Bahamas News
Three Turks & Caicos Islanders, with Bahamian Roots promoted at Grace Bay Resorts, among them a new hotel manager
By Deandrea Hamilton & Dana Malcolm
Editorial Staff
#TurksandCaicos, November 25, 2022 – Another promotion announcement from Grace Bay Resorts cements their reputation as being welcoming of local Turks and Caicos Islanders at the executive level of the company, which manages award winning, luxury properties across the island of Providenciales.
For the Turks and Caicos and The Bahamas, there is a cause for rejoicing as the trio of elevated staffers have heritage in both nations.
“One of our values and mission for the organization is a brand that we can all be proud of. We provide employment in the local community, we invest in our people and we give back in terms of educational opportunities as well as ensuring that we not only employ Turks and Caicos islanders but that we employ them at every level in our organization,” said Sheba Wilson, HR Director the Grace Bay Resorts Group of resorts.
Wilson, native to South Caicos is among the first Turks and Caicos Islanders to have been promoted to an executive level at the Grace Bay Resort, she is the HR Director for the group and easily agreed that the company’s culture embraces a hands on approach which has opened the door wide to local talent.
Making the spectacular leap is again Lindy Rigby, who is also a TCHTA Star Award winner. Rigby is now on a
second significant promotion with Grace Bay Resorts.
Having always been interested in the hospitality industry Lindy took the plunge around 12 years ago and worked at Beaches Resort Turks & Caicos before migrating to Grace Bay Resorts. In seven short years, Lindy was promoted from Executive Assistant Manager – Rooms at Grace Bay Club to now, the new General Manager at West Bay Club.
Rigby, at the age of 43 years old has been entrusted with one of the more celebrated boutique properties in the country’s tourism mecca, Providenciales. Described as “subtly sophisticated”, the resort has 46 studios and suites settled sweetly on Grace Bay Beach in the Lower Bight.
“I’m excited that Grace Bay Club has allowed me to take over one of their properties, as a local it is always humbling. It puts more pressure on you to be the GM of a property because you’re on stage and people are looking to you to see if you can do this,” said Lindy, his voice brimming with pride as he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity and congratulations to others who have been advanced.
Lindy added, “I’m also excited for my two colleagues. My best friend and brother, Almando Rigby for his new step in him being the director of rooms at the new Rock HOuse and for Kendi, as new director of HR at South Bank. I can say that Grace Bay Resorts believes in locals and promoting talent from within and that is such a unique thing…”
Lindy Rigby is a founding team member of Magnetic Media which started in 2008, officially. While mass media was a passion for him, his heart belonged to hospitality and with anticipation we saw him pursue the dream with impressive zeal. Therefore his appointment and refreshing humility at this feat, for a boy who went from running around in Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama to now running a world class resort brings our organization tremendous joy. He shared how he continues to achieve such towering accomplishments.
“I also want to thank persons like yourself. Persons like you for always believing in me, you were always telling me that I’m a leader, even when I wasn’t leading people and telling me you have something to offer this world. Those types of encouragements from people like you, Sammy Williams, (the late) Peter Stubbs – all persons who believed in me, all persons who gave me opportunities to lead and who allowed me to display my personality and who I am. I want to say Thank you.”
Almando Rigby and Kendi Jones are also enjoying very successful careers at Grace Bay Resorts. They both leave the
anchor property for newer developments.
Almando was moved up from Executive Housekeeper at Grace Bay Club to Director of Rooms and Senior Leader at the Rock House which is explained as a majestic 14-acre oceanfront site with 600 feet of frontage and peaks soaring up to 95 feet above sea level. It’s considered Capri in the Caribbean.
“I’m excited about the new opportunity given to me by a company that I can say definitely believes in locals, believes in promoting locals. Even before my promotion, as I sat around the table at the mangers’ meetings at Grace Bay Club as I looked around the table, I would always see people that looked like me. And for a company like Grace Bay Club, that runs a luxury five star resort to see that locals are in key positions, it was always appealing to me,” said Almando.
He explained to us, the positions were not token, but given with the expectation that these individuals could support decision making and influence the direction of the company in meaningful ways.
“That pushes you and propels you to want to do good because when you do good, you pave the way for others behind you.”
Also raised in the western side of Grand Bahama Island in The Bahamas, specifically Jones Town, Eight Mile Rock, Almando is Lindy’s older brother and has been planted in the land of his heritage – Turks and Caicos Islands – for nearly two decades now.
Seven years ago, Kendi Jones tells us she was just starting out at Grace Bay Resorts. Today, the young woman who is
connected by birth to the Jolly and Hamilton families of the Turks and Caicos and the famous Jones Communications family in The Bahamas is living a dream come true.
Kendi Jones is the new Director of Human Resources at new South Bank, which is a luxury waterfront development offering oceanfront and beachfront homes on the market for up to $7 million. Ms. Jones manages the team that manages the three intimate neighborhoods: The Ocean Estate, the Lagoon, and the Launch.
“I’m very excited about this new chapter in my life,” Kendi, a Johnson & Wales University graduate shared with us in a phone interview.
“I’ve been with the Grace Bay Club for the last seven years and I’ve been able to grow and develop with them from internships, straight up to this stage in my career. I am excited for the new opportunities, new challenges and new victories I am about to embark upon and I am very thankful to the organization for giving me this opportunity.”
Kendi believes this promotion is another stepping stone, noting that she is looking to even more heights being reached with the company.
It is a glowing string of testaments for the resort group. And make no mistake, driving this enviable corporate culture is Sheba Wilson, who was also hailed for her leadership by the newly promoted team. In fact, 12 years ago Wilson was the only local senior manager at the table.
Wilson explained that as a growing business Grace Bay Resorts was already looking for shining stars in the country’s high schools and the community college to take up positions across their companies.
“It is a part of our strategic HR plan— we have a very robust training plan in house” she explained. “We do a lot of facilitation especially in terms of leadership development and also developing emerging leaders in the organization to prepare them for promotions.”
Wilson maintained it was all about building a legacy of creating and developing leaders and empowering and equipping others so that the company’s legacy continues.
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.
The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap
from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.
With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.
Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.
Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.
Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!
After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.
The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before
their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.
At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.
Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.
Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.
The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.
Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.
Bahamas News
The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed
their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.
As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.
Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole,
with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’. Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.
Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.
Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the
listening booth.
Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.
For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification
attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.
Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.
The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members. Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.
Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine. To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.
On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking
in the comfort of the chic lounge. In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.
The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.
Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.
To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.
