With the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) annual general meeting (AGM) and election of officers set to take place in November, the first slate running for office was officially introduced to the public yesterday.
The BAAA AGM and elections are set for November 23-24 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.
The Bonafide Innovators group, led by current BAAA president, Rosamunde Carey, is made up by Carl Oliver (First Vice President), Sandra Laing (Second Vice President), Gail Clarke (Finance Officer), Phillip Gray (Marketing and Public Relations Officer), Cedricka Rolle (Business Operations Officer) and Patrick Adderley (Officer of Technical Operations).
According to Carey, her slate’s main agenda will be looking for new ways to develop and market the BAAA within the confines of the recently revamped constitution.
“We have to be able to market the BAAA in a modern track and field global community, and I’m confident that this is the right collection of people to get take the association to a new level,” Carey said.
“Policies must now be enacted to ensure accountability and to address any challenges that may arise. Within the first 90 days, Bonafide Innovators will establish a policies committee, conduct town hall meetings with members for open discussions on policies, implement a public relations campaign to inform all stakeholders via print and electronic media, and introducing a policies document for the fair and transparent governance of the federation.”
Along with the creation of new, effective policies, Carey said she also wants to develop tangible partnerships to help absorb some of the travel costs incurred by the BAAA over the course of the athletics season.
“The success of our programs has always relied on local and international public/private relationships,” she added.
“Bonafide Innovators will lean heavily on our partners’ cooperation and expertise to achieve the strategic goals of the federation.
“The implementation of our regional associations remains a central goal, which is key to bridging the gap for Family Island development. We also want to redefine our sponsorship strategy to include small donor programs, long-term program specific investors, brand sponsors, grants exploration and utilization of various fundraising platforms and tools.”
Carey said she is proud of what she was able to accomplish as president over the past four years, including the fact that Carey’s current slate is almost identical to the United Purpose slate that she won with four years ago, excluding Tonique Williams, who was voted in as the first female vice president in BAAA history, and former secretary general, Drameco Archer, who is now running for president on another slate.
Delegates from about 65-70 clubs are expected to vote for the new officers on November 24, and they will serve until the ensuing elections in 2022.
