GCCI‘s first female President Kathy Smith is a ‘Special Person’

Apr 20, 2025 Features / Columnists, News, Waterfalls Magazine

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…From failing grades and hard lessons

By: Christal Yong

Kaieteur News- In 2025, Kathy Smith made history when she became the first woman to be elected as President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) in its 135 year existence. But her path to the top wasn’t paved with accolades or ease, it was carved out of hardship, missteps, late-night prayers, and a relentless belief in what was possible.

This is not just a story of success. It is the journey of a woman who turned early academic failure, humble beginnings, and business setbacks into a career that now defines progress, purpose, and perseverance.

 EARLY LIFE

Smith was born in 1981 at Georgetown Hospital Public Corporation (GPHC) to a teenage mother. She was raised in the village of Haslington on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), in a household overflowing with love, support, and sacrifice. Her mother, grandmother, aunts, and uncles formed a tight-knit support system, one that taught her that success isn’t about what you start with, but what you choose to do with what you have.

She recalls sitting with her grandmother, Doreen Noble, who would share vivid, real-life stories that shaped her imagination and sense of purpose. One memory stands out, her uncle, knowing her milk had run out as a baby, would quietly leave a tin of milk on her pillow while she slept. That kind of quiet, unconditional love defined her early years.

Her mother, Karen Noble-Blackman, was just a teen when she was born, but Noble-Blackman hustled with grace and tenacity selling fruits, clothing, and anything else that could keep the family afloat. Today, her mother and stepfather own two businesses overseas. That legacy of entrepreneurship, determination, and survival lives strong in Smith.

FAILING GRADES

Despite showing signs of intelligence early, skipping the second year of nursery and entering primary school ahead of schedule, Smith struggled academically in her teenage years. She barely made it into Golden Grove Secondary School and was, by her own admission, a C-student at best.

When she first sat her Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), she failed them all by receiving straight Grade Fours. For many, this would have been the end of the road. But for Smith, it was a wake-up call. She transferred to a different school, rewrote the exams, and passed at the top of her class.

She told The Waterfalls, “It wasn’t magic; it was motivation. I realized it was my last shot, and I gave it everything.”

Plans were in place for her to attend Queen’s College for Sixth Form, but after a deep conversation with her grandmother, the decision was made that income was more important. At just 17, Smith began teaching at Golden Grove Secondary School, where her journey had started.

That decision led her to one of the most important mentors in her life: Raymond Reis, her former headmaster turned boss.

She says, “Every child deserves a ‘Mr. Reis’ in their corner.”

His guidance shaped her leadership style and belief in mentorship.

But even then, she knew teaching wasn’t her endgame.

After a few years in education, Smith made the leap and pursued a degree in Business Management. From there, she entered the corporate world, joining the Graduate Training Programme at Massy, where she developed the foundation to lead and manage. Several roles followed in both public and private sectors, but one role changed everything, her time at the Private Sector Commission (PSC).

There, the ambitious woman gained a new understanding: business wasn’t just about profit. It was about community, sustainability, and legacy. That experience lit the spark that would guide her entrepreneurial journey and her future role in business advocacy.

FROM SCRATCH AGAIN

In 2019, Smith entered the world of construction with a regional partnership to launch a waterproofing company in Guyana. She was the only person on the ground, owner, Chief Executive Officer (CE0), salesperson, and sometimes even the installer. It was a new service, and many clients didn’t understand its value.

She struggled to find clients. Some months, she made only one sale—barely enough to pay her team. But she didn’t stop. She hired coaches, invested in business training, and kept moving forward.

Eventually, she realized a hard truth: the business partnership wasn’t equitable. Revenue was flowing to the regional partner while she carried the load. So she made the difficult decision to step back from operations, but not from her dream.

That experience redirected her, not defeated her.

From that tough lesson came Dynotech Construction Chemicals Inc. a fully Guyanese-owned company founded by Smith. Today, Dynotech imports, distributes, and installs construction chemicals, oil and gas chemicals, and waterproofing solutions.

As a woman in construction, Smith continues to break barriers. She’s often the only woman on a job site, navigating a field where her presence is still questioned. But the tide is changing and Smith is helping to lead that shift.

She’s also raising the next generation. Her daughter is now an entrepreneur too, and Smith knows she can’t afford to be mediocre because she’s shaping the world her children will inherit.

In 2022, Smith joined the GCCI. She got to work immediately serving on committees, then the Council, and later becoming Secretary and Chair of the Human Resources and Capacity Building Committee. She continued to rise—elected Senior Vice President and Chair of the Petroleum Committee.

BREAKING BARRIERS

In 2025, Smith broke a 135-year barrier and became the first woman elected President of the GCCI.

Smith said, “When I first joined the Executive Committee, I was the only woman. A year later, there were two of us. Now, we’re three women and two men. That’s progress.”

Under her leadership, one of her major initiatives is the launch of a Micro Lending and Training Centre, a space to support small and micro business owners, especially in agriculture. The center will offer training in marketing, branding, financial literacy, and standards.

Smith related, “It’s about helping people do more than survive, it’s about helping them thrive.”

In 2023, she received the GCCI Women in Business Award. In 2025, she was honoured with the Woman in Project Management Award from Green State. But awards aren’t what drive her; it’s impact.

She continues to speak on financial literacy, particularly among women and youth, creating and sharing resources wherever she can.

Smith’s life is anchored in faith. Giving her life to God, she says, is the single most important thing she’s done. Her greatest support system remains her family, her husband and children, who show up for each other every day.

She believes business must be purpose-driven. It’s not just about income, it’s about influence. It’s about using your position to create space for others, to mentor, to build systems that outlast you.

Smith said, “To all the women out there trying to build something: Business is hard. If you’re not facing any challenges, you might be playing it too safe. Comfort is the enemy of growth.”

She knows what it feels like to fail exams, to lose money, to be underestimated, to start over and still show up every day.  But she also knows what it feels like to make history.

And now, she’s holding the door open for others.

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