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Turks and Caicos Pastor gets world class training in Public Speaking, as he ‘declares’ the works of the Lord

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#TurksandCaicos, May 11, 2018 – Providenciales – Community Fellowship Centre senior pastor, Rev. Bradley Handfield has seen a fervent interest in a basic standard re-ignited this year, and in addition to establishing a Book Club at his church, he has been making investments into his own personal development.

“This year started out with me reading a lot because we had the hurricane in September and during that time I had a lot of time to think and to read and I started reading and listening to Les Brown on YouTube and on Facebook.  I was extremely motivated by what I heard from him through his videos and his presentations and I found out that he was having this training in Deerfield Beach in April and I said to myself, I am not going to let this miss me.  Les Brown is the world’s #1 Motivational Speaker and I know that he has a lot of knowledge, wisdom and insight and sheer experience that he can share with those of us who are interesting in speaking to people and speaking into people’s lives and motivating people.”

Reverend Handfield, who is a professional teacher and the 16-year pastor of Community Fellowship Centre, an Assemblies of God church in Providenciales talked about his recent trip to Florida where the focus for him was on becoming a better speaker.

“The conference was a training seminar and it was focused on improving your speaking ability.  I speak every week to an audience, but I have this desire to continue learning as long as I am alive and I want to become better at whatever it is that I am doing.  And since I do speak to people every week, I want to enhance the way that I speak to people so that I am being most effective at reaching them and touching them and at meeting their needs.”

Rev. Handfield is impressed and inspired by the story of Les Brown.  A man born with his twin in a derelict building in Miami, Florida and abandoned by his birth mother.  A man who had limited prospects but who at the age of 73-years old, is now ranked in the Top 10, in fact at No. 2 of the Top 10 Global list of Motivational Speakers.  Brown is a former disc jockey, a former politician, an author and an Emmy Award winning broadcaster.  Les Brown is ultra-effective at encouraging people to pursue and possess their dreams; often using his life as a reference point.

“I know what my purpose is because my purpose was revealed when I was three-years-old, it was said clearly that my life was spared when I was about to die from pneumonia.  God miraculously healed me and prophesied over my life before healing me, saying this child would not die but live to declare the works of the Lord.  And so I know that speaking is what I live for.  God saved my life so that I could declare…”

And declare is what Bradley Handfield of North Caicos does, emphatically. The pastor is known for his frank commentary on issues ranging from politics to education to the Word of God, cultural folklore and personal development on the national and regional level.  Rev. Handfield has organized leadership conferences featuring among others, world renowned author and speaker, the late Dr. Myles Munroe.

The Pastor is also an author who recently told a children’s story in a book titled, Auntie Fannie, Mattie and the Talking Potatoes.

“One of the things I walked away from this conference is the understanding of two-dimensional story telling and three-dimensional story telling.  When I heard of about three-dimensional story telling, my ears pricked because I wanted to know what do you really mean and how much deeper can you go in story-telling.  So I learned that we can tell stories where we share a particular incident that has happened to us or someone else, it could even be a story that we have heard and we can just share it and it enhances our speech because we are able to put into the story telling, the feeling of individual at the time of the incident,” Rev. Bradley continued, “the audience can actually feel as if they are a part of that event that has already happened and actually feel those emotions as you say them and that was demonstrated (at the conference) and that was real, really powerful and really impactful.

So far for 2018, teachers of the Community Christian Academy and others have benefited from a special session to enhance teacher methodology under the guidance of husband and wife team, Murriell and Bob McCulley.  Rev. Bradley, as he often called, said “there is more to come.”

In the meantime, Pastor Bradley is hoping that his thirst for self-enhancement will be contagious and admits that while he does not expect everyone to be able to attend conferences abroad, he does pray and hope that residents will make the more financially manageable decision to invest in quality books and read them.

“So whether I am in church speaking on the Gospel of Jesus Christ or I am at some kind of seminar teaching people about leadership or something else that I have learned about in my lifetime, I am still declaring the works of the Lord.  Because whatever I am able to learn or impart is all about what God has done and what God is doing for us in the world.”

 

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Invest Turks and Caicos Islands Takes Platinum Sponsor Role at Premier Hotel Investment Summit  

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Turks and Caicos, May 23, 2026 – Invest Turks and Caicos Islands took center stage at one of the region’s most influential hospitality investment gatherings this spring, serving as a Platinum Sponsor at ALIS CALA 2026 in Coral Gables, Florida.

Held April 28 to 30 at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel, the conference brought together more than 600 tourism, hotel and investment leaders from over 35 countries focused on the future of hospitality investment in the Caribbean and Latin America.

ALIS CALA — short for the Americas Lodging Investment Summit Caribbean and Latin America — is widely regarded as the region’s premier deal-driven hospitality investment conference. The platform emerged from the merger of the long-running Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) and Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA), creating what organizers describe as a high-level space where investors, developers, lenders, hotel brands and government leaders connect around major regional projects and opportunities.

The event is known for attracting senior decision-makers, with roughly one in three delegates holding titles such as Chairman, CEO, President, Owner or Principal.

