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Commonwealth Games Association (TCI) Keen to Establish Turks and Caicos Islands As A Competing Nation at the Olympic Games

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#Providenciales, August 7, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – The four year term limit of the outgoing Executives of the Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) – TCI came to a close recently and a new slate of Executive Board members was elected. The successful turnout of 75% of the registered Sports Federations in Country at the recent Annual General Meeting resulted the election of a group of experienced and committed persons who are resolved to champion the enhancement of Athletics in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The CGA is pleased to announce the appointment of its new slate of officers for the next four years. Making up the new Executive Board are Godfrey Been (President), Trevor Cooke (Vice President), Rosalie Ingham (Secretary), Edith Skippings (Assistant Secretary), Edith Cox (Treasurer), Arthur Forbes (Assistant Treasurer), Ezekiel Hall (Public Relations), Levard Missick (Athletes representative) and Dorn Fulford (Coaches Representative).

The newly elected president, Mr. Godfrey Been remarked “I would like to thank all the Presidents of the sporting bodies for nominating and voting for me as the President. I count a privilege and deem it an honour to be a servant to this group and also to the entire communities of the Turks & Caicos Islands. In sports I am no stranger from my high school years it has been my dream to see Turks & Caicos taking part in every sporting event globally and internationally. I want to say a big thank you to Ms. Rita Gardiner and her hard working team for their hard work and dedication over the many years. I must give thanks to almighty God who has kept me and will continue to strengthen me for the task ahead. This Role is not an easy one but with the new executive behind me I will do my endeavor best to move sports to the next level.

The CGA is responsible for all sports federations in the Turks & Caicos Islands and one of the first order of business is to begin the rebranding of the Turks & Caicos Commonwealth Games Association, to show all federations, athletes, corporate community and Government Sports Department that the CGA is very serious about the development of sports, developing our athletes working with the sports department and corporate community to move the sports forward in this new era.

In my acceptance speech I stated that “Our athletes are first and foremost the most important thing to me. We have great athletes out here and the supporting role for them is us.”

I would like to express gratitude to my predecessors, President Vanessa Gardiner for representing the CGA in her short time there, Mrs. Rita Gardiner, who lead the Turks & Caicos CGA for a decades of continued service to sports development in the Turks & Caicos Islands. I also noted that under my watch I aim to move this association to the next level and hold the CGA accountable for its actions. With the help of the sports department and the executive body, I would endeavour to make sure that they (the athletes) climb that ladder and make sure that the CGA does the right thing by all NGBs.

I want to thank all federations who attended the meeting: TCI Football Association, the TCI Rugby Football Union, the TCI Basketball Federation, the TCI Softball Federation, the TCI Amateur Athletic Association, the TCI Tennis Federation, the TCI Swim Federation, the TCI Volleyball Federation, the TCI Cricket Association, the TCI National Darts Association, the TCI Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation and the Turks and Caicos Cycling Federation.

I want to also thank the Director of Sports, Mr. Jarrett Forbes for attending and his kind words, Mr. Drexwell Seymour and Mr. Hawkins for making sure the elections were fair. I also congratulated the new executive and proposed that we will work together for the growth of sports in the Turks & Caicos Islands.”

Mr. Trevor Cooke (Vice President) Commented, “ I joined in with the President in thanking the outgoing President and her team for the work they have done in carrying out the mission and sharing the vision of this great organization. I look forward to working with the newly elected executives as we strive to meet the strategic objectives of the Commonwealth Games Association and embracing its core values that would guide us as we seek to meet the needs of our partners and end users. Last but not least I want to personally and on behalf of the executives, thank Mrs. Rita Gardiner for her stellar service over the years to the CGA and by extension the Turks and Caicos Islands.”

The Board members embody the spirit of community, competition, commitment and bring outstanding talent, expertise, accountability, and energy to the table. The Board is keen to facilitate the recognition and establishment of the Turks and Caicos Islands as a competing nation at the Central American and Caribbean Sporting Organization (CACSO) and the Pan American Sporting Organization (Pan AM Games) during its term in office. The pathway toward this goal is clear and the Board in collaboration with the TCIG Sports Department, TCIG Sports Commission and Member Federations stands ready to make this goal a reality.

Release: Commonwealth Games Association-TCI

Photo Caption: Picture L-R: Jarrett Forbes (Director of Sorts – TCIG), Arthur Forbes (Asst. Treasurer, Ezekiel Hall (Public Relations), Trevor Cooke (Vice President), Edith Skippings (Asst. Secretary), Godfrey Been (President), Rosalie Ingham (Secretary), Edith Cox (Treasurer) and Levard Missick (Athletes Representative. Not pictured is Dorn Fulford (Coaches Representative)

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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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