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Richea Always knew what she wanted, So she calculated her course now her ‘coffers’ are overflowing

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By Rashaed Esson and Deandrea Hamilton

Editorial Staff

 

 

#TheBahamas, March 16, 2023 – The Bahamian native, Richea Haygood, born and raised in Nassau, is among today’s group of women who are breaking the glass ceiling in the professional world.

Richea’s road to excellence is nothing short of inspiring. She tells me that her purpose was relatively clear at a tender age, that is to accomplish great things in all aspects of her life including accounting. She told a short story of her skills in money management as a little girl in light of her early realisation of her place in the world.

“I had great money management skills even as early as 6th grade.  For my graduation trip, we had this week of activities. I literally initiated a payment plan with my teachers, and I covered my entire week’s cost. My parents did not put anything into it.”

Couple this uncommon foresight with parents who consistently told her that life would be what she made of it, that she was gifted with the ability to accomplish whatever it is she wanted . 

Richea grabbed hold of those repeated refrains and took charge in a most uncommon way.  The young woman, just weeks away now from graduating with her Bachelor’s Degree, believes she is living her dream due to old fashioned passion and determination.

After graduating from the Kingsway Academy High in Bahamas in 2019, where she was Head Girl, Richea immediately reached for greater opportunities.  A part of a larger vision was her high school success and in those critical years, a plan was designed.

She easily reflects on the day she attended a college fair where a previous president of the Harris-Stowe State University   captured her attention; it appears the feeling was mutual as Richea next made history, becoming one of the first international students to be flown out to Harris-Stowe’s student acceptance day.

Richea explains that almost instantly, she had a liking for the small, family-oriented university, and decided to enrol.

She was then awarded a full ride scholarship to Harris-Stowe State University.  Harris-Stowe was established by the St. Louis Public Schools in 1857, making it the first public teacher education institution west of the Mississippi River and the 12th such institution overall.  Harris-Stowe has evolved much since the time when segregation was the order of the day, it is now an illustrious institution for ambitious bright minds, of all diversities and ethnicities.

In her freshman year, Richea chose to ease into her new life; this she said allowed her to adjust to university living. By her sophomore year,  she started amped up involvement. Strategically, Richea began to expand her network with the faculty and the Anheuser Busch school of Business, and here the trend for success and outstanding accomplishments continued.

In April of 2021, she was a student worker in the Department of Institutional Advancement and, in the same year, up to 2022, she interned with Deloitte and Touch, LLP Chicago Illinois in Audit and Assurance.

Richea was selected for the internship; beating out dozens of others for a coveted spot in a world class accounting firm.

In that same period, she again took the position of student worker at her university in the Department of Business and Financial Affairs, and today, she is the Accounting Office CFO.

But successful internships were not new for this young stand out.  In 2019, before venturing to the United States,  Richea interned at KPMG in Nassau, Bahamas.

Behind all of that experience at the young age of 21, Richea has a mountain of notable achievements including the National Award for the highest A, in the Bahamas Bookkeeping and Accounting examination.

Also, during her graduation year, Richea Haygood earned and won first place in KPMG’s accounting bowl.

By 2021, she went on to receive the Backpack to Briefcase St. Louis, Missouri, Larry Blue Jr. Leadership Award for exhibiting exceptional leadership qualities and professional development. She even received a scholarship from Wells Fargo, a financial services company in the US, for exemplified outstanding academic achievements and this is no surprise since she got Provost Honors after maintaining a cumulative GPA between 3.5 and 4.0.

Not only that, but she was also a part of Deloitte’s Emerging Leaders programme last April in Texas and was one of the scholarship recipients rewarded with $10,000. Proof that firm commitment to education and purposeful pursuits do pay!

Only this year, Richea was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success, the largest leadership honours’ society in the United States.  Also, regarding her application for an all-expenses paid leadership training session in Washington DC, she was pumped to know that it was successful.  The Association of Government Accountants of the United States selected Bahamian, Richea Haygood, as one of fifteen exceptional, up and coming business professionals from across the collegiate world to attend the conference this past February.

