NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The first woman to take Silk in The Bahamas, former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas Allyson Maynard-Gibson, QC, and renowned businessman and former University of the Bahamas Trustee Peter Whitehead were recently elected chair and vice-chair respectively of the University of The Bahamas (UB) board of trustees at a board meeting held on January 12, 2022.
Maynard-Gibson, an advocate for people centered-justice, diversity and the rights of women and children, acknowledged that her experiences and contributions to the national development of The Bahamas will bode well in her new role.
Maynard-Gibson said: “In this new role, a part of my commitment is to elevate the nation’s tertiary institution as a hallmark of excellence.
“This will be accomplished by offering my support to faculty and staff who choose to engage in research that contributes towards the national development of The Bahamas for sustainable and positive change.”
She added: “As more young people seek to thrive in a modern Bahamas, it remains important for the board to be a catalyst for faculty, staff and student success that cultivates and inspires more extraordinary Bahamians.”
Legislated under the University of The Bahamas Act 2016, the board of trustees serves as the governing body of UB and is responsible for the general direction and control over the conduct of the affairs of the University.
The board currently consists of, in addition to the chair and vice-chair: President of UB Dr Rodney D Smith, who serves in an ex-officio capacity; President of the UB Alumni Association and Marketing Manager Jazmine Romer-Rolle; Student Trustee Mackenson Charles, also current president of the Student Government Association; accounting professional Dr Gadville McDonald; pastor and educator Dr Keith Russell; attorney-at-law Alexandra Hall; Professor Bridget Hogg; UB Systems Analyst Melvert Clarke; healthcare professional Dr Barry Rassin; investor Brian Jones; IT professional Kristie Powell; businessman D’Arcy Rahming; businessman Henry St George; and accountant Philip Stubbs.
During both of Maynard-Gibson’s stints as attorney general and minister of legal affairs, great strides were made in access to justice, especially through the use of technology, focus on people, data-based decision making and simplification of systems to enable people’s access to justice.
In 2018, she served as a member of the first-ever People’s Tribunal on Economic Crime in South Africa. Also, recognizing that the voice of Small Island Developing States should be heard in fora affecting and shaping the “new world”, she actively engaged in the processes leading to The Bahamas’ election to the Board of the International Telecommunications Union.
She was a member of the task force that produced, in 2019, the “Justice for All” report. In 2020, as a member of the task force, she co-authored three briefings on COVID-19 and its fallout: Justice for All and the Public Health Emergency; Justice for All and the Economic Crisis; and Justice for All and the Social Contract in Peril.
In 2019, she took a sabbatical at Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative. In 2020, her time as a visiting scholar at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health was interrupted by COVID-19.
Emerging from her sabbatical, she has commenced work with several NGOs to broaden concepts of justice to include people-centered justice, social justice and access to justice.
Chair Maynard-Gibson has served for 15 years in the Bahamas Parliament and served 10 of those years as a Cabinet minister.
In addition to her current appointment at UB, she currently serves as a member of the Justice Leadership Group, is a member of the board of trustees of Barry University, member of the Task Force on Justice and is assistant director of the International Trends and Services Facet of The Links, Incorporated.
She is a frequent speaker and writer in the international arena on people-centered justice and good governance. She is married to Maxwell Gibson, a businessman. They have enthusiastically embraced their role as grandparents.
Vice Chair Whitehead is founder and president of Gunite Pools of Nassau, Osprey Construction Co Ltd, Club One Fitness Center and Foster Hill Development in Georgetown, Exuma.
He has served on several boards, including the Catholic Dioceses — which includes all schools in The Bahamas; and has served as deputy chairman of the Bahamas Technical & Vocational Institute (BTVI) and a former UB trustee.
He has also served as chairman on various international boards, including the Young Presidents Organization and World Presidents International in Salzburg, Austria. Additionally, he is chairman of all events for World President International, based in Washington, DC.
Whitehead is bilingual in German and English and involved in several investments throughout New Providence and the Family Islands. He is an avid musician, tennis player, golfer and fisherman. He is married to Analia (Maquirrian) and has four children and four grandchildren.
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