Alsion Roach Wilson, Jamaican consul general in New York, has died

Alsion Roach Wilson, Jamaica’s consul general in New York since 2019, has died, officials said.

"I am deeply saddened to announce the passing today of Alsion Wilson, Consul-General of Jamaica at New York, at her home in New York," Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith said in a post on X on Saturday.

Smith said that Wilson’s accomplishments defined "the time during which she served with deep commitment to country, the Foreign Service and indeed to Jamaicans at home and abroad."

Jamaican media said Wilson died of breast cancer. Her age was not immediately available.

"Everyone who has worked with her or simply met her also know unequivocally that she was also a warm and generous human being who exemplified professionalism, loyalty to country and friendship to the world," Smith said.

In an Instagram post Saturday, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness called Wilson "a devoted daughter of Jamaica" who supported the island nation from the United States for years before her official appointment.

During the COVID pandemic, he wrote, Wilson "leveraged her extensive network" to "mobilize medical equipment and supplies."

Holness said he'd learned of Wilson's work years before when he officiated at an event where a charity she organized "was handing over hundreds of computers to Jamaican schools. This was not a one-time effort as Alsion sustained this commitment for years, quietly supporting education and numerous other national initiatives."

On Aug. 6, 2025, Jamaican Independence Day, the Jamaican government announced that Wilson had been awarded the Order of Distinction, a Jamaican national honor, in the rank of commander, for her contributions to "National Development in the Social and Economic Sectors."

Before her appointment as consul, Alsion served as CEO of Cyberlock Solutions, a Cleveland, Ohio-based IT company, the director of finance for Stamford, Conn.-based Greylock Capital Management, and associate managing director at investment bank Bear Stearns, according to her LinkedIn page.

Raised in Jamaica, she attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, according to media reports. She graduated from Lehman College in the Bronx with degrees in philosophy and public policy, according to her LinkedIn page. 

Wilson attended the International Women's Conference last year at Hofstra University, joining panelists of various professional, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds to speak about the challenges women face.

"It is important for us, as women, to support and encourage each other," Wilson said to a chorus of yes’s. "It is important for us to uplift each other. It is important for us to have dialogue with each other."

New York City Mayor Eric Adams shared his condolences on X, reposting The Jamaican Observer.

"She was a committed diplomat who strengthened our ties with Jamaica and the Jamaican community. My condolences to her family, staff, and the entire Jamaican and diplomatic community," Adams said.

Wilson is survived by husband Omar and her children Brian, Vanessa and Patrick, Smith said.

Newsday's Nicholas Spangler contributed to this story.