By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 25, 2022 – When I saw a post on Facebook by Phaedra Mackey-Knowles noting that she was “excited to announce that I am officially an Estate Agent with @bahamaschoicerealestate,” I immediately noticed a striking resemblance to the late renowned Bahamian politician George Mackey, with whom I developed a very close brotherly friendship when we both worked at The Tribune in the early 1960s.
My curiosity nagged me to find out if she was indeed related to George, and she confirmed in her response to my Facebook enquiry that she is indeed George’s daughter. Therefore, it does not come as a surprise to me that she has done very well for herself in her chosen profession, based on the information she posted on her “career change.”
“My expertise in land development and staging coupled with 30-plus years experience as a CFA & CPA, both locally and internationally, has lead me to this amazing step in my career,” she noted.
A Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Public Accountant, Mrs. Mackey-Knoles has an extensive background and experience in research, management and administration of investments accounts and Public Accounting. Positions she has held in the industry have included, Deputy Director – Investments, The National Insurance Board; President of Binnacle Investment Group Limited and Binnacle Advisors Limited; Assistant Vice President, in CAI, Investments and Client Reporting at Cititrust (Bahamas) Limited; and Senior Accountant at the former Price Waterhouse in New York and Nassau. She currently practices as a Financial Consultant and an Estate Agent with Bahamas Choice Real Estate, Ltd.
More likely than not, she inherited a strong work ethic from her father George, who was a linotype machine operator when I joined the staff of The Tribune as a trainee reporter in May of 1960.
My journalistic mentor Arthur A. Foulkes also started at The Tribune as a linotype machine operator, but by the time I joined The Tribune’s staff, he was its news editor. Apparently, Mr. Foulkes literally learned to become a journalist by being the favourite linotype operator that Tribune Publisher and Editor Sir Etienne Dupuch chose to set his editorials.
After Mr. Foulkes was elevated to the position of News Editor, the story that I was told is that George Mackey then became Sir Etienne’s choice to set his editorials.
The Tribune is also where George met Phaedra’s mother Betty, who was also working at The Tribune, and they fell in love and subsequently got married.
When the winds of political change engulfed The Bahamas in the 1960s, George became actively involved in politics. When he died at the relatively young age of 67 in January of 2006 after a two-year battle with cancer, he had enjoyed a long and distinguished political career.
As the representative for Fox Hill, he served as Minister of Housing and National Insurance in the cabinet of the late Prime minister Sir Lynden Pindling.
He was also a past chairman of the PLP and during his repeated tenures as chairman, he received widespread praise for years of successful convention planning.
At the time of his death, Mr. Mackey served as chairman of the Antiquities Monuments and Museum Corporation, co-chair of the Nassau Redevelopment Association and was a key force behind the redevelopment plans for Bay Street and downtown Nassau.
George was first elected to parliament in the general election of 1972 for the St. Michael’s constituency and was re-elected in 1977.
On June 19, 1982, he was elected as the member of parliament for Fox Hill, and on June 27 was appointed minister of Housing and National Insurance. He served until his retirement from elective politics in 1997.
Clearly, Phaedra has a good model to eulate in her father as she establishes herself in her new professional venture.
