(Eleuthera, The Bahamas) One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) hosted its Annual General Meeting on Saturday, September 29, 2018 in Rock Sound, Eleuthera at the Centre for Training and Innovation.
The annual meeting updated members on the work of OEF and the strategic development plans for the upcoming fiscal year. Members also had the opportunity to engage with Board members and pose any questions they may have had.
Mr. Alfred Sears, Chairman of the Board had this to say about the past year, “I am pleased to report that, in spite of some challenges, OEF enjoyed a successful year in providing financial and advisory support to our partner organizations and in furthering the economic, environmental and social development of Eleuthera. Our work at OEF remains a deeply rewarding experience. We believe in the people of Eleuthera and the transformative economic and social development model of OEF.”
The Board also memorialized deceased board members Tom Burns and Steve Merritt for their support and commitment to OEF. “I would like to publicly acknowledge the stellar contributions made by Tom and Steve without whom OEF, as it stands now, may not have existed,” said CEO Shaun Ingraham.
There were no other changes to the Board that was elected in 2017.
“We are excited to be here at the annual meeting and we applaud the work that One Eleuthera continues to do here in this community. OEF is a pace setter for civil society organizations within The Bahamas. The work that OEF is doing is really riveting”, stated Inter-American Development Bank representative Gevon Moss. Eleanor Phillips, director of the Nature Conservancy Northern Caribbean Program and co-founder of OEF was also present to give support.
OEF Member Gwendolyn Patram commented about her partnership with the organization, “Working with OEF has been nothing short of a blessing for my company. We partnered with OEF to bring about a successful event, Youth Summit. It is an annual gathering of youth from one end of the island to the next. We are looking forward to further partnership with OEF.”
When asked why she became a member of OEF, Evangelist Shirley Burrows said, “I came to be a part of it [OEF] because of what they were doing. For three years they have helped me with the Youth Awards and in that time I have been a part of whatever OEF does. Not because of the awards but because I am so proud that Bahamians themselves have taken on this kind of project to improve our island and to support our people in employment.”
A strong theme of the meeting was the recognition of the value of collaboration, community engagement and partnerships. Alfred Sears, in his official message, stated “…I thank the many community partners, artisans, businesses, and residents in Eleuthera who volunteered their time, treasure and ideas to the work of OEF.” Shaun Ingraham too expressed similar sentiments in his address, “OEF would like to thank the board, members and the general public for continuing to support our programs and projects as we continue to advance Eleuthera’s economic, environmental and social development.”
