The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

PRECISELY one month before the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ annual general meeting and election of officers is held, presidential candidate Rosemunde Carey officially launched her slate of United Purpose, whom she expects will carry the sport forward over the next three years.

The BAAA is scheduled to hold the AGM and election of officers on November 28 and Carey indicated that her United Purpose team will defeat incumbent Mike Sands and his officers to become the executive team for the next three years.

In a first class presentation last night at the Crab House, Carey and nine of her 10 other slate of officers were introduced to an audience that included IAAF councilwoman Pauline Davis-Thompson, Curtis Pride, president of the Coaches Association, and Harrison Petty, president of the Parents Association.

After a highly spirited rendition of the national anthem by Antonio Rolle and the invocation by Greg Cash, Carey was called to the stage by public relations officer candidate Philip Carey and one by one, she invited the other members of her team to join her on stage.

The list included Tonique Williams for first vice president, Troy McIntosh (now in Grand Bahama) for second vice president, Carl Oliver for general secretary, Mabeline Miller for assistant secretary general, Sharon Gardiner for treasurer, Mildred Adderley for assistant treasurer, Rupert Gardiner for statistician and Dexter Bodie for special projects.

Missing was Sandra Laing from Grand Bahama for special projects. Laing is currently preparing the team’s visit to Grand Bahama on Saturday where they intend to present their election platform and accountability guide that they did on Thursday night.

“I’m excited. I’m really excited that we have the team assembled, the best team possible, to win the next election and move the federation forward,” said Carey, who is vying to become the first female president in the history of the BAAA. “It wasn’t easy assembling this team. We went back and forth.

“We had some persons who offered and then when they realised that they had to be fully committed to the federation in order to get things done, they were more than committed to stepping forward to get the job done. We have a lot of people on this slate who have a heart and a passion, who are really saddened to see the stake that the federation.”

While the persons introduced will form the core of the executive team, if elected, Carey said they intend to commission a number of committees, including finance and fund-raising, competition, special projects, marketing and public relations, medical and anti-doping and legends, where they intend to engage a lot more persons to get the job done.

Already, United Purpose has flooded social networks, especially Facebook where they have produced a video of each candidate where they have received a number of hits and over the next month, Carey said they intend to meet with as many persons as possible to share their vision for the sport.

Their mission statement: To provide and ensure effective leadership, good governance and efficient service to the Bahamas Association of Athletics Associations, built on a foundation of competency, transparency and integrity. This mission will be the stepping stone that transforms the BAAA into a federation capable of governing, operating and developing Bahamian athletics to its maximum potential.

Vision statement: To unite and empower the Bahamian athletic family. To embrace their passion and utilise their talents so as to create a shift in the paradigm of Bahamian performance, focus on strategic development and maintain sustainable growth for Bahamian athletes.

“People are really passionate. They want change. They need change and we are really confident that we will win the next election,” Carey said.