While all of this was happening, Richea was still honing her skills and expanding her experience through voluntary activities. She volunteered at: her University as Sophomore class treasurer in the Student Government Association, the Xavier University in their 3M Case Competition; The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People – HSSU Chapter; the Student Government Association as Executive Board Treasurer; Regional Business Council Mentor Network Programme; St. Louis NAACP 110th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Freedom Fund Dinner; XULA and 3M Partnering for Progress National Sales Case Competition and the Anheuser School of Business Student Ambassador.

Many would wonder where Ms. Haygood finds time for fun.  But unsurprisingly she also has a good balance between work and leisure. Despite all her hard work and accomplishments, she finds time to go out with friends.

As a young successful black woman, Richea’s goals do not only align with her personal dreams. She strives to inspire and encourage more young people to take advantage of opportunities. This has been the biggest lesson she has learned along her journey. She is also a firm believer in the saying “timing is key”, most importantly God’s timing.

Driven by the notion of creating generational wealth, Richea, like everyone around her, sees herself going far in life and it has already started. She was recently nominated for membership in Harris-Stowe’s Anheuser-Busch School of Business, Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business. This is yet another fantastic feat.

Within the next five years, Richea plans to have her MBA and soundly passed her CPA exam; the Certified Public Accountant examination which is the highest rank as an accountant sets this young woman up well for her dream of becoming a top executive within Deloitte and Touche.

Landing at the top of one of the world’s most reputable and leading accounting firms was part of the plan and for Richea, it is rapidly, thrillingly becoming a part of her well-earned reality.

 

Bahamas News

Bahamas First Lady speaks up for Women and the Family at COP28

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

 

#TheBahamas, December 10, 2023 – Women face unique challenges regarding climate change impacts and The Bahamas Prime Minister’s wife highlighted this at Cop 28.  Joining her husband, Philip Davis who is widely communicating the dire need for climate action, Ann-Marie Davis, First Lady of the archipelago underlined why it’s important to also protect women against climate change effects.

In an interview with media, she spoke to how the climate crisis threatens the health of women globally, highlighting those carrying children.

First Lady Davis points out that it affects the unborn child through harmful gasses the pregnant women can breathe in, the water they drink, and their physical surroundings which may not be conducive to healthy pregnancies and births.

Davis also made sure to highlight that while women are affected differently, especially pregnant women, it’s important to protect everyone, such as men, boys, girls and children overall.

Children can be affected by disabilities and lack of proper development due to climate change impacts, she mentions.

In continuation, the first lady’s remarks compliment the fact that women are considered to be more vulnerable than men to climate change effects according to the United Nations, which says this is mainly due to them representing the majority of the world’s poor and are proportionally more reliant on threatened natural resources.

Regarding the even more vulnerable pregnant women, evidence shows that rising temperatures threaten successful reproduction. In fact, heat stress can cause stillbirths, preterm births and low fetal weight, according to Frontiers in Endocrinology, the third most cited and sixith largest research publisher and open science platform.

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Bahamas News

Energy & Transport Minister Breaks Down the Technical Aspects of the Solar Micro Grids RFP Proposal

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NASSAU, The Bahamas — The Minister of Energy & Transport the Hon. Jobeth Coleby-Davis said each Family Island has unique power requirements, loads, and generation levels.

“Therefore, the specification for the solar array (a collection of solar panels wired together to capture sunlight and produce electricity) will be at least 30 per cent of the energy demand,” the Minister of Energy & Transport said at a press conference to launch the Request for Proposal (RFP) for Family Islands New Energy Generation by Microgrids, Cleaner Fuels and Renewables at Margaritaville Beach Resort on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

This initiative involves developing solar energy microgrids across the Family Islands.  This also encompasses the Government’s goal of The Bahamas having a 30 per cent renewable power generation by the year 2030.

The Minister explained that microgrids will ensure consistent and reliable power output for island inhabitants, addressing unique island requirements.

She also noted that Battery Energy Storage Systems will be incorporated to ensure a seamless backup power supply during outages, and support both the solar and prime power generation.

“Projects will be managed locally to minimize wastage, reduce generation costs, and drive self- sustainability on the islands.”

The Minister said a central Microgrid Controller will be employed to enhance efficiency and reliability across all microgrids and will allow the Bahamas Power and Light Company Ltd. (BPL) to monitor all systems from a centralized location.

