NASSAU, Bahamas, Feb. 28, 2019 — Ms. Davinia Blair, Executive Director of the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC), has been selected to participate in the U.S. Department of State’s prestigious International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) with a focus on “Entrepreneurship as the Engine of Prosperity and Stability, Small Business Development.”
The program is scheduled for March 16-April 6, 2019. Prior to her departure, Ms. Blair visited the U.S. Embassy for an informational meeting. She met with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Bowers and representatives from the Political/Economic and Public Affairs Sections.
Ms. Blair will be among a group of 30 professionals participating in the program from countries around the world, including: Slovenia, Thailand, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Israel and Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The three-week exchange will include visits to Washington, DC; Boston, Massachusetts; Seattle, Washington and Austin, Texas.
According to the State Department’s website, “The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.”
In a press statement congratulating Mrs. Blair, the U.S. Embassy Nassau noted, “This particular exchange will examine the role of small business in driving sustained economic growth and prosperity and honing skills to encourage entrepreneurship development. Mrs. Blair and her counterparts will explore business models that support small business growth and economic development to benefit local communities.”
