Eleuthera, Bahamas–The newly elected board of One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) assembled on January 26 through 27for a weekend of activities including a reception, board meeting and projects tour that marked the organization’s first Board Retreat of 2018 and the first Board meeting for members newly elected in late 2017.
The weekend kicked off with a dinner reception at Centre for Training & Innovation’s restaurant. Key officials from the South Eleuthera District joined OEF’s Board and staff in an evening designed to foster a better understanding of One Eleuthera and share knowledge on the viability of nonprofits as a third sector for economic and social development.
Among those present was Member of Parliament for South Eleuthera Mr. Hank Johnson. In giving brief remarks, Mr. Johnson commended OEF and CTI for its work. “I hear about the wonderful work that OEF and CTI is doing and I can see and testify to the transformation in the lives of residents in South Eleuthera”, he said.
The guest speaker for the night was Mrs. Kim Williams-Pulfer, Candidate in Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in Indianapolis and OEF volunteer. Mrs. Williams-Pulfer spoke about “3rd Sector New Language and Models”, specifically “OEF as a Model for Development”. She noted that “OEF is a perfect nonprofit model and that OEF has shifted the powers to allow the rise of community philanthropy”.
The cocktail dinner preceded the One Eleuthera Foundation’s Board meeting at the Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI) on Saturday January 27. Enthusiastic board members attending were updated on the current work of OEF and the plans for the organization moving forward.
Board Chairman, Alfred Sears began the morning’s proceedings with a moment of silence for Steve Merritt, former treasurer on OEF’s United States board who passed away in December 2017. Mr. Sears noted that Steve “was an integral part of the organization and held a pioneering role in OEF’s development.”
Present during the board meeting were: Chairman: Mr. Alfred Sears, CEO: Shaun Ingraham, Vice Chair/Secretary: Mr. Mario Smith, Assistant Secretary: Ms. Leah Major, Finance Chair/Treasurer: Mr. Clifford Johnson, Fundraising/Development Co-Chair: Mrs. Diane Bowe-Pindling, Assistant Fundraising/Development Co-Chair: Ms. Marjie Findlay, Business Development: Mr. Juan Bacardi, Director: Ian Carey and Strategic Planning: Mr. Tom Burns. Also present were members of the U.S. Board Chairman: Lane Glaze and Director: Robert Baird.
During the lunch hour, Dr. Allison Karpyn, A Bahamas Fulbright Scholar, presented her research on “School Lunch and Breakfast in The Bahamas.” Mrs Karpyn has been studying food insecurity in The Bahamas over the past year.
For this Board Year, Secretary Mario Smith stated that “the board is fully committed to ensuring that OEF and its partnerships and all of its entities are extremely successful this year.”
On the board proceedings that day, Chairman Alfred Sears said, “I thought the board meeting was very productive. It incorporated the expertise of so many talented consultants and advisors to OEF.” During his term on the board Mr. Sears hopes to contribute “passion and promotion of what I believe represents the best route to empower Bahamians.”
To learn more about the One Eleuthera Foundation, please visit our website at www.oneeleuthera.org.
