South Florida Jamaicans bid farewell to beloved consul general as he lands in New York

South Florida’s vast Caribbean diaspora knows that consuls general come and go. But for one community, the departure of a beloved government representative has been bittersweet.

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Roderick Oliver Mair, who served as Jamaica’s consul general for Florida and a dozen other states, is leaving South Florida for New York, where he will represent the largest Jamaica diaspora in the world, according to Prime Minister Andrew Holness when he congratulated the diplomat on his promotion.

Before Mair’s scheduled departure on Wednesday, members of the community celebrated his move with a show of gratitude while describing him as an unusually accessible and responsive diplomat who won crowds over with his singing and unabashed love of country.

“I want to wish you the best going forward, sir, and like the great Super Cat would say, ‘We love you like cooked food,’” Roger Lewis, co-founder of the Grammy-award winning group Inner Circle said to cheers from the room and laughter from Mair during a final farewell on Monday at the group’s recording studio in the North Miami area. “Thank you ,sir, muchas gracias.

“You’re a man of the people,” added Lewis, who with his brother Ian noted that while Mair had received a key to the city everywhere he went, they were giving him a Key to the Circle House.

Mair spent nearly eight years as consul general in Miami, overseeing 13 states including Georgia. In his new appointment, he will have responsibility for nearly three times that number — 33 states, along with Bermuda and Puerto Rico.

“I am not leaving, we’re just extending the borders,” he joked, telling the crowd that with his new assignment he will become the first consul general to serve in both Florida and New York, “the largest Jamaica diaspora region in the world.”

He jokingly described the fete at Circle House Studios as his “tenth farewell, a record farewell.”

“And I am told that some of the crew are going to meet me at the airport for another farewell,” he said.

Other goodbyes included gatherings by the Jamaica Association of Central Florida; Jamaican Women of Florida; Jamaican Men of Florida; Andrea Service and Friends, and Island Spice restaurant. His leadership was also lauded in Atlanta.

Among those at Monday’s farewell were reggae star Mr. Vegas, Trinidadian singer The Mad Stuntman (“I Like to Move it”), Copeland Forbes, manager of revolutionary reggae icon Peter Tosh, and City of Miramar Vice Mayor Carson “Eddy” Edwards.

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“He had an open door,” said Ian Hamilton, a longtime media consultant in South Florida. “He allowed any and everyone to reach out and have their concerns heard. Definitely a community person.”

Mair “changed the nature of what a consul general looks like, feels like, thinks like,” he added. “He was definitely a true advocate for Jamaica.”

Mair did this through the establishment of a Hi 5K run and weekly call-in talks with the community, and with his leadership after Jamaica was devastated last year by Hurricane Melissa.

Edwards, the Miramar city council member, highlighted Mair’s Hi 5K run Foundation run, which raises money each May in South Florida to Adopt-a-Clinic in Jamaica. The effort, Edwards said, has led to the adoption of six clinics. “He’s going to New York but the Jamaica HI 5 Foundation is here,” Edwards said.

During relief efforts for Hurricane Melissa vistims, Mair became a force behind the “Stay Strong” benefit concert at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood. The sold-out event, organized with Inner Circle and others, raised $400,000 and featured a line-up of reggae and dancehall luminaries as well as Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica foreign and trade minister.

Mari noted that he didn’t have a clue on what to do when organizing the concert, but with Inner Circle’s support they were able to pull off the mega concert within a month and a half.

“It is fitting I should have my final, final, last farewell here at my home at Inner Circle,” he said.

In announcing Mair’s new assignment, Holness saluted his representation of the island-nation, saying he had “served Jamaica well” during his seven and a half years as consul general.

“We spoke about the important role our overseas missions play in looking after Jamaicans, especially in times of need,” Holness said in a post on X. “During COVID-19, for example, the Miami team worked with the Jamaican community to support more than 2,500 Jamaicans who were stranded and needed food, healthcare and assistance to return home.

“I wish Oliver every success as he takes on this new responsibility,” the prime minister added. “I know he will continue to put the welfare of Jamaicans overseas at the center of his work and represent Jamaica with dedication.“

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This story was originally published August 26, 2026 at 4:18 PM.