Mr Tom Hartley has been appointed British High Commissioner (designate) to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in succession to Mrs Sarah Dickson OBE who is going to another Diplomatic Service appointment. High Commissioner Dickson is due to leave The Bahamas at the end of July and Mr Hartley will take up his appointment during August 2022.
Mr. Hartley said that he is “looking forward to taking up this post and experiencing first-hand the warmth, beauty, hospitality, and energy The Bahamas are known for the world over.”
“It is my honour to be appointed as the next British High Commissioner to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. I pay tribute to my predecessor, Mrs Sarah Dickson who was rightly recognised in Her Majesty’s Birthday Honours with an OBE for services to UK-The Bahamas relations; I look forward to building on her excellent service to continue to strengthen the British-Bahamas partnership in security, climate change, education, and much more.”
Her Excellency Sarah Dickson OBE said how sad she was to be leaving the country. She commented on how proud she was to reopen the High Commission in Nassau and reflected on the difficult circumstances of the past three years with hurricanes and pandemics.
“It has been a privilege to serve in The Bahamas. Setting up a new High Commission from scratch was always going to be a challenge. Doing so at the same time as the most extreme hurricane, followed by a global pandemic made the situation even more complex. I have
been blessed by a terrific team at the High Commission who have found solutions at every turn.
I am grateful to all the allies and friends of the High Commission who have helped us out. I am fortunate that my family and I have managed to visit so many islands. Our travels from Crooked Island to Bimini; from Cat Island to Andros and so many other places; have allowed me to see the real beauty of The Bahamas and meet some terrific people.
There are lots of things that bind our two countries together and we are always stronger when we share our views and experiences.”
She commented that she was sure Mr Hartley would enjoy The Bahamas as much as she had and wished him every success in his posting. She hoped to see as many people as possible who had supported her and the High Commission before her departure at the end of July.
