News
Four Promoted to Senior Director Roles
Turks and Caicos, June 14, 2017 – Providenciales – FortisTCI (the Company) has announced expanded roles for four senior executives as a part of the Company’s organizational restructuring exercise. These new appointments took effect on March 1, 2017.
Don Forsyth, former Director of Engineering and Planning, has been named as Senior Director of Electrical Planning, Engineering and Energy Delivery. Aisha Laporte, who served as Director of Customer Services, is the new Senior Director of Customer Services and Stakeholder Engagement. Catherine BuenaMunsayac, former Director of Internal Audit, Risk and Compliance is now Senior Director of Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Audit, and Archie Gaviola, former Director of Financial Services, has been promoted to Senior Director of Financial and Treasury Services.
Mr. Forsyth joined the FortisTCI team in 2013 as Director of Engineering and Planning. He is a utility electrical engineering professional with 20 years’ experience in island utility systems. He began his career in the industry at the single generation plant in Grenada and moved through the ranks to become Manager of Planning and Engineering.
His expertise includes Generation and Transmission and Distribution Operations and Maintenance activities, a broad range of engineering studies related to system capacity expansion, system protection, system control, distribution automation and renewable energy implementation. Over the years he has held numerous technical and managerial roles.
Mr. Forsyth has a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad. He also holds an Executive MBA from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados.
Mrs. Laporte joined FortisTCI in 2008 as Supervisor of Financial Services. In 2011 she was promoted to Manager of Financial Services and played a key role in several major finance projects designed to improve the Company’s treasury and financial reporting processes. In 2012 she was promoted to Director of Customer Services. As the leader in Customer Services, she focused on developing additional customer services in energy audits, automation of customer information and payments via the customer web portal, as well as enhancing Revenue Protection Services. She has also served on the committee that developed and introduced Renewable Energy Programs in FortisTCI.
Prior to joining FortisTCI, she worked as Principal Auditor for the Turks and Caicos Islands Government from 2003-2006. She also worked as Auditor for two years at KPMG, one of the leading professional auditing firms in the TCI.
Mrs. Laporte graduated with a Bachelor’s degree with distinction in Accounting from Nova Southeastern University in Florida in 2002. A year later she became part of a group of fewer than 10 Turks and Caicos Islanders, at that time, to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Mrs. Buena-Munsayac joined FortisTCI in 2008 as Manager of Financial Services and was promoted to Director of Financial Services and Risk Management in 2011. While in the Finance Department, she led the implementation of financial controls and optimization of the use of the previous enterprise resource planning system. She also facilitated the introduction of the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) process.
In 2014 she transferred to Internal Audit where she was instrumental in the set-up of FTCI’s Internal Audit Department, ERM and Sarbanes-Oxley Readiness programmes. She has diverse industry experience covering energy and utilities, food and beverage, logistics, manufacturing, advertising, financing, real estate and banking.
She has a Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy and holds both Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certifications.
Mr. Gaviola joined FortisTCI in 2009 as Financial Reporting and Business Planning Consultant, focusing on compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and development of financial models for business planning and analysis. He was promoted to Manager of Financial Services in 2012 and Director of Financial Services in 2014. He was instrumental in assisting the Company with obtaining its investment grade corporate credit rating from Standard & Poor’s and the subsequent inaugural issue of notes in the United States private placement market.
He has managed the Company’s financial reporting under both IFRS and United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP). Previously, he worked as Audit Senior at one of the big four auditing firms and managed assurance engagements for mostly international financial institutions.
Mr. Gaviola has a Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy and is a Certified Public Accountant.
FortisTCI President and CEO Eddinton Powell stated, “As we enter a new phase of business in the energy sector highly skilled talent will continue to be at the forefront of organizational success. I am particularly pleased that we have been able to promote from within because, across all four portfolios, these members of senior management have shown technical prowess, leadership growth and the capabilities and commitment to keep moving the Company in a forward direction. On behalf of the entire staff at FortisTCI, I am pleased to congratulate them on their professional and personal achievements.”
FortisTCI has been restructured into three main divisions: Corporate Services; Operations; and Innovation, Strategic Planning and Information, Communications, Technology (ICT). These have further been segmented into three main Operating Business Units (OBUs), namely Production and Project Management, Grand Turk and Sister Islands Operations, and Transmission and Distribution (T&D).
Press Release: FortisTCI
By Deandrea Hamilton
June 9, 2026 – The world has just four years left to deliver on one of its most ambitious environmental commitments: protecting 30 percent of the planet’s oceans by 2030.
On World Oceans Day 2026, environmental organizations, governments and international leaders are shifting the conversation away from
awareness and toward action, urging countries to turn decades of promises into measurable protection for marine ecosystems.
The theme for this year’s observance — “Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet” — is a direct challenge to governments to move beyond declarations and establish meaningful protections for ocean habitats, fisheries and biodiversity.
The urgency is especially relevant in the Caribbean, where economies, jobs and entire communities depend on healthy oceans.
From tourism and fishing to transportation and climate resilience, the sea is the region’s most valuable natural resource.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that humanity can no longer treat the ocean as limitless.
“In these turbulent times, the ocean reminds us that we are bound together,” Guterres said. “But the ocean is in deep trouble.”
