Cabinet Ministers
Mr. Carl W. Bethel was born at Nassau 1 July, 1961 to Wilshire and Yvette Bethel.
He was educated at Queen’s College and St. Andrew’s School in Nassau, Wilton House and Yately Manor in the United Kingdom, Lester B. Pearson College, Canada, (International Baccalaureate), the London School of Economics (LL.B Hons.) and Holborn Law Tutors, London, England. He is a member of Lincoln’s Inn, London, U.K.
Mr. Bethel is a Barrister and Counsel & Attorney-at-Law who was called to the Bar of England and Wales and The Bahamas Bar in 1985.
Mr. Bethel represented the Holy Cross Constituency in the House of Assembly between 1992 and 2002. In the first FNM Government he served as Minister of State for Economic Development, Minister of Economic Development, and Attorney General. He is now the Member of Parliament for the Sea Breeze Constituency.
He is a former President of the Torchbearers Youth Association of the FNM. He also served as National Chairman of the FNM and is now Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture.
Mr. Bethel’s interests include reading, chess and Japanese chess. He is a member of the Vestry of Holy Cross Anglican Church. Mr. Bethel is married to Lisa M. Bethel, formerly Foulkes, and the couple has four children.
Larry Cartwright, the Member of Parliament for Long Island and Ragged Island, was born on January 19, 1948 in Gray’s, Long Island to Delbert and Emma Cartwright (nee Wells).
He received his early education at Gray’s Public School and later earned his Teaching Certificate from The Bahamas Teacher’s College in 1968. He completed a Bachelors of Arts in Education at the University of the West Indies in 1980.
Mr. Cartwright has served his community as a teacher, principal, community leader and churchman. Having devoted 31 years to public school teaching, he ended his career as principal of the NGM Major High School in Buckley’s Long Island.
An experienced farmer, Mr. Cartwright was involved in livestock, vegetable, citrus and banana cultivation from 1987 to 2000 and turned to fishing during the period 1999 – 2001.
Mr. Cartwright remains active on the Long Island Sailing Club and in the Long Island Association and is the founder of the Earlie Knowles Memorial Regatta for juniors.
He is a member of the Vestry of St. Paul’s Anglican Church and a member of the Anglican Council of Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas Turks and Caicos Islands.
Mr. Cartwright is married to the former Theresa Antoinette “Ann” Cartwright and the couple has three sons.
Fifty-six year old Sidney S. Collie attended the Pirates Well All-Age School, Mayaguana, and the San Salvador Teachers College before entering the University of Miami graduating with a Bachelor of Education degree. He later received a Master of Science Degree from Nova University and an MBA from the University of Miami.
Mr. Collie pursued a teaching career in the Public School System in Andros and Nassau from 1971 to 1981.
After articling as a law student, he was called to The Bahamas Bar in 1988 and is now senior partner in the Law Firm of Collie & Collie.
A Rotarian, he is a member of the Bahamas Baptist Board of Education and a Member of Zion South Beach Primary School Board of Education. He was appointed Chairman of the Baptist Board of Education in 2003.
He has served as an FNM Senator and as Party Deputy Leader.
He is married to the former Mavis Johnson and is the father of six children. His family worships at Zion South Beach Full Gospel Baptist Church.
Earl Deveaux was born in Staniard Creek, Andros, where he attended the All-Age school. He attended Queen’s College on an academic scholarship, where he graduated as Head Boy.
He completed a Bachelors Degree at the University of Miami and was named in Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges for leadership and academics. His Master’s Degree was earned at Penn State University. He earned a Certificate in Regional Planning at the United Nations Centre for Regional Planning in Nagoya, Japan.
He has served as Director of Agriculture.
Mr. Deveaux is a former Member of Parliament for North Andros and the Berry Islands. He served as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ambassador for the Environment and Minister for Labour and Immigration in the Free National Movement Government.
Mr. Deveaux is widely published on environmental, agricultural and social issues.
A devout Methodist, he is married to the former Barbara Clancy of Long Island, New York. They have two children and four grandchildren.
Dion Foulkes was born at Nassau on October 9, 1956, to Sir Arthur and Mrs. Naomi Foulkes.
He attended St. Thomas More Primary School and R. M. Bailey High School in Nassau, and graduated from Indiana University in the United States with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with a minor in Accounting. He is a lawyer and member of the Bahamas Bar.
Mr. Foulkes entered politics at the age of 15 and has risen steadily through the ranks from the Torchbearers, youth arm of the Party, to Minister in the FNM Cabinet.
He was elected to Parliament for the Blue Hills Constituency in 1992, and again in 1997.
He served as FNM Assistant Secretary General, Secretary General, Chairman and Deputy Leader.
He was Minister of State for Education, Minister of Education, and Minister of Labour and Maritime Affairs in the FNM Government.
A Roman Catholic, he is married to Emma Jane (nee Thompson) of Crown Haven, Abaco, and they have five children.
Grand Bahamian Neko Grant, 56, has been a resident of Freeport for 35 years. He has a special affinity with the community he feels privileged to represent in Parliament.
A member of the Free National Movement from an early age, he remains committed to building upon the many accomplishments of the FNM in office particularly as they impact Grand Bahama.
He was educated at the West End Public School and later attended St. John’s College in Nassau. He holds a diploma in Business Management from La Salle Extension University, Chicago, and a diploma in International Management from the European Institute of Business Administration.
Neko joined Burns House in 1975 and has served in several management positions. He presently serves as Group Manager, Northern Bahamas for The Burns House Group of Companies.
