Leadership Cayman Class Gain Sister Islands Perspective
The 2021 Leadership Cayman class made their annual trip to Cayman Brac for the ‘Sister Islands Perspective’ seminar on May 7 and 8.
The main objectives of the tour and seminar was to gain an in-depth perspective on living in Cayman Brac. This objective consists of understand the unique challenges and benefits of small economies with a particular focus on tourism and logistics of necessities such as utilities and shipping. Furthermore, attention was given the impact of COVID-19 on the Brac’s economy.
Day one, Friday May 7th, after a quick stop at the Alexander Hotel, the class embarked on a full day tour of the island. They were welcomed at The Cayman Brac Heritage House by Saskia Edwards, the Programme Manager, who taught them about the various pageants the Brac has been involved in and played a game of “Cayman Jeopardy”. The tour further consisted of visiting the Cayman Brac Sports Complex, the Cayman Brac East End Lighthouse, and Peter’s Cave.
For the remainder of the afternoon, the class had lunch at Le Soleil d’Or, a luxury resort that is also home to a 20-acre organic farm which the class had the opportunity to tour after lunch.
For the evening seminar, the class engaged in intriguing conversations with:
- Mark Tibbets Jr., JP – District Commissioner
- Liesel van der Touw – Owner and Operator of Brac Scuba Shack
- Saskia Edwards – Programme Manager at Cayman Brac Heritage House
Day two, Saturday May 8th was more relaxed with small groups of class members participating in adventurous activities such as bike rides, yoga, and an eco-tour.
Whilst the class usually only travels to the Brac for the Sister Islands seminar, this year several class members continued onto Little Cayman for a third day of extended exploration.
“Being my first time coordinating a trip to the Sister Islands this big, I didn’t know what to expect. The hospitality and people exceeded my expectations in the Sister Islands and [I am] already wanting to plan my visit back to the Sister Islands,” said class member and seminar moderator, James Robinson.
“Additionally, once the border opens, I have told my friends that it’s a requirement to visit the Sister Islands. My favourite part of the trip was enjoying the company of the Leadership Cayman Class of 2021 and seeing how much we learned on the trip about the culture of the Sister Islands,” he added.
Leadership Cayman class members, Caitlin Mathiassen and James Robinson Jr. with their LC mentors Chevala Burke and Jyoti Choi organised the seminar.
Cox Lumber Ltd., Wheaton Precious Metals and RBC Royal Bank (Cayman) Limited are the major sponsors of the Chamber of Commerce’s six-month leadership programme.
ABOUT LEADERSHIP CAYMAN: The Leadership Cayman is a signature programme of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce introduced in 2010. The six-month intensive course enables local leaders to develop new skills and to interact with some of Cayman’s top public and private sector officials and experts during bi-weekly seminars on a range of different topics. Since its launch in 2010, 263 local leaders have completed the programme. For additional information visit: https://www.leadershipcayman.ky