The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Bahamas Power & Light chairperson Darnell Osborne is lamenting the abrupt departure of BPL’s Chief Operating Officer Christina Alston, saying it shocked and saddened her.

Mrs Alston’s departure from BPL was not amicable, according to sources, though the details surrounding the move are unclear. Her departure comes less than two years after she was made COO to much fanfare.

Mrs Osborne, who is suing the government over her own departure from BPL last year, said the well-regarded Bahamian engineer uprooted her life and that of her family in the United States to assume a position at BPL.

“I was not only taken by surprise but deeply saddened to learn of Christina Alston’s departure from both BPL and our beloved country,” she said in a statement yesterday. “Mrs Alston is a fine example of our country’s educational system who graduated from Hawksbill High School in Grand Bahama. She proceeded after graduation to excel academically and professionally in the United States.”

Mrs Osborne said she spoke to Mrs Alston on Friday. “Having met Mrs Alston during my teen years,” she said, “I followed her educational path at Florida State University and subsequent career in the utilities business first at Florida Power & Light and then at Georgia Transmission through her family member. Mrs Alston is an award winning engineer having spent over 30 years in her specialty in a field dominated by men. One of her biggest aspirations was fulfilled to return home to be of service to her country. That opportunity came in October 2017 when she was hired at BPL as chief operating officer. She resigned from GT, sold her house and relocated her husband (a Microsoft computer engineer) and two of her four children back to The Bahamas, the home of her birth and took up her post at BPL. The news of Christina’s departure really caught me by surprise like so many other people.”

BPL sought Mrs Alston to fulfil Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ mandate of bringing talented Bahamians home, focusing on Family Island development and reducing electricity costs by streamlining BPL’s procurement department, Mrs Osborne said.

“Like every organisation,” she said, “we had our challenges and growing pains, but I can say without hesitation that she added value to the executive team. Mrs Alston, whose ability to communicate so effectively to the general public was lauded for giving one of the best presentations at both the Platts and Grand Bahama Outlook with respect to content, and showed The Bahamas and BPL as moving forward with comprehensive renewable energy plan. Mrs Alston had a hands-on approach and was known to work in the field with her teams at a moment’s notice to observe, advise and revise procedures if warranted. Sadly, the opportunity that she had looked forward to for many years came to an abrupt end last week for unknown reasons…In my opinion, it is indeed a sad day for BPL and the country as the opportunity has once again been lost to attract and retain one of The Bahamas’ best and brightest minds and talent.”