History was made at Western Stars Sports Club earlier this week when Denise Hollis was voted in as the first female president of the St. John?s Road club.

Hollis, 43, defeated Cecil Lewis by four votes for outgoing president Cal Blankendal?s vacated post during the club?s AGM on Monday.

Wasting no time setting out her stall, she unveiled some of the goals she hopes to achieve during her watch at one of the Island?s most successful sports clubs in recent times.

Speaking about her new role at the club, Hollis told ?I am honoured and I?m sure that it will be a challenge and I welcome it. I am very sports orientated and have always enjoyed watching sports and my interests have led me here today.

?I believe that I have a lot to offer and can carry on the visions of the past and bring them together with those of the present and the future.

?I have been told that I am the first woman to hold the position of president of Western Stars Sports Club and this is a great honour and I am truly humbled.

?Not everyone was happy, but those who know me and recognise my contributions and work at the club have shown their support and I thank all of them for that.?

Hollis hopes to encourage past members to return and become more active, aims to make the club more community and family oriented, garner corporate sponsorship and assistance to help subsidise the club?s various sporting programmes and also implement a programme that will see Stars team up with schools to provide tutoring for children involved in their youth programmes.

She also intends to work with the club?s coaches to see how they can progress, continue to project Western Stars as ?a positive role model in the community?, encourage more women to come forward and start a Women?s Auxiliary at the club.

Hollis? other goals include the implementation of a scholarship programme for single mothers to assist them to go back to school and also a mentoring programme that will encourage young men and women to excel within the Pembroke West community.

Hollis previously served the club as fundraising chairperson, assistant secretary and vice-president.

?I?ve spent quite a number of years around the club,? she continued. ?My son Dennico started playing football as a five-year-old and cricket at age 11 and he will be 18 this year.

?In recent years I became more involved, first joining the youth programme as fundraising chairperson and here I am now.?

Hollis paid tribute to outgoing Stars executives Shawnette Perott (secretary) and Gershon Gibbons (vice-president).

?It was a pleasure working with them both,? she said.

Her new administrative team consists of Blankendal (vice-president), Allison Russell (assistant secretary), Belinda Wellman (treasurer), Lloyd Christopher (assistant treasurer) and Karimah Swan (assistant secretary).

She also singled out Blankendal for special mention.

?Cal is no stranger to the sporting arena and is very dedicated to the club,? she said.

As for the road that lies ahead, Hollis said: ?I am not sure what changes will come. However, I consider myself a well organised individual and believe that staying organised will be the key.?