He has been a member of the Kiwanis Club of Lucaya for some 21 years.
He served as Vice President and Director of the Grand Bahama Amateur Softball Association, Vice President and Commissioner of the Grand Bahama Baseball Association, and President of the Bahamas Softball Federation.
He was inducted into the International Softball Hall of Fame in 1997.
Neko Grant and his wife Barbara are the parents of two adult children, Nekcarla Melissa an Attorney and Neko Carlson II, an Architect.
When he can find time, he enjoys playing softball and going fishing.
Claire L. Hepburn was born at Nassau on 6 November 1945.
She was educated at the Government High School in Nassau and at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Diploma in Education. She obtained a Masters of Arts Degree in Education from the University of Miami.
Following Articles she was called to The Bahamas Bar in September, 1985. Mrs. Hepburn is a partner in the law firm of Graham, Thompson and Co.
Before reading law she taught history at the Government High School and later at the College of The Bahamas where she served as Lecturer, Chairman of the Social Science Department, Academic Dean and Acting Vice-Principal of the College. She has also been Associate Lecturer at the Eugene Dupuch Law School.
Mrs. Hepburn has served in many professional and public service capacities including Acting Magistrate, Acting Judge of the Supreme Court, Director of The Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX), Director of the Bank of The Bahamas Ltd, Director of Doctors Hospital Health Systems Limited, Chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, Chairman of the Gaming Board and Member of the Anglican Central Education Authority.
An Anglican, Mrs. Hepburn is married to Mr. Livingston Hepburn, has one son, Ian Andre Hepburn and a daughter, Tara Xavier Hepburn (deceased).
Fifty-two year old Hubert Minnis, a medical doctor by profession, was born in Bain Town to Rosalie North and Randolph Minnis.
He was educated at Our Lady’s Primary School, Western Junior and St Augustine College, Nassau and the University of Minnesota, USA.
An Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, he is married to the former Patricia Beneby and is the father of three sons: Tremaine, Jamil and Runako.
After obtaining his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of the West Indies and MRCOG from London in 1985, Dr. Minnis returned home and began serving the Bahamian people as a physician at the Princess Margaret Hospital.
There he served as a Consultant and Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and as Deputy Chief of Staff.
Dr Minnis is a former President of the Medical Association of The Bahamas, Member of the Medical Council and Chairman of the Hotel Corporation of The Bahamas, and an associate lecturer at the University of West Indies in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Dr. Minnis worships at Resurrection Catholic Church.
Kenneth Russell was born in Bailey Town, Bimini on 22 October, 1953 to Osworth and Eunice Russell and received his early education in Bimini and Freeport, Grand Bahama. He completed studies at the C.R. Walker Technical College and The Bahamas Teacher’s Institute in New Providence. He later pursued business studies at Nova Southern University.
Between 1973 and 1976, Mr. Russell was engaged as an industrial arts teacher in the Government-operated school system at Eight Mile Rock High.
In 1976 he joined The Bahamas Oil Refinery Co. Ltd and was engaged in a variety of positions with the company until 2001.
A former chairman and vice-chairman of the Free National Movement, High Rock Constituency Association, Mr. Russell was elected to the House of Assembly for the High Rock constituency in 1997, and relected to a second term in 2002.
He was a member of the Housing Commission for Grand Bahama from 1992 to 1998, and a member of the Local Government Council for Freeport from 1996 until his election to Parliament.
He served as Chairman of the Town Planning Committee for New Providence and The Bahamas between 1997 and 2001, and as a Cabinet Minister with responsibility for Public Works between 2001 and 2002. He has been a Justice of the Peace since 1996, and presently provide those services to the Grand Bahama community.
Mr. Russell is married to the former Georgina Bridgewater and the couple has four children. The family worships at the Church of God of Prophesy.
Brent Symonette is the Deputy Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Deputy Leader of the Free National Movement and the incumbent Member of Parliament for the newly constituted St. Anne's Constituency.
He is the son of the late Sir Roland Symonette, the first Premier of The Bahamas and the late Lady Symonette.
Mr. Symonette started his education at St Andrew’s School in Nassau, then attended Leys School, Cambridge, England. He pursued higher education at Brunel University, London, England, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honours in Politics and Law. He was called to the Bar as a member of the Inner Temple, London and to The Bahamas Bar in 1978.
A former FNM Senator, he has served in the FNM Government as Minister of Tourism and Attorney General.
The Deputy Leader has also served as Chairman of the Hotel Corporation, Chairman of the Airport Authority, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, and as Opposition Whip in Parliament.
Mr. Symonette is married to the former Robin Mactaggart of Nassau and the couple has three children.
Tommy Turnquest was born on 16 November 1959, the only son of former Governor General Sir Orville Turnquest and Lady Turnquest.
He has served as president of the Torchbearers Association and Leader of the Party.
He was elected to Parliament in August 1992 and again in March 1997 and now serves as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.
In the FNM Government, he served as Parliamentary Secretary, Chairman of the National Hurricane Relief Committee, Minister of State for the Public Service and Labour, Minister for Public Works, Minister for the Public Service, Immigration and National Insurance, and Minister for Tourism.
Senator Turnquest attended St. Anne’s School in Nassau, and later Malvern College in England, the University of Western Ontario Business School in Canada and graduated with an Honours Degree in Business.
Prior to entering full-time politics, he served as a senior banking official for 11 years with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), during which time he was admitted as a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers (FICB).
He is married to the former Shawn Carey, an educator, and the couple has three children: Carey, Robert and Erin.
He worships at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Stapledon Gardens.
