BOARD OF GOVERNORS

The Board of Governors at Island Academy is dedicated to creating the best international school in the Caribbean. Our members are drawn from many different vocations and industries, and are all respected contributors to the community.

Island Academy’s Board of Governors constitute volunteer members who freely donate their time to ensure the vision of our school.

GOVERNORS

Dr. Soumi SenGupta. BDS
Chairman

Soumi has been a Dental Surgeon for the last 17 years and runs one of the largest offices in the West Indies catering to an International clientele. He owns and runs a Continuing Education Company CDP (Caribbean Dental Programs) to raise the bar of Educational standards for the Dentists in the region.

Dr. SenGupta is an accomplished International presenter for Imtec, one of the largest Dental Implant companies in the world. Other than dentistry, Dr. SenGupta is involved in several Real Estate projects in Antigua, thru his company S&J Ltd. These include a 23,000 sq ft commercial center, and a 128 bedroom apartment and commercial complex. His wife Jenny is integrally involved in the Dental Practice and Real estate and is the mother of his two children Jasmin (11) and Charlotte (8). He is a keen amateur photographer and water sports enthusiast. He undertook the role of Chairman in 2009.

Bernadette Sherman
Secretary

Bernadette Sherman was born in Trinidad and lived in Antigua since the age of four. She holds an Associate of Science degree in Psychology from the Beirut University College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a minor in Political Studies from Oregon State University.
At present she is shareholder and director of three restaurants on Antigua as well as Next Trading Company also under the Big Banana Group of Companies.
She is one of the founding members of Island Academy.

Joel Gonnella B Comm.CA
Treasurer

Joel is the Treasurer on the Board of Directors. His responsibilities include overseeing the finances of Island Academy, maintaining banking relationships, preparation of annual budgets and reviewing operational financial statements. He obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada and later received a Chartered Accountant designation from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. He has lived in Antigua the past 4 years employed as Regional Controller for Elite Island Resorts. Over the past 20 years he has held executive financial positions for a number of companies in the Caribbean and Canada.

Dr. Peter R Swann

Peter Swann received his primary education as a scholarship student at Dulwich College in London, England. After obtaining a PhD from Cambridge University in 1960 he worked at U S Steel Corporation in Pennsylvania, USA, then at the University of Göttingen, Germany and finally as a full professor at the University of London. He has published over 60 scientific papers and was awarded eight medals and prizes including the prestigious Beilby Gold medal of the Royal Chemical Society and the Robert Lansing Hardy Gold Medal of the American Institute of Metallurgical Engineers. In 1978 he resigned from his Chair at the University of London to become CEO of Gatan Inc. Under his direction Gatan became a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of scientific instruments in the field of electron microscopy and analysis. He retired from business in 1995 and made his home on Jumby Bay Island, Antigua. He was Chairman of the Board of Jumby Bay Island Company from 1993 to 1998 and Chairman of the Board of Island Academy from 2001 until 2009. Peter has a keen interest in music and has conducted the prestigious California Symphony Orchestra.

Kaye McDonald

Ms. Kaye McDonald is a newly appointed Director on the Island Academy Board. Ms. McDonald is a qualified and experienced individual holding a B.A. in Political Science from the Florida International University; in addition Ms. McDonald is also a certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist. McDonald is a former banker with eight (8) year tenure with one of Antigua and Barbuda’s leading financial conglomerates. Her tenure included five (5) years of establishing and managing International Business Corporations and facilitating the establishment of internet gaming corporations, this afforded her the opportunity to develop a formidable relationship with the gaming industry. McDonald departed from the financial conglomerate as a Senior Lending Officer with a significant lending portfolio and was recognized in 2003 as the most outstanding Lending Officer.

Currently Ms. McDonald’s is the Director of Gaming with the Financial Services Regulatory Commission for the past four years. Ms. McDonald is committed to ensuring that Antigua and Barbuda is internationally regarded as a Tier 1 jurisdiction of choice, and its regulations and regulatory enforcement remains first rate. As a testament to this the Financial Services Regulatory Commission became a member of the International Association of Gaming Regulators under her stewardship with Ms. McDonald, joining the Executive Steering Committee in 2008 and the jurisdictions of gaming enforcement regulatory regime been recognized by leading regional and international enforcement agencies.

Ms. McDonald is primarily responsible for the administration of the gaming division with duties and responsibilities in managing and coordinating the gaming division, developing a policy framework for the effective licensing, regulation and supervision of international gaming companies in accordance with acceptable international standards and best practices.

Paddy Prendergast B.Mus. Dip Tonn

Born in Ireland, 1963. Educated at University College Cork, Ireland and The University of Surrey, in the UK. Worked in the music industry in London from 1987 to 2004, starting Grapevine Records and building a distribution and Management Company, eventually employing 60 people and turning over US$30million. In 2005 he moved to Antigua with his wife, Kiri, and three children. Currently he is involved in property development and playing in the band “Itchyfeet”.

Nicolette Doherty

Nicolette Doherty is a graduate of the University of Kent, Canterbury, England and Georgetown University, Washington D.C, in the United States, where she obtained a BA in Law and a Masters Degree in International and Comparative Law. She is a member of Middle Temple Inn of Court in London, a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales and she is a practicing member of the Bar of Antigua and Barbuda.

Ms. Doherty has acquired extensive practice experience in several jurisdictions, primarily in relation to corporate and commercial matters. She has developed a successful commercial practice in Antigua where she represents financial institutions and other local and international corporate clients in the field of private sector development, including trade, investment, real estate and tourism related development projects. In addition, she has provided pro bono legal advice and counseling under a legal aid scheme, developed policy and grant writing for a charitable organization providing special education for dyslexic children and drafted position papers for a number of international agencies including UNICEF on a wide range of issues, including good governance, women and children’s rights and issues relating to sustainable development.

She currently serves on the boards of several corporations and non profit organizations, is appointed as Vice Chairman of the Caribbean Association of Audit Committee Members (CAACM) and serves as a member of the audit committee of a leading financial institution in Antigua and Barbuda.

Anne Hamilton

Ian Fraser
Ian is a graduate of Imperial College, London where he obtained a BEng. in Mechanical Engineering. He obtained articles from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales while working for Arthur Andersen & Co.

Since returning to Antigua in 1992, Ian has worked in the tourism industry, responsible for the development of Redcliffe Quay, Cocos Hotel, Cocobay Resort, Coconut Beach Resort and NonSuch Bay Resort.

He is the chairman of the Antigua & Barbuda Hotel & Tourism Association and serves on the boards of the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority, Mill Reef Club, the Antigua Yacht Club and several companies.