Ministers Of State
National Chairman of the Free National Movement, Desmond Bannister was born on the 28 October, 1958. Following his early education in The Bahamas he completed studies leading to an Associates Degree at Miami Dade Community College in Florida and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree from Grinnell College in Iowa.
He studied at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados where he obtained an LL.B degree and went on to complete his Legal Education Certificate at the Norman Manley Law School in Kingston, Jamaica. He was called to The Bahamas Bar in 1988.
Mr. Bannister served as Crown Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General between 1988 and 1991 when he joined the law offices of Evans & Co. He is presently senior partner at The Law Partnership.
He has been engaged as a part-time lecturer for The Bahamas Bar, at The Bahamas Institute of Bankers and at The College of The Bahamas and has served as Acting Stipendiary & Circuit Magistrate.
A lifelong sports enthusiasts, Mr. Bannister was elected as President of The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations in December, 1999
He was appointed to the Senate on the 21st May, 2002.
A divorcee, Mr. Bannister is the father of two children Dominique and Danielle.
Elma “Ellie” Campbell, the daughter of the late Percy Campbell and Beryl Campbell, was born at Nassau, March 22, 1955. A divorcee, she is the mother of two adult children and three adopted grandchildren.
Upon completing high school at St. Anne’s, Fox Hill, and St. Elphin’s in England, she attended the University of Grenoble in France, where she obtained degrees in Modern Languages and Linguistics in 1975.
Ms Campbell also holds a Master of Science degree in Education from the University of Miami.
She began her teaching career at the Government High School in 1975, and also taught at C. C. Sweeting Senior High, St. Anne’s and the Boys Industrial School.
She articled as a law clerk at the Chambers of Higgs and Johnson, Nassau, and has headed her own law firm since 1985.
She also served as a stipendiary and circuit magistrate and as a part-time lecturer in Banking Law at the College of The Bahamas.
She was a founding member of Holy Cross Anglican Church and served as a member of the vestry of Epiphany Anglican Church.
Ms. Campbell has been involved in the Bahamas Union of Teachers, the Bahamas Red Cross, St. John’s P.T.A., and the Bahamas Swim Federation. She organized “Legal Line”, a radio programme dedicated to discussion of the Law.
Ms. Campbell has a wide range of interests that include cooking, reading, sewing, swimming and walking. She speaks French fluently.
An Anglican, she worships at Christ Church Cathedral.
Zhivargo Laing, son of straw vendor Naomi Seymour and former hotel worker, the late Cedric Laing was born on September 7, 1967, in Nassau but grew up in Freeport.
He received his early education at Lewis Yard Primary School and Hawksbill High School where he was Headboy. Later he attended The College of The Bahamas and was elected President of the College of The Bahamas Union of Students.
Zhivargo completed studies leading to a Bachelor of Arts Degree in economic from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Later he undertook graduate studies at the George Washington University. He also received training in foreign investment promotion in Taiwan and Japan.
In May 1997, Mr. Laing was elected to the House of Assembly as the FNM representative for the Fort Charlotte Constituency. He was appointed Minister of State in Youth, Sports and Culture, Minister of State in Education and Minister of Economic Development.
Zhivargo is the author of three books: “College, Career and Money – A Guide for Teens and Young Adults”, “A Trust Out of this World” and “Who Moved My Conch – Understanding How Free Trade will affect the Bahamian Economy”. He writes a weekly Column “Straight Up Talk” for the Tribune and is host of “Public Affairs Corner”, and a radio talk show on Mix 102.1 FM. He is the proprietor of Pro-Life Development Systems, a motivational speaking, training and business consulting firm.
A member of the Assemblies of God Churches, Mr. Laing is married to the former Zsa Zsa Monique LaRoda and they have two sons, Zhivargo II and Zhimaal, and one daughter Za’riah.
Charles Maynard was born at Nassau in 1970, the son of Andrew (Dud) and Isadora Maynard.
Mr. Maynard graduated from Queen’s College and later from the College of The Bahamas in 1988.
He has worked with an agro-business development company participating in comprehensive research in the profitability of sustained agricultural and animal husbandry in The Bahamas.
Mr. Maynard’s biggest accomplishment has been in helping to develop the Corner Hotel, a thriving business in the heart of City 2000. The hotel has been one of the benchmarks of Bahamian-owned and operated hospitality properties.
Mr. Maynard’s keen interest in the promotion of Bahamian culture led him to develop a Bahamian products and services enterprise. Though still not developed to its full potential, this business has helped pave the way for the creation of a viable Junkanoo industry.
