Professional Masters Program Participants Aim to Improve Tourism

Frank Comito, Executive Vice President of BHA, explained that “We support the program as we believe that our industry professionals can be used more effectively to address challenges and issues that we face and we see this as an opportunity that will directly benefit not only our members, but also the advancement of our number one industry”.

Dr. J. Anthony Hall, Dean of Caribbean Studies, Revans University and Set Advisor for The Bahamas Associates was very impressed with the project proposals that emerged from the group.  He notes that “the project proposals submitted and discussed reflect the vast experience of Associates and the high level of analytical ability that these professionals possess”.  Dr. Hall further notes that these experiences and abilities can often be underestimated, underutilized and even sometimes undervalued by the wider industry but “under the Revans Masters program in The Bahamas the full potential of industry professionals can be realized and made use of in effective ways to help strengthen the country’s tourism economy”.

Although new to The Bahamas, the IMCA/Revans University Professional Masters in Hospitality & Tourism has been successfully implemented globally in such places as Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, USA and Vanuatu.  In the Caribbean it is used effectively in countries such as Jamaica, Barbados and St. Lucia.  Today over 40,000 managers have followed the Revans/IMCA programs in some 40 countries across the globe in a host of different languages.

This Professional Masters program actually makes use of a new and exciting approach to career development called “Action Learning” known internationally as “the most powerful process of learning for practicing managers”.  Action Learning allows Managers to accumulate credit by working on their routine tasks, while carrying forward their learning agenda drawing on new knowledge, research and experiences aimed at solving industry problems and creating new opportunities.

Associates at the weekend meeting indicated that they embarked on this “Action Learning Mission” because of a desire, not only to further their education and for self development, but also because of the passion they have for the industry and their desire to see rejuvenation and growth in the country’s number one sector.  Carmel Churchill, Group Sales Manager at the Radisson Our Lucaya on Grand Bahama and Public Relations Officer for the group noted that “Uncertain times call for certain “action plans” and completing the Revans Professional Masters is a plan in the right direction for us as we advance as industry professionals and for our industry as we put forward plans towards its continued development”.  After careful research and meticulously written plans are completed, Associates’ project recommendations will be put to work in the industry.

The group itself meets every 6 weeks in Nassau in an industry professional discussion and learning setting.  In between these sessions, individual set groups meet and share their learning experiences, findings and challenges faced or experienced while moving forward with their projects.  The Associates achieve milestones as they produce “outputs” related to their project’s development and completion.  This culminates with the production of a full project document on completion, which they defend in a viva-voce.

At the end of this program, successful Associates will travel to England for the international graduation ceremony that takes place at Oxford University.  All members of the group are working diligently to ensure that they are part of the first group of Bahamas graduates to participate at this graduation ceremony.

Associates, Cohort #1 Revans Professional Master of Management-Hospitality & Tourism:
Front L/R: Ms. Desiree Moxey, Director, Catering & Conventions, Wyndham Nassau Resort; Lynne Johnson, Director, Convention Services, Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort; Marcia Newball, Human Resources Manager, Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort; Jermaine Wright Director, Sales & Marketing, British Colonial Hilton, Nassau; Raymond Francis, Executive Director, Out Island Promotion Board. 

Middle Row L/R:  Addiemae Rolle-Farrington, Chef/Lecturer, College of The Bahamas; Carmel Churchill, Sales Manager, Our Lucaya, Grand Bahama; Genevieve Bullard Human Resources Manager, Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort. 

Back Row L/R: Charlotte Knowles-Thompson, BHTA/Revans Program Administrator; Raylene Gardiner, Owner Services Manager, West End Resort, Old Bahama Bay, Grand Bahama; Shamine Johnson, Manager, BHTA & The Marina Operators of The Bahamas; Dr. J. Anthony Hall, Revans Dean, Caribbean Studies/Set Advisor; Dr. T. Jennifer Edwards, Revans Program Internal Reviewer.