Akierra Missick

Akierra Mary Deanne Missick (born 1983) is a Turks and Caicos Islands politician.[1] She has served as Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture of the Turks and Caicos Islands since 18 November 2012.[2]

Law career

In 2006, Missick was called to the bar of England and Wales and the bar of the Turks and Caicos Islands. She then went to work as an associate for the law firm of Misick & Stanbrook, where she specialised in dispute resolution, company law, and commercial law.[3] In August 2012 she appeared with Ariel Misick before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, representing pilot Richardson Arthur in his appeal against a decision of the Court of Appeal in a land registration dispute with the Turks and Caicos Islands government; however, the appeal was dismissed, with Terence Etherton writing the unanimous opinion.[4]

Political career

Missick became a member of the Progressive National Party in 2002.[1] She was formerly Secretary-General of the PNP. She resigned from that position in August 2009 to protest statements made by Michael Misick, but continued her membership in the party.[5]

In August 2012, Missick announced that she would be seeking the PNP's nomination to stand in Leeward District 5, Providenciales for the 2012 general election.[1] Due to provisions in the new 2011 Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands, this required her to renounce any foreign allegiance she held by virtue of her own act. As Attorney-General Huw Shepheard commented, those who were merely born in foreign countries would not be affected by these changes, but those who had applied for foreign passports as adults would be. Missick, though the only U.S.-born candidate, was far from the only one to had to take quick action to renounce foreign citizenship; Bahamas-born People's Democratic Movement deputy leader Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson and several other members of her party were also affected, and the newly formed People's Progressive Party stood in danger of having all of its candidates disqualified.[6] Missick renounced her United States citizenship in mid-October, and was officially nominated on 25 October.[7] She emerged victorious in the election, and the week afterwards was named as Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture.[8]

Personal life

Missick's mother is Doreen Missick, also a Turks and Caicos Islands politician, and a former member of the Advisory Council.[9] Missick and her sister Alex Missick were both born in the United States, and thus had jus soli citizenship there.[10] She is a distant relation to Stephanie Missick and Shunda Missick of Nassau, Bahamas. She attended Ona Glinton Primary School on Grand Turk Island and then Iris Stubbs Primary School on South Caicos, and then MAST Academy in Miami, Florida in the United States. Following that she moved to England to continue her schooling, doing her A Levels at Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College, her LL.B at the University of Nottingham from 2002 to 2005, and her Bar Vocational Course at the Inns of Court School of Law in London.[11]

In the 2008 United States presidential election, she flew from Turks and Caicos to Florida where she was registered to vote in order to cast her ballot for Barack Obama, stating that she wanted to participate in the "historic occasion" in person rather than cast an absentee ballot.[10] She was president of the Rotaract Club of Providenciales from 2009 to 2010.[11][12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Akiera Missick Seeks Nomination". WIV4 News. 2012-08-01. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  2. ↑ "PNP Cabinet Sworn, PDM Challenges 4 District Results". Turks & Caicos Free Press. 2012-11-19. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  3. ↑ "Lawyers and Attorneys". Misick & Stanbrook. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  4. ↑ Richardson Anthony Arthur v Attorney General of the Turks & Caicos Islands, 2012 UKPC 30 (2012-08-16).
  5. ↑ "PNP Secretary Resigns". WIV4 News. 2009-08-20. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  6. ↑ "Election rules threaten candidate disqualification". TCI News Now. 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  7. ↑ Tyson, Vivian (2012-10-29). "Akierra Misick [sic] renounces US citizenship". Turks & Caicos Sun. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  8. ↑ "Akierra Missick is Deputy Premier Designate of the TCI". The TCI Post. 2012-11-16. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  9. ↑ "PNP in disarray?". TCI News Now. 2009-09-08. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  10. 1 2 "Sisters fly to Miami from Turks and Caicos to Vote". Miami Herald. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  11. 1 2 "Election 2012: Akierra Missick". Radio Turks and Caicos 107 FM. 2012-08-11. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  12. ↑ "Socialising Skills And Proper Etiquette". Turks & Caicos Weekly News. 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
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