Meet our President…

ethel turner, President

Principal Turner is the Principal of Arthur’s Town Comprehensive School, the founder, with her husband, of the Church of God in the Bluff and a community leader in North Cat Island. She is a proud founding member of Cat Island United and is responsible for its Board and governance, including compliance.

Letitia Brown, Treasurer

Ms. Brown is the manager of the Bank of Bahamas Cat Island Branch the CIU’s Treasurer, responsible for our accounts. She has served as a founding member of Cat Island United and its President in the memory of her father, a treasured son of Cat Island.

DeniCe Bethel

Ms. Bethel, a founding member, is a Cat Islander employed at the Cat Island Office of the Board of Tourism. Ms. Bethel is interested in organic farming and eco-tourism.

Jacqueline Campaigne

Ms. Campaigne, a founding member, is a journalist, author of the Cat Island Guide and supporter of innovative farming techniques and solar technology. A Swedish national, she lives year round in Shana’s with her husband Curtis.

Dr. marcus cooper, MD

Dr. Cooper is associated with Doctor’s Hospital, Nassau and has worked tirelessly to raise the level of medical facilities on Cat Island by creating Smith Bay Clinic to supplement the local clinics with x ray machines, dental facilities and advanced diagnostics.

DR. Charles Hollander, MD

Dr. Hollander serves as President of Friends of Cat Island United and leads CIU’s work relating to conservation of the MPAs. A certified medical doctor also in the Bahamas, he regularly volunteers as a doctor at Old Bight Clinic.

Jennifer Johnson-CalarI, CFA

Ms. Johnson-Calari, a founding member, has led CIU’s grant writing and fundraising program. A committed environmentalist and strong proponent of youth opportunites, she brings to the board over 4 decades of experience in finance. She leads the annual Cat Island Earth Day festival.

Harrison King

Mr. King is an active member of the Cat Island Reserve Police Force, a small business owner and a pastor in the south of Cat Island.

MELANIE KNUTSON

Ms. Knutson recently joined the CIU board, bringing important expertise in informational technology from her career in software development and coding. She leads CIU’s working in employing AI web based tools to streamline our workloads.

BILL LONG

Mr. Long brings to the Board a lifetime of non-profit experience working with environmental conservation, creating and working with sustainable conservation and social organizations. He winters on Cat Island and can be found fly fishing on the flats.

RICH PAPPALARDO

Mr. Pappalardo is a winter resident of Fernandez Bay. He brings valuable project management skills to the Board from his international career in leading installation of complex software systems. Mr. Pappalardo leads the Board’s composting initiative in the south.

manette poitier

Manette Poitier is a Cat Islander, retired teacher and guidance counselor, minister and respected community leader in the north of Cat Island. She is interested in environmental and cultural preservation.

deon stewart

Mr. Stewart is a senior environmental science professional with more than two decades of experience in environmental governance, sustainable development, and strategic program managementacross national and international contexts. He currently serves as National Coordinator of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme at the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) in The Bahamas, where he provides strategic oversight of nationally funded environmental and community-based initiatives.

Portia sweeting

Portia Sweeting is a proud descendant of Cat Island and a nationally recognized educator and conservation leader with more than three decades of service to education, youth development, and community advancement in The Bahamas. Portia currently serves as Director of Education and Outreach at the Bahamas National Trust (BNT). In that role, she was instrumental over the past decade in bringing environmental science programs an summer camps to Cat Island youth.

Gabi Wolff

Ms. Wolff is a year round resident of Cat Island and serves also a board member of the the Cat Island Humane Society. Now retired, she devotes her time to small scale farming and is a committed environmentalist. Ms.Wolff leads CIU’s recycling and local composting programs in the north.

Ms. Eleanor Phillips, Advisor

Ms. Phillips has been an advisor to the CIU board since retiring from The Nature Conservancy, Nassau where she was instrumental in developing Marine Protected Areas throughout the Bahamas.

caroline (Kay) Chriswell, RN,CCRN Secretariat

Mrs. Chriswell is a long time Bahamian resident who recently retired from her role as Nurse-In-Charge at Orange Creek Clinic. She is a strong health advocate for preventative care and nursing education and is very keen on environmental protection and community building. She has served as President of the Cat Island Rake ‘n Scrape Festival Association and on the board of the Cat Island Humane Society.