TCI News
TCI: Governor’s Inaugural Speech
Grand Turk, July 16, 2019 – Turks and Caicos –
Governor Nigel Dakin’s Speech 15 July 2019.
His Honour the Speaker, Your Ladyship the Chief Justice, the Honourable Premier, the Honourable Leader of the Opposition, Her Excellency the Deputy Governor, the Honourable Attorney General, Honourable Ministers, Honourable Members of this Honourable House, the Commissioner of Police, Ladies and Gentlemen, Family. And, through your various representational roles, my greetings to the people of these islands, a community I hope I will soon be able to call ‘friends’.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity of addressing this House a thank you I extend to the Honourable Premier, and to the Honourable Leader of the Opposition, for their welcome, not only to myself but also my family.
As experienced leaders you will have chosen your words with care and I look forward to weighing those words accordingly.
To reply today to the important points you make would suggest I have arrived with an agenda prepared in London; you will all be relieved to hear that I don’t. My views can wait until I am better informed, through detailed conversations with you.
In truth, I come with only one idea: ‘To preserve and to improve’. I’ll explain this in a moment.
Let me first though properly introduce you to my family, supporting me here today.
Mandy my extraordinary wife, who you will find ready to contribute a great deal to these islands. Charlie – our daughter – an ‘International Relations’ graduate now deeply engaged on environmental issues and Fraser – our son – an Undergraduate studying Engineering.
You, I know, understand the importance of family in the way I’ve just described a family. You also use the imagery of family – rather beautifully I think – to describe the wider islands that I’m now Governor of: “the family islands”. I look forward to getting to know this new family.
A word about first impressions.
This is not our first time in these islands; our family have previously arrived in a particularly important capacity. We arrived as tourists; the economic engine of this country and on which so much of these islands future depends.
We expected the beauty – we’d of course seen the pictures. We anticipated the weather – we’d consulted the forecast. What we didn’t expect was the genuine warmth of the people we met. If it’s the beaches that bought us here it’s the people that would bring us back.
Every person: the immigration officer; the representative of the car hire firm in Provo; the taxi driver in Grand Turk; the waitress; the bartender; the police officer that helped us at the fish fry; the owner of the accommodation we stayed at; the power boat skipper who took us down the islands; all were outstanding Ambassadors for this country. All four of us are delighted to be back.
To substance. The greatest courtesy I can now pay you is to be both brief (I will take little more than 5 minutes) – and to be clear – (I will make just 6 points). Four words that you may choose to hold me to account to, one thought about the Constitution and I’ll end talking about my priorities.
The first word is ‘Care’. I may be a True Brit, but I’m a Brit who cares deeply about the UK’s relationship with the Caribbean, and the Caribbean’s relationship with the UK. With a Bajan wife, whose family has lived on that island for centuries, and children who enjoy joint Bajan / British nationality how could I be anything, but.
I’ve been in the Caribbean every year for the last 35 years and visited many of the islands in this region. Nearly 33 years ago I married Mandy in St Georges Church, Barbados.
One of our children was christened in St Ambrose Church, St Michael, Barbados. I therefore promise to ‘care’ about the people and the future of these islands, an easy promise to make, and an easy promise to keep, because both myself and my family have cared about the future of this region for a very long time.
You will find I will take my responsibility to represent the interests of the Turks and Caicos Islands seriously and diligently.
The second word is ‘Listen’. Long standing connections to this region ensure that I at least know how much I don’t know. I have some insight to island life. I know how hard I will have to work to understand a rich and complex society that few – who have not lived in the Caribbean – can properly understand.
As a result you will find me inquisitive, I aspire to be one of the most informed people on these islands. Whoever you are, you will find that I will ask a lot of questions. You all, I think, have a right to be heard – and I have a duty to listen.
So I promise to seek to understand the collective wisdom of these islands by listening to as many people as I can – from as many different walks of life as I can; I promise to ‘listen’. The third word is ‘Service’. I was introduced to public service in 1982 when I joined the British Army. Six months later, at the age of 19, I was leading thirty soldiers on operations. That was 37 years ago and this word ‘service’ has been tested every day since then.
