By Cdr. Bud Slabbaert
When Ministers attend an industry conference, it is usually formal and decorous and just for an hour as to show that they have other more important things on their mind. And their short attendance comes over like a favor. They may even attend the lunch. But then they sneak out.
Last week at CARIBAVIA on St.Barth I experienced something noteworthy, seldom, and had the privilege to meet someone distinctly else: Charles ‘Max’ Fernandez – Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation and Investment of Antigua and Barbuda. But we just go by Charles and Bud without any hoochy coochy.
I have organized many conferences over the years, I was involved in several of them as a speaker, exhibitor or journalist. I have never experienced a Minister like that. He never missed one single session of CARIBAVIA. He would talk to participating professionals and listen to them when they told them about their experiences and knowledge about a variety of vital matters.
The Minister wrote notes during the presentations, took photographs with his cell phone of the graphics shown on the screen. One really had the impression that he was serious about exploring new things that could be applied to aviation, tourism and other business activities at home on Antigua and Barbuda.
No suit and tie but rather business casual style. A man that one wants to do business with as one has the feeling that one gets what one experiences, straight forward and honest, no show, and no hot air.
His biography shows living by the motto, “The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively” – Henry Charles ‘Max’ Fernandez
In his closing remarks at the end session of CARIBAVIA: “There should be more conferences like this.”
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yup… when you are raised to serve, its natural
many of the politicians want to be served