The Hon. Josephine Connolly was officially sworn in as Minister of Tourism, Environment, Heritage, Maritime, Gaming and Disaster Management for the Turks and Caicos Islands on Wednesday February 24, 2021. Hon. Connolly’s appointment was made by the newly elected Premier Hon. Charles Washington Misick following the Turks and Caicos Islands general election held on Friday February 19, 2021.

Commenting on her appointment Hon. Connolly stated, “I am honored to serve the Turks and Caicos Islands as the Minister of Tourism at this critical point. I look forward to working with our stakeholders and partners to ensure Turks and Caicos’ success as a tourism destination and to explore all opportunities for growth and development of the tourism sector. Tourism is the main economic driver for the Turks and Caicos Islands. I am committed to working to ensure the industry not only recovers, but also surpasses its current record as one of the leading luxury destinations in the Caribbean.”

Hon. Connolly started business in Providenciales in 1991, Tropical Auto Rentals Ltd (car hire), Connolly Motors Ltd. (retail car parts), 88.1FM (radio station), Connolly Services Ltd (Western Union) and Connolly Kia Ltd (Kia distributer).

Between 2004 and 2010 Hon. Connolly attended the University of Central Lancashire, obtaining a BSc in Management and Politics and MSc in Human Resource Management.

In July 2012 she was elected as one of the five all-island members of the House of Assembly and subsequently was elected as Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly. In 2016 she was again elected as an all-island member. In 2021 she was elected for a third term as an all-island member and is now serving as Minister of Tourism.

Hon. Connolly has been active in assisting her community both through her charitable activities as a volunteer with the Cancer Society, and organizer of “In The Pink”.

Hon. Connolly has been married for twenty-eight years and has two adult children. She is President of the Girl Guides Association, patron of the Soroptimists, a member of the Turks & Caicos Real Estate Association (TCREA) and a member of the Certified Institute for Personnel Development (CIPD).