MIAMI (November 13, 2019) – Former Bahamas Minister of Finance, Zhivargo Laing, currently the World Trade Organization Chief Negotiator for The Bahamas, will deliver the feature address at the 2019 Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx) Leadership Awards slated for December 14 in Miami.

The respected economist, who also serves as the Executive Director and Senior Policy Fellow of the Government and Public Policy Institute at the University of The Bahamas, is a popular Bahamas radio talk show host who develops programs and initiatives to guide youth leaders.

Laing will address attendees at the highly anticipated event, which raises money to support Bahamian scholars impacted by the devastating Category 5 storm, which lashed his home island of Grand Bahama, and The Abacos in September.

Fellow Bahamian Andy Ingraham, President and CEO of the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers (NABHOOD), is among the honorees selected for recognition at the event, in part for tirelessly raising relief and assistance for Bahamians lashed by Hurricane Dorian. Ingraham, who continues to lead recovery efforts, has more than 26 years in the tourism industry developing specific expertise in multicultural and Caribbean tourism.

Ingraham’s NABHOOD is well known across the tourism sector for working to increase the number of African Americans developing, managing, operating and owning hotels. It also increases vendor opportunities and executive level jobs for minorities, and creates wealth within the African American community.

This year’s CMEx honorees include leading Caribbean journalist and entrepreneur Janet Silvera; veteran airline executive Christine Kennedy of Delta Air Lines; Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen; attorney and philanthropist Marlon Hill; Caribbean-American television anchor/reporter Neki Mohan of WPLG, ABC TV’s local affiliate in Miami; Muriel Wiltord, Director of The Americas for the Martinique Promotion Bureau; Commissioner of Tourism of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Joseph Boschulte; and Frank Comito, Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)

Providing a neutral platform for the industry’s movers and shakers to address pressing tourism concerns, CMEx, which is partnering with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHTAEF) as well as the Errol and Nita Barrow Educational Trust on the fundraiser, also helps Caribbean and American communities by sharing expertise, financial and in-kind assistance. 

The 2019 CMEx Leadership Awards, which will feature the musical talents of Trinidad and Tobago’s Lord Relator and Virgin Islands steel pan player Stan Brown, is supported by the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, Caribbean Airlines, International Career and Business Alliance (ICABA), Island Syndicate, Marketplace Excellence, Tropical Attractions, Inc., and the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.

For tickets, visit www.tinyurl.com/CMEx-Awards-2019.

About Caribbean Media Exchange, Inc. (CMEx)CMEx’s mission is to support and develop the ability of the media, government, the travel and tourism industry and communities to consider the importance of tourism in sustainable development, while lending a hand to the communities involved by sharing relevant expertise, financial and in-kind assistance. 
For further information, visit www.cmexmedia.org.