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<span style="font-size: 8pt">Dem seh she has Ja connections...her pops...</span>
Bahamian Elected President of the Caribbean Association of Local Gov’t Authorities
BY VANESSA C. ROLLE
FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – Despite her loss to Alvin Smith in her bid to become chief councillor for the City of Freeport, April Crowther-Gow has been named the new president of the Caribbean Association of Local Government Authorities (CALGA).
"I hold no malice or contention in that everybody wanted an opportunity to lead, and everybody wanted an opportunity to demonstrate that maybe their vision was the proper vision," said Mrs. Crowther-Gow in an interview with the Journal Wednesday.
"I think it was in God’s plan for me to spread out my wings and fulfill whatever objective he has for me and not for me to stagger myself in one because it is comfortable. Even though I was not able to secure the chief councillor position, I am very confident that my councillors will see me as a colleague, team player and resource centre."
The former deputy chief councillor and newly elected local government representative for the High Rock constituency was elected to the CALGA position on May 30 but made the official announcement Wednesday.
The elections were held in Jamaica during the regional local government consultation conference hosted by the Caribbean Local Government Ministers’ Forum.
Mrs. Crowther-Gow was supported by 10 member countries, including Jamaica, Trinidad, Belize and Dominica.
"My regional colleagues saw that I am the person they were looking for in terms of leadership and vision, partnership and networking and they bestowed me with their mandate for us to renew the CALGA Association," she said.
Mrs. Crowther-Gow is the first Bahamian to hold the position.
City of Freeport Administrator Alexander Williams was also elected to the CALGA.
One has to be an elected local government practitioner to hold the position of president or any other executive post within the Caribbean organization.
Mrs. Crowther-Gow had openly campaigned for the position of chief councillor for the City of Freeport after serving on the council as deputy for the past six years.
In her new role as president of CALGA, she said she will ensure that all of the local government practitioners in The Bahamas are provided access to training, both internationally and regionally, so that they would be able to bid and write proposals on capital projects pursued.
Such proposals will be aimed at complementing the government subsidies within their budget.
In two weeks, the City of Freeport Council will host the National Local Government Induction Training Seminar which will prepare council members for the May 2009 Local Government Conference.
"Local government is on a move and it is going to grow by leaps and bounds," Mrs. Crowther-Gow. "We do have our challenges in terms of the interference of petty politics and individual partisan agendas, but despite that, it is a system that is designed to improve the lives of the communities and neighbourhoods of which it is entrenched."
She said that for this reason local government officials must remain dedicated to this task.
Mrs. Crowther-Gow wished the new chief councillor, Mr. Smith, and deputy chief councillor, Joanna Newton-Russell, all the best.
"New blood and new vision can flow within the council and I am sure the new leadership will begin working on their mandate," she said.
"The majority of councillors have already been bestowed with their portfolios and once everyone has been bestowed with their portfolios, we can get on with the job at hand."
Here
<span style="font-size: 8pt">Dem seh she has Ja connections...her pops...</span>
Bahamian Elected President of the Caribbean Association of Local Gov’t Authorities
BY VANESSA C. ROLLE
FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – Despite her loss to Alvin Smith in her bid to become chief councillor for the City of Freeport, April Crowther-Gow has been named the new president of the Caribbean Association of Local Government Authorities (CALGA).
"I hold no malice or contention in that everybody wanted an opportunity to lead, and everybody wanted an opportunity to demonstrate that maybe their vision was the proper vision," said Mrs. Crowther-Gow in an interview with the Journal Wednesday.
"I think it was in God’s plan for me to spread out my wings and fulfill whatever objective he has for me and not for me to stagger myself in one because it is comfortable. Even though I was not able to secure the chief councillor position, I am very confident that my councillors will see me as a colleague, team player and resource centre."
The former deputy chief councillor and newly elected local government representative for the High Rock constituency was elected to the CALGA position on May 30 but made the official announcement Wednesday.
The elections were held in Jamaica during the regional local government consultation conference hosted by the Caribbean Local Government Ministers’ Forum.
Mrs. Crowther-Gow was supported by 10 member countries, including Jamaica, Trinidad, Belize and Dominica.
"My regional colleagues saw that I am the person they were looking for in terms of leadership and vision, partnership and networking and they bestowed me with their mandate for us to renew the CALGA Association," she said.
Mrs. Crowther-Gow is the first Bahamian to hold the position.
City of Freeport Administrator Alexander Williams was also elected to the CALGA.
One has to be an elected local government practitioner to hold the position of president or any other executive post within the Caribbean organization.
Mrs. Crowther-Gow had openly campaigned for the position of chief councillor for the City of Freeport after serving on the council as deputy for the past six years.
In her new role as president of CALGA, she said she will ensure that all of the local government practitioners in The Bahamas are provided access to training, both internationally and regionally, so that they would be able to bid and write proposals on capital projects pursued.
Such proposals will be aimed at complementing the government subsidies within their budget.
In two weeks, the City of Freeport Council will host the National Local Government Induction Training Seminar which will prepare council members for the May 2009 Local Government Conference.
"Local government is on a move and it is going to grow by leaps and bounds," Mrs. Crowther-Gow. "We do have our challenges in terms of the interference of petty politics and individual partisan agendas, but despite that, it is a system that is designed to improve the lives of the communities and neighbourhoods of which it is entrenched."
She said that for this reason local government officials must remain dedicated to this task.
Mrs. Crowther-Gow wished the new chief councillor, Mr. Smith, and deputy chief councillor, Joanna Newton-Russell, all the best.
"New blood and new vision can flow within the council and I am sure the new leadership will begin working on their mandate," she said.
"The majority of councillors have already been bestowed with their portfolios and once everyone has been bestowed with their portfolios, we can get on with the job at hand."
Here