The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

Lmunnings@tribunemedia.net 

SOME 95 percent of all staff at Disney's Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point are Bahamian, according to Regional Public Affairs Director Joey Gaskins, who underscored a commitment to Bahamian leadership as he confirmed all managerial positions are held by locals.

"One of the things that we are proud about at Disney Lookout Cay, at Lighthouse Point, is that we made an effort to ensure the leadership at Disney Lookout Cay is all Bahamian," Mr Gaskins said on Friday.  

He credited Bahamian Recruitment Manager Leslie Lopez for successfully filling these key positions with local talent. As Disney expands, Mr Gaskins encouraged Bahamians to explore career opportunities with the company. 

"We are a growing company," he said. 

"Right now, there are six ships in the fleet, and by 2031/2032, we will have 13 ships. We want to encourage Bahamians to look at job opportunities with us and see the career progressions."

He also highlighted the importance of Bahamians taking leadership roles in the country’s primary industry. 

"I think it is vital for Bahamians to be in leadership in tourism. Our tourism industry is our number one industry in The Bahamas, and Bahamians should lead. I think it’s very important that we are not just participants in the tourism industry in The Bahamas but that we lead it."

Mr Gaskins addressed public skepticism surrounding foreign direct investment, noting that Disney has taken steps to ensure its contributions extend beyond employment. 

"We have attempted to implement a model that shifts the narrative around that. One – employment is key for us, and part of what we have done is to get as many Bahamians to come and work for us as possible," he said.

He added that Disney’s approach focuses on sustainable economic opportunities, including contracts for maintenance, ownership of port adventures, and support for small businesses. 

"The other part of the model is what we like to call sustainable economic opportunities, and that means ensuring that small businesses feel, as Thomas Sands would say, the knock-off effect of our investment here in Eleuthera."

"The reason why I think a lot of Bahamians are sceptical about foreign direct investment is because they focus almost primarily on jobs. Jobs are very important but the other dimension to that is ownership and the growth of small and medium-sized businesses and that’s something that we have been focused on at Disney as well."

The company also highlighted the achievements of two Bahamian employees. Sean Brennen, who oversees Island Services, and Logan Scavella, Storekeeper Manager, were both recently promoted. 

Ms Scavella, the only woman on her team, encouraged young women to pursue similar opportunities. Having been on the job for nearly a year, she expressed joy in her role and stressed that such achievements are attainable for others.