The Cabinet Office announced on Tuesday that Her Excellency Dame Ivy Dumont, governor general of The Bahamas, will demit office on November 30, 2005, but did not indicate who will replace her.
It is known that the government has approached at least two senior statesmen on the possibility of appointing one of them to the position.
One of them is former Attorney General Paul Adderley, and the other is former Deputy Prime Minister A. D. Hanna but there has been no clear indication on which of the two would be appointed.
Dame Ivy assumed office as acting governor general November 13, 2001, in succession to Sir Orville Turnquest. She had been one of three females in the Cabinet of the Free National Movement government.
The sixth governor general in an independent Bahamas, Dame Ivy was born on October 02, 1930, at Rose’s, Long Island, The Bahamas, and received her early education at Rose’s and Buckley’s, Long Island.
She attended the Government High School in New Providence from 1942 to 1948, The Bahamas Teachers’ Training College from 1950 to 1951, the University of Miami from 1968 to 1970, and Nova University (part time) from 1976 to 1978.
She received her Cambridge Junior Certificate in 1946, the Cambridge Senior Certificate in 1947, a Teacher’s Training Certificate in 1951 and an Associate of the College of Preceptors in 1952.
In 1954 she received The Bahamas Teacher’s Certificate. She spent six months in the United States on a Fulbright Grant between 1962 and 1963, and in 1965 received a General Certificate of Education A-level pass in literature from the Teachers’ Union Institute. Dame Ivy earned a bachelor of education degree in 1970, a master of public administration degree in 1997, and a doctorate in public administration in 1978. Over the years she also undertook various public-service courses, including basic accounting and personnel administration.
A founding member and secretary-general of The Bahamas Union of Teachers, she served in the Ministry of Education and Culture between 1948 and 1975 as a student-teacher, a classroom teacher, head teacher, education officer and deputy director of education.
She worked as deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Works and Utilities from 1975 to 1978. In 1978 she joined Roy West Trust Corporation (Bahamas) Limited/NatWest International Trust Holdings Limited, and held positions of training officer; assistant manager, personnel manager, and manager, group relations.
Dame Ivy also served as secretary-general of the Free National Movement. She was appointed to the Senate and sworn in as Minister of Health and Environment on August 24, 1992, following the FNM’s victory in the August 19 general election. Dame Ivy was appointed Minister of Education and Training January 09, 1995. She was reappointed Minister of Education March 18, 1997, after the FNM’s triumph in the March 14 general election. She retired from that post in January, 2001.
Dame Ivy was subsequently appointed chairman of the Public Service Commission, retiring from that post December 31, 2001. She holds membership in Emmanuel Gospel Chapel, Sisters Fellowship of the Assemblies of Brethren in The Bahamas, Women’s Aglow Fellowship International, The Bahamas Humane Society and the American Management Association. She is a Bible-education facilitator, an accomplished seamstress, and an occasional gardener.
Dame Ivy is married to Mr. Reginald Dean Dumont, a retired police inspector and prices control inspector. They have a son, Cheddi, and a daughter, Edda.
Source: The Bahama Journal
