplished piper, has served with the Bermuda Pipe Band for over 55 years. From 2000 to 2014 he was the pipe major and through his leadership, dedication and hard work has made the Bermuda Islands Pipe Band the successful organisation it is today. Additionally, Mr Frith has been the town crier for the Corporation of St George for more than 11 years. His friendly character and love for Bermuda together with his exceptionally loud and clear voice make him a natural for the role. He has represented the town of St George at overseas town crier competitions in the United States, UK, Europe and Canada.

David Frith has also volunteered on the St George’s Preparatory School Trust Board, where he served as the chairman for more than a decade. He is also a trustee of the St George’s Golf Course and throughout his life has been an active member of and participant in the Sunfish class sailing group.

Stuart Hayward — for services to the preservation of Bermuda’s natural environment. Stuart Hayward is best known as an environmental activist. He has belonged to most of Bermuda’s environmental organisations, including Keep Bermuda Beautiful, which he joined in the 1970s. He is a life member of both the Bermuda National Trust and the Audubon Society.

Mr. Hayward has spearheaded numerous environmental pressure groups. In 1973 he co-founded the Admiralty House Park Association, which preserved the Admiralty House environs as a park for the people of Pembroke. In 1981 he co-founded Save Open Spaces. In 2006 he launched the Save-the-Gardens campaign that shielded Bermuda’s Botanical Gardens from hospital construction. He is now the president and chief advocacy officer of the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce. He has served on several government boards, most recently the Environmental Authority, which he chairs.

In 1989 Mr Hayward was elected to Bermuda’s legislature where he served four years as the lone Independent MP.

Mr Hayward had an extensive career as a journalist, having written for Bermuda Business magazine, the Bermuda Times, the Mid-Ocean News and, most recently, the Bermuda Sun. For ten years he wrote a monthly column for the Bermudian magazine. His significant writing achievement was as co-author and co-editor of the book Bermuda’s Delicate Balance, published in 1981.