The cap badge at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst – where I started my first career aged 18 – does not read “Lead to Serve”. You do not ‘serve’ through your ‘leadership’ – quite the opposite. The cap badge at Sandhurst reads: “Serve to Lead”.
The truth is that the quality of a person’s leadership is based only on the quality of their service, and the quality of their service boils down to putting others first. So I promise, as your Governor, that I will not only be Her Majesty’s servant in these islands, but I will also be your servant.
Being clear and straight: This final word, and we need not dwell on this because you will – in the end – judge me as you see it – is that you will find me ‘clear’ and by being clear you fill find me ‘straight’.
To ‘care’, to ‘listen’ to ‘serve’ and to be ‘straight’ seem to me four good words, four good anchors, to be held accountable to.
I promised a word about the constitution. I am the 15th Governor of these Islands. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, has appointed all 15. She had been crowned twenty years before the first Governor – Alexander Mitchell – was appointed by her. All fifteen Governors received their commission from her, to be her representative as Head of State.
I am genuinely touched by the spotlight you place on me today, but in truth whoever the individual Governor is, is not the issue. It is instead what the office of Governor represents: continuity, the link to the Crown and to Britain, and the Governor’s application of the constitution that is important.
It is important because it ensures everyone in these islands, and anyone wishing to travel to her, or invest in her, understands that through the Constitution it is the rule of law that prevails here and all are equal here before the law.
An investment here is safe, because the law keeps it safe. A persons human rights are in the end guaranteed here because the law demands those rights be protected.
Conversations about the constitution become immediately complex but let me – for the moment – keep things simple. The key test is that a Constitution has to be good enough to weather the bad times as well as the good. To take in its stride not just the sort of outstanding leaders who spoke before me today, the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition, but those whose intentions, perhaps long in the future, may be less selfless than the standard that all of us in this room aspire to now.
It’s why the oath I swore at the start of these proceedings is taken by all of you so seriously and why it is – to me – the islands sword and shield; something I must steward diligently.
I am acutely aware that as Head of State I am appointed rather than elected. I have the greatest respect for those politicians amongst you, who face an electorate. As a result you – as well as Her Majesty who appointed me as her representative – have every right to demand, in your Head of State, Statesman like qualities. Today is my first step on a journey to earn the right to be judged in that way.
In the 18th Century the political philosopher Burke offered advice. His definition of a statesman was: “A disposition to preserve and an ability to improve”. That seems to me to remain a good aiming mark in the 21st Century Turks and Caicos Islands. To preserve and improve. You will find that I’m interested in making a practical, positive, difference.
So I’m interested in supporting all those helping educate, protect, develop and care for all that call these islands home, including the most vulnerable. I’m equally interested in supporting those who are focussed on business, tourism and diversifying the economy. We all rely on wealth creators.
We can all learn from the next generation – I have – and there will be a particular place, in my heart, for those who understand that the stewardship of our environment offers not just benefits here, but also the opportunity for the Turks and Caicos Islands to have a genuine global voice.
That’s a global voice in what will be one of the predictable themes of this century, something critical we must steward for those that come behind us. Fortunately it’s a fast developing UK priority. On the environment we – the Turks and Caicos Islands, Britain and all the Overseas Territories – are more influential and stronger together than we can ever be apart.
In starting a new role though it’s critical to have early focus – my early focus will be on properly understanding issues relating to crime, illegal immigration and hurricane preparedness. My programme has been prepared with that in mind.
That’s enough talk. I start my agenda – such as it is – to work with you all to ‘preserve and to improve’. In the end this is going to be a Governorship based on values. Whether I ‘care’, ‘listen’, ‘serve’ and whether I’m ‘straight’ will best be judged by my actions rather than my words. I’m now keen to get to work.
And may God bless the Turks and Caicos Islands.
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: — Beaches Turks and Caicos has refreshed the grounds of Enid Capron Primary School in Five Cays, Providenciales, ahead of the new school year, with a landscaping team from the resort, pruning and cutting back overgrown branches to give the campus a cleaner, safer look.
