The Tribune

By Felicity Ingraham

According to the i10 Media Group and the Houston Business Journal, Bahamian PJ Douglas-Sands is a woman to watch.

The newly-appointed Senior Area Manager for the Bahamas Tourist Office in Houston, Texas, recently made the “Top 40 Under 40” list of Houston’s professional women.

This honour followed closely on the heels of her also being selected for the Houston Business Journal’s 2016 Top 40 Under 40 award.

She will pick up that award later this month during a special ceremony.

Mrs Douglas-Sands was recognised for her efforts in networking and showcasing the Bahamas as a brand in the Houston business community. 

Additionally noted were her accomplishments as a speaker, brand strategist and awareness builder for the Seahorse Children’s Foundation, which funds the Seahorse Institute in Nassau for children with special needs, autism and developmental delays.  

But Mrs Douglas-Sands is no stranger to receiving accolades.

In 2014, she was nominated for the Bahamian Icon Award for Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year after successfully launching her own Caribbean branding and event consulting firm. 

In 2013, she was recognised by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the ‘Leading African-Americans in Technology’ at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. And in 1999, she was the first runner-up in the Miss Bahamas Universe pageant. This allowed her to compete for her country at the 1999 International Princess pageant, where she was victorious.

Mrs Douglas-Sands has nearly 20 years experience in the tourism sector, as well as in event planning, branding, technology, entertainment and consulting in the private sector; she also possesses extensive economic development knowledge when it comes to the Caribbean.

She has produced concerts, festivals, conferences and weddings, and her many clients have included celebrities like Colin Cowie, Tyrese Gibson, BeBe Winans, U2, R Kelly, Wyclef Jean, Jimmy Buffet and Lenny Kravitz.

The Bahamas Tourist Office appointed Mrs Douglas-Sands as a Senior Area Manager responsible for Business Development, Marketing and Sales in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Kansas and Nebraska. 

In that capacity, she leads the charge in Houston to develop and implement initiatives to reintroduce the Bahamas to the local travel, sports, entertainment and corporate sectors. 

She is expected to reengage and reconnect with customers, as well as develop and build relationships with key travel partners, consortiums, meeting/wedding planners, trade, media, wholesale and corporate partners.  

“I am excited to take an active role in increasing the awareness of the islands of the Bahamas while contributing to exponential growth in travel from the Southwest (United States), communicate the marketing strategies of the Bahamas, and assist in positioning the Bahamas brand to showcase our uniquely competitive distinction among other destinations in the US, Caribbean, and North and South America,” she said.