She said the deadline for proposal submissions is January 26, 2024, with opportunities for clarification questions through the public procurement portal.

Family Island site visits will commence on December 11, 2023, starting with Eleuthera. The full schedule is outlined in the RFP.

The Minister explained that to be eligible for evaluation, all firms must meet specific experience and qualification standards, including microgrids and renewable energy facility construction capability, and a clear warranty policy is essential for ensuring the performance of proposed equipment.

She said, “We urge all interested firms to submit clarification questions or obtain further information through the public procurement portal, where responses to all questions will be made available.”

The Energy & Transport Minister said new vendors to the portal will be required to self-register by clicking the link “New Vendor Registration”.

If assistance is required, please call: Christopher Minnis at 702 1555 or Cornell Rahaming at 702 1533.

Only registered vendors can access opportunities posted in the portal. Those who are not yet registered, will be limited to observing the opportunities.  The website address is: https://bahamas.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/115160.

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Bahamas News

Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis’ Remarks at the COP28 Green Climate Blue Co Launch

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#TheBahamas, December 7, 2023 – We are here today because we are short on time and even shorter on the resources needed to empower every nation in the world to respond to an increasingly dire climate crisis.

We are approaching the tipping point from which there will be no return. At our current rate, the world will cross the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold sometime within the next two decades.

The window of opportunity is closing.

But it is not closed yet.

And as long as there is even a small opening, just a sliver of time left for us to take action, there is still hope that we can save the world from the worst-case climate change scenarios.

I’ve travelled the globe representing Small Island Developing States like mine which have contributed the least to global carbon emissions but are already experiencing the worst effects of climate change.

Global inaction will soon threaten our continued existence as nations, but we will do everything within our power to avoid this outcome.

The Bahamas is here this week at COP 28 to invite the people of the world to partner with us and all vulnerable states to face this existential threat together.

As a region, the Caribbean has seen the results of our advocacy take shape in the form of the Loss and Damage fund to help us recover from the destruction already wrought on our nations. And we will continue to push for greater access to financing opportunities as we seek to protect our shorelines, build climate-resilient infrastructure, and invest in a renewable and sustainable future.

Through collaborative action, we will also create new industries and generate demand for novel solutions. Solving the world’s most pressing problems has always been good for business. We are entering an era of socially responsible investments, regenerative financing, and ESG finance. And the Caribbean is prepared to lead the way. In fact, if we want to continue to thrive as a region, we have no choice but to lead the way.

My country has been hit by four major hurricanes over the past few years. Over a third of our national debt is directly linked to the impact of storms, causing billions in damages that threaten the economic and fiscal health of our nation and people. With the situation projected to worsen at its current rate, we have gone all-in on making the necessary investments to solve our climate woes. Our future as a nation depends on it.

So, today, I applaud the Green Climate Fund for its efforts to support the developing world in creating climate-resilient pathways to a sustainable future. This is life-saving work.

With the approval of the application for preparation funds to finance the development of the Blue Co Caribbean Umbrella Coordination Programme, we fully expect to see new, effective solutions emerge for the people of the Caribbean.

The Blue Co  Caribbean project will provide the foundation for strategic investments at a scale not possible without embracing the spirit of cooperation and co-investment through this Caribbean-targeted, climate-focused investment opportunity.

Through this platform, Caribbean nations will be empowered to strengthen their blue economy frameworks and develop data-backed projects that can then be replicated and scaled across the region. My nation, as one of the world leaders in the research and development of blue carbon credits as a viable source of revenue generation, looks forward to the ways that Blue Co will strengthen The Bahamas’ mission to develop home-grown solutions that can fund a climate-resilient future for our people.

It turns out that saving the world isn’t just good for people, it’s also good for business.

Just yesterday, we were privileged to host a discussion on the Bahamas Sustainable Investment Programme, which will generate up to $500 million for climate-related investments. This is a testament to our commitment and resolve to generate our own innovative solutions to the climate crisis. And we are by no means standing alone.

Within the Caribbean, we have the passion, motivation, and expertise to drive the success of this initiative. There is no doubt in my mind that Blue Co can and will serve as a model for other regions to follow.

I invite all interested parties to reach out, get involved, and together we will save countless lives and livelihoods on our way to building a more resilient, renewable, and prosperous future for all nations.

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