The project focused on the school’s exterior plantings, where tangled growth had begun to encroach on walkways and outdoor learning
areas. The team spent time trimming hedges, thinning dense shrubs and removing deadwood to improve sightlines and airflow around the buildings.
Assistant Landscaping Manager, Kemar Jones said the work at Enid Capron is a regular priority for the department, which views community giving as a core part of its mandate. He noted that supporting local schools, particularly through hands-on environmental work, has long been a focus area for his team.
Jones, said the effort reflects the group’s wider commitment to the islands. “As a team, our goal is to give back to our communities and especially providing support for the environment and education,” Jones noted. “The team is always ready to share our skills with making the school environment more comfortable for our students and teachers.”
General Manager Deryk Meany framed the project as part of Beaches’ broader approach to working alongside the community beyond the resort gates. “At Beaches Turks and Caicos, we operate as a team not only within the confines of the resort but also with our communities,” Meany added. “Being able to share our varied skills is always our main focus. Providing a comfortable learning environment allows for a greater relationship with our educational collaborators.”
He added that the resort seeks opportunities to support range of school-based initiatives, from environmental and leadership clubs to creative programmes.
Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture Hon. Rachel Taylor described the landscaping mission as a continuation of a long-
standing relationship between the Ministry and Beaches Turks and Caicos. “This mission from our major private sector supporter, Beaches Turks and Caicos is a long standing activity,” Taylor said. “At Enid Capron Primary School, we are treated as family. Once we reach out to the resort, they have always responded in a positive way.”
Hon. Taylor said the support is particularly valuable in the areas of education and community development, where consistent private-sector engagement can amplify government efforts.
Nelene Swann, vice principal at Enid Capron Primary welcomed the refreshed grounds as a boost to morale before classes resume. “This is what true collaboration looks like,” she noted. “This is more than a facelift for the school. The team from Beaches Turks and Caicos has shown true commitment in adding to this learning environment for our students and teachers.”
She said the improved landscaping contributes to a more comfortable and inviting campus for all stakeholders. “This is a good way to start the new school year. This facelift will certainly make the facilities here at the school more appealing to our students, teachers and parents.
News
Beaches Turks & Caicos strengthens year-round commitment with local craft vendors and transport operators
Turks and Caicos Islands, October 8, 2026 – Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort is deepening its long-standing collaboration with local
craft vendors and transport operators, maintaining active support even during the off-peak season to sustain livelihoods and strengthen the islands’ tourism ecosystem.
Local entrepreneurs say the resort’s commitment is felt throughout the year, with particular emphasis on keeping businesses vibrant when visitor numbers dip. Veteran craft vendor Cassandra Gardiner highlighted the consistency that has become a hallmark of the association. “We are satisfied with the consistency shown by the resort and the local entrepreneurs,” Gardiner said. “During the slower season, they have taken the time to keep the entrepreneurial team active with customer service and marketing training workshops.”
The workshops, delivered in collaboration with the Sandals Foundation and the Sandals Corporate University, focus on practical skills such as product display, guest engagement and digital marketing-tools that help artisans convert resort traffic into steady sales even outside peak periods. The Cultural Marketplace, located adjacent to the property, continues to serve as a primary platform, while vendors are welcomed onto the resort grounds on scheduled days to reach a wider audience.
For local taxi associations, the resort’s backing translates into reliable business and sponsorship for community activities. Loftan Ellis, a veteran transport operator, described the support as “magical,” noting that Beaches is often the first to confirm sponsorship for association events and planned activities. “The consistency in business from Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort is one of the main reasons for us to maintain our livelihood while helping to build our primary industry, tourism,” Ellis added.
This alignment between resort operations and local transport providers helps stabilize income during quieter months, ensuring that drivers
and small operators can remain active participants in the destination’s tourism value chain.
General Manager Deryk Meany framed this collaboration as central to the resort’s corporate social responsibility and philanthropic mission. “We remain committed to providing support to our environment and the communities that we serve,” Meany said.
