Amid reports that the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) was executing a plan to weed out certain Bahamians from top executive positions, news emerged on Thursday that the Port has promoted a Bahamian who has reportedly made significant contributions to its operations.
Dillon Knowles, former director of Building and Development Services, has been promoted to vice president with responsibility for development in the Grand Bahama Development Company, according to a press statement issued by the GBPA.
Mr. Knowles joined the GBPA in 2002 as assistant manager of Building and Development Services, and quickly rose to manger in 2003. He became director of Building and Development Services in 2004.
This announcement came a day after the Port announced that the deputy chairmanﾒs position held by Willie Moss had been made redundant.
News that Mrs. Moss had been terminated after 26 years with the Port was accompanied by reports that there could be further managerial changes.
The Port had said that its group of companies was in the process of making a number of changes in its organizational structure.
Mrs. Mossﾒ departure came two weeks after the announcement that Barry Malcolm, former executive vice president of the GBPA, had resigned.
Mr. Malcolm resigned after wide speculation that he was about to be fired from his top position, along with others.
Calling his resignation after five years “unfortunate”, Sir Albert Miller, chief executive officer said that Mr. Malcolm agreed to work with the company to complete a number of projects in the pipeline.
Mr. Malcolmﾒs resignation followed that of CEO and Co-Chairman Julian Francis, the former Central Bank governor, who resigned from the Port a year after he was appointed.
He was replaced by Austrian-born Hannes Babak as chairman, and Sir Albert Miller returned as CEO of the Port Authority soon after.
By: Daphne McIntosh, The Bahama Journal
