ABOUT US

The Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society (Formerly The Bahamas Lighthouse Preservation Society) is a non-profit historical and educational society dedicated to the preservation of our lighthouse, the keeper's dwellings and grounds.

LORY KENYON

Executive Director

Lory Kenyon is our Executive Director of the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society.

Born in Florida, she began her life in The Bahamas at only three weeks old. Wherever her life’s travels took her—from California to Australia—her heart remained in Abaco. Returning from Australia in 1992, Lory served as President of Friends of the Environment. Here she created the Moorings Program at the Pelican Cay’s Land & Sea Park and Fowl Cay Reefs as well as the Friends of the Environment Reef Ball. She also assisted with BASRA Abaco rescue dispatch. Working at Island Marine for 21 years, she witnessed the creation of the Bahamas Lighthouse Preservation Society by Dave Gale who was inspired to save the last of the world’s hand-wound kerosene-burning lighthouses (all of which were in The Bahamas). Ultimately with Dave’s retirement from both Island Marine and the Bahamas Lighthouse Preservation Society, Lory was handed the reins of the BLPS. Together with Dave Gale and Annie Potts, they formed the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society to concentrate solely on saving the Elbow Reef Lightstation with the LAST hand-wound kerosene burning lighthouse in the world. The goal for the ERLS is to be the model for other Bahama island communities to save their lighthouses.

Lory thanks Dave Gale for giving her the guidance and opportunity to fulfill his passion of saving our historic lightstation.

Born in Nassau, educated in Canada, Heather brings a background of marketing, graphic design, communications and public relations to the ERLS. Having created a Print/Publishing/Communications dept. for the Atlantis, Paradise Island Resort, she ultimately transferred to their U.S. Florida office to become Director of Brand Communications. Marriage and children created the move to Abaco where presently she is the owner of the Hope Town Coffee House, a certified oral historian and volunteer Art teacher at Hope Town Primary School. She works closely with Annie Potts on the ERLS team--a dynamic relationship which has created many opportunities to integrate lighthouse education into marketing materials as evident in the new book, “UP Keeps the Light On.”

HEATHER FORDE-PROSA

Secretary/Marketing

ANNIE POTTS

US Liaison

Annie is the stateside based member of the team and author of “Last Lights- The Hand-Wound Lighthouses of The Bahama Islands”. With one leg on each side of the Gulf Stream she helps with the historical and structural restoration aspects of the lightstation. As a previous Bahamas Lighthouse Preservation Society member she has helped with the transition from BLPS to ERLS. Annie is also the writer of the "Lighthouse Basics” page, in which she has answered in detail many of the questions people have about the Elbow Reef Lightstation.

KENT LeBOUTILLIER

Buildings & Grounds Committee

Kent's role within the ERLS is to help oversee, coordinate and facilitate the repairs, restorations, maintanence, improvements and general daily runnings at the Lightstation. To act as a liaison between The Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society, Antiquities and Monuments, The Port Department, the Keepers, contractors, subcontractors, volunteers and historians regarding such efforts.

PAUL THOMPSON

C.H.A.

Member of the Finance Committee

After 12 years as a hotelier in Canada, Paul moved to the Bahamas in 1981 to join the exclusive Lyford Cay Club where he became Managing Director. He also served as Secretary of the Lyford Cay Foundation and the Canadian Charitable Association under the Chairmanship of Royal Little. During his 25 years at the Lyford Cay Club, he upgraded the resort’s accommodations and amenities including the golf course and yacht harbor. For bringing the resort to the 5 Star level, he acquired the Cacique Award as Hotelier of the Year, 2004.

Upon his retirement from the Lyford Cay Club in 2006, he entered the field of Resort development as Managing Director of the French Leave Resort in Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera. Currently in Hope Town, Paul serves on the boards of six

community organizations.

He is a licensed Real Estate Agent representing

Abaco Cays Realty Ltd. for Hope Town, and is married to Sharyn Russell Leonard, an 8th generation granddaughter of Wyannie Malone.

LISA BALLARD

Keeper Liaison and Second Chair of the Fundraising Committee

Lisa is a constant source of support to every field in the ERLS, especially the Keepers’ needs. She is a certified Interior Decorator who loves people, art, color, antiques and the beauty in all things—especially our lighthouse. In addition, she is also a key player in all of our fundraising events such as the festival’s very successful silent auction.

Lisa has been coming to Hope Town since 1981. In fact, she has lived in The Bahamas longer than she has lived anywhere else. She has also resided in Utah, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Hawaii where she met her husband of 35 years, Chris Ballard. Together they have three awesome boys and a beautiful granddaughter named Grace.

JAN GUTHRIE

Volunteer

Jan has coordinated many generous people who have dedicated their time in support of the ERLS. As the former director of Human Resources for an international corporation, Jan is a welcome fit to head up our Volunteer Staff Network. Having volunteered in such areas from tour guiding for a botanical garden to working at womens’ shelters, Jan’s experiences are varied. She taught daily living skills to orphaned teens, counseled young inmates, created a nurturing garden at a juvenile prison and even founded an art gallery/learning center! She is a family and marriage therapist, a gardener and a piano player who has traveled the world from France to Papua New Guinea. She and husband Davis, with dog Noah, happily make Elbow Cay their home.