The global push follows the recent ratification of the High Seas Treaty, designed to protect marine biodiversity beyond national waters. Together with the international 30×30 target, the agreement represents one of the largest conservation efforts ever attempted.
Closer to home, Caribbean nations are also advancing ocean protection initiatives.
CARICOM says it is developing a regional Ocean Policy aimed at strengthening marine governance and supporting sustainable blue economies.
In the Turks and Caicos Islands, World Oceans Day coincides with the tenth anniversary of the Blue Belt Programme, which has focused on
protecting marine resources while supporting sustainable use of the Territory’s waters.
In The Bahamas, conservation advocates are encouraging citizens to reconnect with the ocean and recognize its value not only as a source of recreation, but as the foundation of national prosperity.
Yet conservationists say government action alone will not be enough.
Protecting the ocean begins with everyday decisions: reducing pollution, respecting marine habitats, supporting sustainable fishing practices, participating in clean-up efforts and holding leaders accountable for environmental commitments.
The message of World Oceans Day 2026 is straightforward.
The promises have been made.
The treaties have been signed.
The targets have been announced.
Now comes the hard part: protecting the ocean before time runs out.
Developed by Deandrea Hamilton • with ChatGPT (AI) • edited by Magnetic Media.
By Deandrea Hamilton
For more than five decades, Peabo Bryson’s unmistakable voice provided the soundtrack to love stories around the world.
The two-time Grammy Award winner, affectionately regarded by many as R&B’s “Duet King,” died on June 2 at the age of 75, days after
suffering a stroke. Family members said he passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.
While younger audiences may remember him as the voice behind Disney classics Beauty and the Beast and A Whole New World, Bryson’s legacy was built long before Hollywood came calling.
Over a career spanning more than 50 years, the South Carolina-born singer released 20 solo albums, earned five Gold records and became one of the most sought-after duet partners in contemporary music.
Few artists mastered the art of collaboration as effortlessly as Bryson.
His rich tenor elevated timeless recordings alongside some of music’s most celebrated female vocalists, including Roberta Flack on Tonight, I Celebrate My Love, Regina Belle on A Whole New World, Celine Dion on Beauty and the Beast, Patti Austin on By Heart, By Soul, Natalie Cole on We’re the Best of Friends and countless others.
Yet he was equally successful as a solo performer.
Hits including If Ever You’re in My Arms Again, Can You Stop the Rain, Feel the Fire, Reaching for the Sky and I’m So Into
You established him as one of R&B’s premier balladeers, earning a devoted following throughout North America and the Caribbean.
Bryson’s greatest commercial success came in the 1990s when Disney selected him to perform two animated-film love songs that became global sensations. Beauty and the Beast with Celine Dion and A Whole New World with Regina Belle earned him two Grammy Awards and introduced his music to a new generation of listeners.
But for many longtime fans, it was the romance, warmth and sincerity of his earlier recordings that defined his greatness.
In an era crowded with powerful voices, Peabo Bryson stood apart by making every duet feel personal and every love song believable.
His voice may be gone, but the music remains — a catalogue filled with timeless ballads, unforgettable partnerships and memories that continue to resonate across generations.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
This angle is stronger than a standard obituary because it focuses on what made Peabo unique. There have been great singers, great balladeers and great hitmakers. There was really only one “Duet King.”
Government Advances Policy Aimed at Consumer Protection and Higher Business Standards
By Deandrea Hamilton
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands — Efforts to improve product quality, strengthen consumer protections and raise business standards across the Turks and Caicos Islands are moving into a new phase as government advances implementation of its National Quality Policy.
The Department of Trade, Industry and Fair Competition announced that a team of consultants spent a week in the Turks and Caicos
Islands meeting with key public and private sector stakeholders as part of the policy’s implementation process.
Approved by Cabinet in October 2024, the National Quality Policy is designed to establish a national quality infrastructure that supports trade, protects consumers and improves the competitiveness of local businesses.
For consumers, the long-term goal is straightforward: greater confidence that products and services meet accepted standards for quality, safety and reliability.
For businesses, the initiative aims to encourage stronger quality management systems that can improve efficiency, build customer trust and create opportunities for expansion into regional and international markets.
During the May 25 to 29 mission, consultants met with representatives from the National Quality Council, Pelican Energy TCI, the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority, the TCI Government Laboratory, the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association and Turks Head Brewery.
According to the Department, the consultations were intended to assess existing quality-related systems, identify gaps and gather recommendations that will help shape the Territory’s national quality infrastructure.
“The policy serves as a strategic framework for establishing a national quality infrastructure in the Turks and Caicos Islands, aimed at improving quality standards, supporting trade, protecting consumers, and enhancing economic competitiveness,” the Department said in a
statement.
Officials explained that stakeholder feedback will help determine what systems, standards and programmes are needed to strengthen quality assurance across various sectors of the economy.
The Department said the information gathered will guide the next stage of implementation and help ensure the policy delivers meaningful benefits throughout the Islands.
Among the initiatives expected to emerge from the process are a Quality Certification Programme and a series of educational workshops designed to help businesses understand and adopt quality standards.
A second round of stakeholder consultations is scheduled for June, allowing government and industry representatives to continue discussions and further assess priority areas identified during the initial mission.
Officials say the ultimate objective is to build a culture of quality that benefits consumers, businesses and the wider economy by encouraging higher standards, greater accountability and improved competitiveness.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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