BCCEC Elects Board Members - Newly elected and returning members of the board of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employer’s Confederation. Seated l-r – Ed Rahming (Krys Rahming and Associates), Chamber Treasurer; Edison Sumner, Chamber CEO; I. Chester Cooper (BAF Financial), Chamber Chairman; Robert Myers (V-Trade Supply), Chamber Vice Chairman and Christian Sawyer (Sunryse Shredding), Chamber Secretary. Standing l-r: Chandler Sands (Campbell Shipping); Lionel Haven (Computitle); Mervin Sweeting (Switcha Bahamas); Disa Campbell (Bahamas Waste); Matt Sweeting (Organization of Young Professionals); Peter Goudie (PGHR Consultants); Anthony Kikivarakis Jr. (Julius Baer Private Banking) and Keshelle Kerr (The Training Authority). Not pictured are Michael Maura (Arawak Port Development); Rosel Wilson-Moxey (Arawak Homes Ltd.); Hubert Edwards (Bank of The Bahamas); Romauld Ferriera (Ferriera & Company); Simon Townsend (KPMG) and Roderick Simmons (Sunshine Tools Rentals).

Nassau, Bahamas - The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employer’s Confederation (BCCEC) will face some of the most pressing decisions in its history with familiar faces at the top and a slew of new directors following its recent annual general meeting and election of officers.

“The voice and an effective Chamber of Commerce is a critical to balanced and sustainable national development.  We will continue the mandates we started in our first term of Small & Medium business development & support; economic development and the encouragement of innovation & competitiveness” said I Chester Cooper, Chairman of BCCEC.

The first meeting of the Board was convened yesterday with full attendance of the new Board.

"The dynamics of doing business in an increasingly global environment make it more essential than ever to tap into a broad cross-section of talent and knowledge," said Edison Sumner, Chamber CEO. "The newly-elected slate of directors represents a wide range of experience and needs and we believe will serve the Chamber with energy and enthusiasm as we continue to foster innovation in the private sector."

As a nod to its current senior leadership, members of the BCCEC voted to return its Chairman, Chester Cooper (BAF Financial), and Vice Chairman, Robert Myers (V-Trade Supply), for another term in office as the two continue to promote the organization’s mission of developing and protecting trade activity, as well as the interests of employers in the spirit of “true tripartism in national, regional and international forums.”

In his address, Mr. Cooper stressed the importance of the BCCEC as the main representative of the private sector in continuing to occupy a “leading role in the national discussion on growth and development” in the context of the current socio-economic challenges facing the nation.

New officers for the administrative year include Christian Sawyer (Sunryse Shredding) as Secretary and Ed Rahming (Krys Rahming and Associates) as Treasurer. The Board of Directors received an injection of fresh faces as 9 of the 14 directors elected for the 2013 - 2014 administrative year are newly elected members. New members include: Chandler Sands (Campbell Shipping), Simon Townsend (KPMG), Disa Campbell (Bahamas Waste), Lionel Haven (Computitle), Anthony Kikivarakis Jr. (Julius Baer Private Banking), Mervin Sweeting (Switcha Bahamas), Roderick Simmons (Sunshine Tools Rentals), Matt Sweeting (Organization of Young Professionals) and Keshelle Kerr (The Training Authority). Returning directors are Michael Maura (Arawak Port Development), Rosel Wilson-Moxey (Arawak Homes Ltd.), Hubert Edwards (Bank of The Bahamas), Romauld Ferriera (Ferriera & Company) and Peter Goudie (PGHR Consultants).

"The combination of returning leadership, a combination of top professionals with active business owners and entrepreneurs strikes an essential balance as the BCCEC continues its work under Chester Cooper in promoting local business innovation and competitiveness and a more enabling business environment," said Sumner. In coming weeks, the BCECC will hold a number of meetings to determine the way forward as new and returning officers and directors unite to create a strategic plan of action for the administrative year. The Chamber continues to sponsor educational and training workshops through the Chamber Institute and will shortly launch two new initiatives that would catapult new or growing businesses.