He has been involved in cultural activities for most of his life, but Junkanoo is really his first love. He has played different roles in a number of leading Junkanoo groups.
Over the years Mr. Maynard has involved himself in a number of community projects and has developed good working relationships with a wide range of community partners. For over six years he has served on the Carmichael Police Consultative Committee.
An Anglican, Mr. Maynard is the father of two daughters.
Branville McCartney was born in Nassau on May 6, 1967 to William and Marina McCartney.
He graduated from Kingsway Academy in 1985, and read law at Holborn Law Tutors in London, England, where he graduated in 1989 with LLB (Hons.). He is a Barrister of the Inner Temple, and was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales and the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in 1990.
Mr. McCartney became a partner at Harry B. Sands & Co and also served as a part-time lecturer at the College of The Bahamas in Business and Banking Law. He also served as an Acting Stipendiary and Circuit Magistrate (Civil and Traffic Division).
He is a founder and managing partner of Halsbury Chambers, a full-service law firm of 12 attorneys with offices in Nassau and Exuma.
A Director of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Chamber’s Crime Prevention Committee, Mr. McCartney in 2003, achieved membership with the International Lawyers Network (ILN), an association of 85 high-quality, full-service law firms with over 4,500 lawyers worldwide.
An Anglican, Mr. McCartney is married to Lisa Sawyer, a former Miss Bahamas and the proprietor of the Meridian School at Unicorn Village. The McCartneys have two daughters, Kasia, who is nine, and Tai, who is four.
Phenton O. Neymour, 42, the son of Basil Neymour and the former Ena Neymour, is a former Head Boy of both St. Paul’s College in Freeport (1979-80) and Queen’s College in Nassau (1981-82).
He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering, with a minor in Mathematics, and a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Engineering with a minor in Business Administration from Syracuse University in New York.
A former Leader of the Coalition for Democratic Reform (CDR), Mr. Neymour has been involved in the Trade Union Movement serving as president of the Water and Sewerage Corporate Management Union and as the Assistant Secretary General of The Bahamas Trade Union Congress.
He is presently vice president of Development of The Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Foundation, having previously served as a director.
Mr. Neymour worships at Christ Church Cathedral. He is married to the former Juliet Gittens and the couple has two children, Ashley and Jonathan.
Mrs. Loretta-Butler Turner is a Funeral Director, Embalmer and Business Administrator, the first Bahamian female to have achieved a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mortuary Sciences; she is also a Civic and Political enthusiast.
She is the grand-daughter of the first Bahamian Governor-General, Sir Milo Butler and his wife Lady Butler.
Mrs. Turner was born in Nassau to Mr. and Mrs. Raleigh Butler on January 9th, 1961.
Mrs. Turner received her primary and secondary education at St. Andrew's School, Nassau and her college education at New England Institute, Boston Massachusetts, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Summa Cum Laude). She is married to Edward Turner and the couple has two children.
Mrs. Turner is a member of St. Matthew’s Anglican Church. She is an Executive Member of The Free National Movement, a member of the Women’s Association and immediate past Deputy Chairman of the FNM.
Mrs. Turner was a candidate for the FNM in the St. Margaret’s Constituency in the 2002 general elections.
Byran Woodside was born August 22, 1961, at Nassau, to Neville and Margaret Woodside. He is the father of two children, Blair Shelby Woodside and Byran Shelton Woodside, Jr.
He attended Wentworth Primary School, Uriah McPhee Primary School, C. H. Reeves Junior School and R. M. Bailey Senior High School. After graduating in 1977 from R. M. Bailey, he attended the College of The Bahamas where he obtained an Associates of Arts Degree in Sociology.
A former columnist for the College of The Bahamas publication, The Spectrum, he attended Brigham Young University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology, with a minor in Economics.
He was employed with the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture and served as Executive Director of Junior Achievement Bahamas from 1985-1990.
Mr. Woodside was employed with Texaco Bahamas Limited for 11 years, advancing to the position of Marketing and Sales Manager in the Marketing Department.
Today, he leads a 17-member team at Texaco Thompson Boulevard Star Mart and Service Station.
He is the holder of an external LL.B. (Hons.) Degree from the University of London and obtained a Certificate of Legal Education from the Eugene Dupuch Law School. He was called to the Bahamas Bar on October 31, 2003.
Mr Woodside is an associate with the law firm of Seymour & Co.