Invest Turks and Caicos said its participation focused heavily on showcasing investment opportunities across the territory, particularly in the Family Islands.

CEO Angela Musgrove delivered a presentation highlighting development opportunities in the Turks and Caicos Islands to what the agency described as a full room of attendees and strong stakeholder interest.

In a statement following the conference, Invest Turks and Caicos said discussions centered on tourism expansion, sustainable development and long-term investment partnerships designed to position the Turks and Caicos Islands as a leading investment destination in the region.

The agency added that it looks forward to continuing conversations started at ALIS CALA and building new partnerships with investors, developers and strategic stakeholders interested in growth opportunities throughout the islands.

The conference itself focused heavily on capital access, hotel development pipelines, mixed-use tourism projects and investment confidence throughout the Caribbean basin — sectors where Turks and Caicos continues to attract increasing international attention.

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Multi-Agency Enforcement Action Conducted in Lower Bight

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Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands — The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), in coordination with the Planning Department and key partner agencies, conducted a multi-agency enforcement exercise on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in the Lower Bight area in Providenciales. The exercise resulted in the complete removal of a total of eight (8) unauthorized structures and all associated debris from a privately-owned parcel of land.

The operation was led by the Planning Department, with coordination by the ISU and support from the TCI Border Force, the Crown Land Unit, and Pelican Energy.  Security for the exercise was provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. All agencies worked collaboratively to ensure the exercise was carried out in a safe, orderly, and controlled manner.

The enforcement action followed a structured and lawful process in accordance with the Physical Planning regulatory framework of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Section 45 Enforcement Notices were first issued on the affected parcel in December 2024, identifying unauthorized structures erected without the requisite approvals. This was followed by the issuance of Warning Notices on April 16, 2026, which advised occupants that they were in breach of planning and land use regulations and provided notice that demolition activities would proceed following the prescribed compliance period. Despite these notices and the time afforded for compliance, the unauthorized structures remained in place.

This exercise represents part of an ongoing commitment to ensuring that development within the Turks and Caicos Islands is lawful, safe, and aligned with national standards.

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Beaches Turks and Caicos and Sandals Foundation Champion Early Childhood Literacy with Star-Studded Reading Road Trip

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PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: The grand opening of the Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks and Caicos brought more than just high-energy celebrations to the shores of Providenciales as the Sandals Foundation led a star-studded Reading Road Trip at four local primary schools.

Dozens of celebrities, global media representatives, resort guests, and hospitality executives took a purposeful break from the weekend’s festivities to connect directly with the island’s youngest learners. The initiative transformed standard kindergarten classrooms at Enid Capron Primary, Thema Lightbourne Primary, Ianthe Pratt Primary and Oseta Jolly Primary into dynamic literacy hubs as visitors including American Actor and Playwright Jesse Eisebberg, and Real Housewives of New York City and author Kelly Bensimon read books and engaged in fun literacy games and activities.

The carefully designed activities aimed to strengthen students’ foundational reading comprehension skills and saw visitors actively animating characters, reading aloud, playing interactive literacy games, doing phonetic exercises and collaborative arts and crafts.

For local educators, the initiative represented a valuable opportunity to broaden students’ horizons. Through meaningful interaction with media representatives, students learned firsthand about exciting careers in writing, photography, and broadcasting.

Nelene Swann, Vice Principal of Enid Capron Primary, highlighted the profound impact of the unique global connection. “The experience for the children was good as they interacted and shared in a cultural blend while learning about new cultures and different career options,” Swann shared.

For American actor and playwright Jesse Eisenberg, who spent his afternoon volunteering at Oseta Jolly Primary School, his visit coincided with a special occasion on the school’s calendar, creating an even more memorable atmosphere for the youngsters.

“Our school was celebrating Boys Day which allowed [Eisenberg] to share in the experience and even provide great mentorship advice. Lessons such as the importance of consistency were well received by students in this developmental phase,” says Handsfield.

The Sandals Foundation has long championed early childhood education as a fundamental pillar of its philanthropic mission across the region.

Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation, expressed her pride in the weekend’s grand opening educational outreach noting, “The Reading Road Trips provided a one-of-a-kind experience to guests and students as they shared in the power of play, imagination and life – all through the wonders of books. At the heart of our mission is to facilitate the creation of fun and dynamic learning environments that inspire students. We are proud to be a partner in TCI’s education tapestry and will continue to support initiatives that enable students’ holistic development.”

While the grand opening festivities brought a special influx of international participants to the classrooms, the commitment to local schools remains a consistent, year-round priority for the local resort staff. Employees regularly dedicate their personal time to mentor, tutor, and read with primary school students, fostering an incredibly strong bond between the hospitality sector and the local education system.

General Manager Deryk Meany emphasized the immense joy these initiatives bring to his dedicated staff. “This was a blast for the resort team members. The heart of the hospitality industry extends far beyond the resort’s doors and through the Reading Road Trip and other team member volunteer initiatives, we are proud to share our time, resources and expertise to the school community.”

Even as the official grand opening celebrations conclude, the positive impact of these classroom interactions will continue to resonate deeply throughout the Providenciales community and the world – example of a powerful model for community-integrated tourism.

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