CANDACE KEY

Education

Candace brings a wealth of experience in education and community endeavors. Her background in education includes juvenile court programs in Florida with a specialty in elementary level education. On a trip to Hope Town she met her former husband prompting a move to the Bahamas with her four Afghan Hounds. This created the opportunity to teach in Abaco with nearly 30 years as Principal/Teacher at Hope Town School. To her credit, the School was often the first to accomplish environmental initiatives and known throughout the Caribbean/Commonwealth as a top Green Environmental School (winning many awards for their work in preserving the environment). Retiring in 2012, Candace is now the Hope Town Harbour Lodge Front Desk Manager. Throughout nearly 40 years in Abaco, she has been a founding member of Friends of the Environment, founding member and Director of the Bahamas Kennel Club, a Board Member of the Wyannie Malone Historical Museum, an Officer of the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society and a member of the St. James Methodist Church.

NANCY ALBURY

Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corp Liaison

Nancy Albury is the Abaco Branch Manager and Curator of Paleontology for The National Museum of The Bahamas. She has been the Coordinator of the Sawmill Sink Fossil Project since its inception in 2005. A passionate dry caver since childhood, Nancy began cave diving in 1974 and today continues cave exploration and research in Bahamian paleontology, geology and natural history. Ultimately her goals are to establish governmental conservation priorities for caves and blue holes and increase public awareness of these fragile ecosystems.

PHYLLIS DRORI

Fundraising Committee Chair

Originally from Montreal Canada, Phyllis spent 20 years in Vermont, followed by 7 years living aboard a sailing catamaran and now resides in Hopetown, Elbow Cay, Abaco. A retired graphic artist who also teaches yoga in Hope Town, she is a gourmet cook, and just recently published her first cookbook. On top of all of this Phyllis heads up the fundraising committee of the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society She is married with 2 grown children, and one canine child, Sabra the chocolate lab.

WYNSOME FERGUSON

Ministry of Tourism Liaison

Wynsome Ferguson from Spring City Abaco, represents Abaco at the highest levels earning the respect of industry partners and the people of Abaco. She is currently with the Ministry of Tourism as Manager for the Abaco Tourist Office responsible for staff and all destination activities. With a background of Community Service, Administration, Accounts, Human Resources, Product Development, Events, Groups, Trade & Incentive Travel and Sports Tourism, it is no wonder what a valuable team member she is to the Society.
Presently, she serves as President of the Board of Directors for Friends of the Environment. She is a Coordinating Committee Member of Regatta Time in Abaco, Treasurer to the Central Abaco District Social Development Committee, Assistant Secretary of the Pink Rose Ball Committee and Secretary of the Spring City Rockers Junkanoo Group. Wynsome has also been instrumental in many community endeavors including the Spring City/Lake City Reunion. She also led efforts to repair and upgrade Spring City Park. She is a founding member and Coordinator of the Abaco Christmas Festival and an active member of St. John the Baptist Anglican Church, Marsh Harbour where she participates as Vestry Member and Assistant Treasurer of the Anglican Church Women.
Ms. Ferguson received the Paul Harris Fellow Award, from Rotary International, 2011. In addition, she was recognized by the Cia Monet's Beauties@ Brunch, a series celebrating great women of the Bahamas for outstanding achievement, 2012 and recognized as an Extraordinary Woman of Abaco, 2013.

"MISS DP" PATTERSON

Historian

Deborah A. Patterson, known locally as “Miss Dp” is the Historian and Curator at the Wyannie Malone Historical Museum in Hope Town since 2014. A certified Oral Historian, Dp’s history with Hope Town is as old as the settlement itself. She is an 8th generation descendant of Hope Town’s Founding Mother, Wyannie Malone. Naturally her fascination with history began while documenting the tales of the past with her Mother, Miss Byrle, during visits to the homes of community elders. Her grandfather, Reggie Malone also took Dp to historical sites where she learned to delve into archeology.

She received an A.A. Degree in Accounting from Valenica Community College in 1991, then furthered her education with classes at Harvard University in anthropology and writing. Prior to joining the museum of which her mother was a founding member, she was an owner of a boat rental company with a professional background that included photography, art, real estate, property management and banking. True to form, she also wears many hats at the Museum including administration, fundraising and exhibit making.

MARJI BETHEL

CHAPMAN

Treasurer

CONTACT US

Marji grew up in Marsh Harbour but followed her “roots” back to the Hope Town area. She, her husband and cats have been living on Lubbers Quarters since 1997. She has a varied employment history with banking and bookkeeping for a legal firm. In 2000 her job with a property management and real estate agency brought her to Hope Town. She has been serving as secretary to the Hope Town District Council since 2011. She is dedicated to preserving the unique attributes of the area, with her focus, of course being our lighthouse.