The Turks & Caicos Islands Football Association (TCIFA) welcomes its newest President, Sonia Bien-Amie. Bien-Aime, who served as the Football Association’s General Secretary for the last eight years – was elected President during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at The Regent Grand Resort on Monday, July 21st 2014.
The Ordinary Congress saw the presence of international dignitaries: Jeffery Web, CONCACAF President; Gordon Derrik, Caribbean Football Union (CFU) President; Captain Horace Burrell, CONCACAF Vice President and President of the Jamaica Football Association; Damian Hughes, CFU General Secretary; Bruce Blake, Cayman Islands Football Association’s First Vice President; Howard MacIntosh, FIFA Development Officer; Marco Leal, CONCACAF Director of Legal Affairs; Jason Harper, Media Officer CONCACAF and Angela Vasco, CONCACAF staffer. Also in attendance was TCI’s Deputy Governor Anya Williams, along with Bien-Amie’s family and other invited guests.
On being named President, Bien-Aime achieved a few historic firsts for women in football. She became the first female President of the TCIFA, the entire CONCACAF region and one of two women to hold such a position worldwide in all FIFA 209 Member Associations.
Sonia, a former multi-sport athlete who represented the Turks & Caicos internationally in track and field, softball and as Captain of the Turks & Caicos Islands Women’s National Football Team, have always had a passion for sports. However, it was after leaving the legal field in 2006 that she turned her attention to sports administration – when she took on the role of TCIFA’s General Secretary.
In her President’s acceptance speech, Bien-Aime said: “I am totally humbled by this elevation to be the President of this fast growing organization and I want to use this occasion to thank those persons who have assisted in my growth in this challenging world of football administration. Those who have held my hands. Those who provided the need, balance, support and patience.”
She thanked her husband Basneal, children: Ira, Dadre and Brittney; Chris Bryan, outgoing TCIFA President; Paul Slattery, First Vice President TCIFA; Oliver Smith, Second Vice President TCIFA; Candace Hanchell, President of the Women’s Football League; Paula Garland, Executive Director 2; members of the FA Executive and football clubs. Sonia said that it is her hope, that with their support, they can move the TCIFA and its development to even higher heights.
In closing, President Bien-Aime added: “I would like to acknowledge the foresight and enlightened approach of Chris Bryan and others within the Football Association and football community here in the Turks & Caicos Islands. It is their open mindedness and willingness to embrace female equality that was the genesis of this historical moment that we are celebrating here today. I want to thank everyone, and lets all continue this eventful journey together to elevate football here – in these lovely Turks & Caicos Islands.”
Chris Bryan, outgoing President said: “After eight years as President of TCIFA and as the end of my second mandate neared, I became acutely aware that a change of Presidency would be beneficial to the Association for a number of reasons. Sonia Bien-Aime is the perfect choice as the new President. She will bring a continued stability to the running of the Association as we progress steadily with our development of football within the Turks and Caicos Islands. Sonia is held in wide esteem by FIFA and this new appointment will bring further benefit to her and the TCIFA. Sonia is the right choice for the Association and I give her my full endorsement and support.”
Gordon Derrick, President of the Caribbean Football Union noted that it was two years ago when he spoke with Bien-Aime regarding the possibility of serving as a CFU Executive Member. Of this he said: “I wasn’t asking her or suggesting to her or encouraging her for serving because she is a woman. I was encouraging her because I saw the ability and the way that she conducted herself, how she spoke, her dept of thought, her rationale and I said ‘in the era where yes we want to support and encourage female participation – which I am a full supporter of; but I am not one who believes in putting persons in a position just because’. She is not there just because she is a woman; she is there because she is a qualified woman. A very highly qualified woman. A woman who knows how to do things and get them done, and therefore I am just extremely excited for the TCIFA.”
The CFU President then added: “I know the outgoing President would have laid the foundation, you would have put up the walls and you would have just about finished the roof; well, in comes the lady to do all the fine details – I think she is well positioned to do. I can only see the rise of the TCIFA in the near future. I can only imagine that with your leadership Sonia, with full executive support and with your continued help for this association – it can only be elevated higher”. To the Deputy Governor, his hope was that government would fully lend its support behind the Association. In closing, Derrick said: “I think that with all those things together, I think Sonia – these things can only improve the Association. I charge you to go out and do the best. Think local and act global; because you are a global player now.”
Jeffrey Webb, President of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) stated that his first international relations responsibility was to the Turks & Caicos Islands in 1995, being charged with the task of assisting the TCI to become a member of the Caribbean Football Union, CONCACAF and FIFA. On arrival, he noted he met with past president Tom Smith, James Slattery and a group of individuals who were passionate about the game, though they did no have much in terms of equipment and facility.
Webb stated that: “To come to the Turks & Caicos almost 20 years later, and to witness what I’ve seen in terms of the growth, to see your center of excellence, your academy, 65 young female football players playing football in a football festival, to, of course witness the healthy state of football in Turks & Caicos, exceptional financial reporting, exceptional annual reporting – all I can say is please allow me to give you all a round of applause for an exceptional job.”
To outgoing President Bryan, Webb said: “Chris, there are not many leaders like you – not only in the Caribbean, but also the world. The level of growth that we have seen in Turks & Caicos, and the professionalism that we have seen in the football family here, the level of maturation throughout the time, the development plan, your focus so hard on development, you stick to your task, you set your goals and your objectives. This is commendable.”
Regarding incoming President Bien-Aime, the CONCACAF President said: “I met Sonia many years ago and I saw in her a young woman administrator who was so passionate, so dedicated to not only women’s football, but football in general. And over time of course we’ve grown [closer] and we have been through a lot together. We went through a storm, Caribbean football. A storm that faced our union, that faced our confederation – 41 Members of CONCACAF just two years ago. Sonia of course is one of the pillars, one of the strong individuals along with President Gordon [Derrick], Damian Hughes – who have taken the mantle of Caribbean football and CONCACAF football, and lead by example.”
He disclosed that when FIFA asked CONCACAF for nominations for female representation to the FIFA Executive Committee and asked if he had anyone to put forward, Webb said that without hesitation Bien-Aime was that person. Of this, Sonia became the first woman ever on the CONCACAF Executive Committee. “I did that because I know that her growth and her development, and what she stands for as an individual.”
Webb noted that recently in Brazil, CONCACAF approved a position for a female. He said in all likelihood in May 2015 Sonia will stand for election thereby becoming a full member, the first female member of CONCACAF. “That of course is an exceptional person, with exceptional responsibilities; but I cannot think of no one who has elevated herself, who have lived with such incredible character, trust and transparency throughout her entire life. And as the President of CONCACAF, Sonia, I can only congratulate you and the Turks & Caicos Islands Football Association family, because I cannot think of anyone else who is that more deserving then you are. On behalf of CONCACAF, and the millions of people that play football in our region 41 countries, congratulations.”
