News Americas, BROOKLYN, NY, Sat. April 28, 2012: The West Indian American Day Carnival has a news President.
He is WIADCA stalwart, Thomas “Tom” Bailey who will replace Yolanda Lezama-Clarke in the post. Lezama-Clarke, the daughter of the event’s founder, Carlos Lezama, recently resigned.
“The organization’s membership has spoken. I am honored and humbled to become the third individual to lead this important group that is the lawful custodian of the annual Labor Day Carnival Festival. The new WIADCA TEAM is committed to the preservation of our culture and to move the organization forward in a new and positive direction,” Bailey said.
He added the new WIADCA team has already met with both Mas and Steel bands and presented them with checks that were won at the 2011 competitions. He told both organizations at the packed, standing room only meeting that at the top of this priority list was “improving relations with all of the carnival festival’s stakeholders.”
“Let us usher in a new era of cooperation and friendship. I want to hear from you and what are your concerns. This festival is bigger than one individual or organization. We must come together to take it to new and bigger heights. I need your help and support,” Bailey said.
The annual carnival, the biggest in North America, is held each Labor Day weekend in Brooklyn, NY.
