Prime Minister Perry Christie will deliver the keynote address at the Third Annual Andros Business Outlook, which is scheduled to take place Tuesday, May 15.
The theme of the forum will be, "Charting a Course for Growth in Andros for 2014", in line with the focus of this year's business outlook on economic growth and development.
"We have been fortunate to secure the participation of Prime Minister Perry Christie to present the keynote address. He has been kind enough to present on the central theme of economic growth and development at the three business outlooks which have taken place so far this year. We have been further favored that the Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government V. Alfred Gray has agreed to give welcome remarks and introduce Mr. Christie," said Joan Albury, president, TCL Group, which organizes the business outlook series.
"In these symposia, insight into the government's thinking, plans and provisions regarding the development of the host community is essential. We are confident that this ministerial combination will provide enough access to stimulate valuable dialogue," she added.
"Appropriately, two people closely connected with Andros development will open the forum. I'm confident in saying that the presentations that fill the day will be dynamic and highly relevant to the Andros context, which means that they will be supremely relevant to the national development context."
She continued, "We have been successful in securing a generally distinguished slate of speakers. We are especially pleased in having Dr. Omer Thomas, who has distinguished himself internationally in a number of high profile posts in the field of food production, including agro-industrial development."
The Third Annual Andros Business Outlook will take place at Love at First Sight Hotel and Restaurant in Stafford Creek, Andros.
A preview of the agenda of the Andros Business Outlook shows that there will be a heavy concentration on agriculture, marine resources, forestry and finance.
The agriculture panel slated for the event will be comprised of individuals who are highly regarded in their specializations. These include Dr. Omer S. Lloyd Thomas, who has more than 32 years of experience in the planning, organization and management of agricultural research and development; Dr. Selima Campbell Hauber, a horticulturalist who has specialized in plant propagation through tissue culture and has won recognition for her skills in this field, and Bishop Caleb Evans of the Church of God of Prophecy, North Andros, a former member of the National Advisory Council for Agriculture.
Christopher Russell, director of forestry in the Ministry of the Environment, will bring to light the economic value of the extensive forests of Andros in a presentation entitled "Small Business Opportunities in the Forestry Sector for Andros". Russell has been intimately involved in the establishment of pilot forestry programs in Abaco and Andros. Also speaking is Lionel Johnson, dean of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences at The College of The Bahamas, who is noted for his commitment to the sustainability of The Bahamas' natural patrimony.
The afternoon session will be moderated by Veronica Owens, president of the North Andros Chamber of Commerce. A member of Parliament between 2002 and 2007, Owens has been significantly involved in cultural development in Andros. As the director of the Andros Cultural Heritage Trail, Owens requested technical assistance from the Florida Association for Volunteer Action in the Caribbean and the Americas (FAVACA) to raise awareness of the historical significance of Andros, especially as regards Black Seminole settlement.
Owens will give an update from the North Andros Chamber of Commerce and introduce speaker Peter Douglas, manager of the Ministry of Tourism, Andros, whose topic is simply entitled "My Andros".
Peter Douglas, executive director of the Andros Conservancy and Trust (ANCAT), is recognized for his extensive involvement in the economic development of Andros and the protection of its natural heritage. The marine panel at the event will be comprised of a group of professionals recognized for their dedication to the promotion and protection of the marine bounty of the Bahamian archipelago: Dr. Vallierre Deleveaux, Prescott Smith and Eleanor Phillips.
Dr. Deleveaux, a marine biologist, currently serves as the director of marine science at the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute. Phillips, program director of the North Caribbean Program at The Nature Conservancy, has extensive knowledge of and involvement with the marine protected area (MPA) program of The Bahamas and her efforts have contributed much to the drive to establish MPAs. Smith is president of the Bahamas Sportfishing Conservation Association, which is dedicated to the protection and preservation of the natural resources of The Bahamas.
The final hour of Third Annual Andros Business Outlook will be dedicated to the finance panel, led by Michael Cunningham, who chairs Bahamas Entrepreneurial Venture Fund Ltd., which represents the government's major thrust in stimulating the growth of small and medium-sized businesses.

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