He emphasised that growth at the property is intended to create shared opportunity. “As we grow, we will create greater opportunities for the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands to grow alongside us,” Meany said.
By maintaining training, market access and sponsorship across the calendar, the resort is helping to build resilience in a sector vulnerable to seasonality. For craft vendors and transport operators alike, this local support offers more than intermittent income; it provides a structured pathway to professionalise services, expand customer reach and contribute to a more diversified and sustainable local tourism economy.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Friday, 2nd October 2026: Invest Turks and Caicos officially opened Caya
Hico Collective, the Grand Turk MSME Storefront, on Friday, September 18, 2026, marking a significant milestone in the Agency’s ongoing efforts to support local entrepreneurs, expand access to market opportunities, and strengthen the small business ecosystem.
Caya Hico Collective has been established as a dedicated retail space to showcase and sell locally made products, initially featuring entrepreneurs participating in the MSME Programme. As the initiative develops, there are plans to expand participation to include other small businesses producing locally made goods, including those not directly supported under the Programme. The storefront will provide local businesses with greater exposure and direct access to both residents and the thousands of visitors who arrive in Grand Turk each year creating stronger linkages between local entrepreneurs and the tourism economy. The store currently features fourteen (14) inaugural vendors, representing a diverse selection of local businesses and products from across the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Speaking on the significance of the initiative, Ms. Alexa Cooper, Chief Domestic Investment Officer, said:
“This storefront represents a practical and meaningful step in supporting our MSMEs by providing access to market, one of the most
critical components of business growth. It is a space where local talent, creativity and entrepreneurship can be showcased, supported and connected with new customers.”
A Name Chosen by Grand Turk’s Youth
The name Caya Hico Collective was selected through the Grand Turk MSME Storefront Naming Competition, an initiative conducted in partnership with H.J. Robinson High School. Students were invited to propose an original name that reflected Grand Turk’s identity, culture and heritage while also being suitable for a storefront showcasing locally made products.
Following an independent judging process, Mauvarii Selver was selected as the competition winner for the submission Caya Hico Collective.
The name was recognised for its cultural and historical significance, distinctiveness and strong storytelling potential. “Caya Hico” is derived from the Lucayan term meaning “string of islands,” reflecting the archipelagic identity and heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The use of “Collective” further reflects the purpose of the storefront: bringing together products from multiple local entrepreneurs under one shared retail platform. Together, the name Caya Hico Collective connects the Islands’ heritage with the initiative’s vision of bringing local businesses, products and creativity together in one space.
The naming competition provided students with an opportunity to participate directly in a real-world branding exercise and contribute to an initiative that will form part of Grand Turk’s commercial and tourism landscape.
Mauvarii was formally recognised during the opening ceremony, alongside the other students who participated in the naming competition, the inaugural MSME vendors, and key stakeholders whose contributions supported the successful development and opening of the storefront.
Angela Musgrove, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Turks and Caicos, added:
“Caya Hico Collective is more than a retail space. It reflects our continued focus on strengthening linkages between local businesses and
the tourism sector, creating more opportunities for MSMEs to reach visitors, increasing sales and participate more fully in the tourism economy. At the same time, it gives visitors greater access to authentic products that reflect the creativity and culture of the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Supporting Local Enterprise and Tourism Linkages
Caya Hico Collective is expected to serve as an important platform for local entrepreneurs by increasing the visibility of locally produced goods, creating additional sales opportunities and providing visitors with greater access to authentic products from the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Through the storefront, Invest Turks and Caicos aims to encourage residents and visitors alike to discover, purchase and support locally made products, while creating a stronger connection between entrepreneurship, culture and the visitor experience in Grand Turk. The initiative is intended to increase opportunities for local businesses to benefit from tourism activity by connecting visitors directly with locally made products that showcase the creativity and talent of entrepreneurs across the Turks and Caicos Islands. This forms part of Invest Turks and Caicos’ broader commitment to promoting economic diversification, sustainable business development and stronger linkages between local enterprises and the tourism sector.
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