Josephine Olivia Connolly MHA is a businesswoman and an elected member of the

Turks and Caicos Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and n ...

House of Assembly. In February 2021 she won her all island seat for the third time and was appointed as a Minister in the new PNP Government.

Early life

Connolly was born in Turks & Caicos on the island of Salt Cay in 1959. She is the daughter of Alexander "Shorty" Smith, the elected representative of Salt Cay and one of the founders of the PNO which later became the PNP.

Career

In 1998, Connolly was a partner in the real estate consulting firm Connolly-Zahm Properties. In 2010, Connolly was awarded a master's degree from the

University of Central Lancashire , mottoeng = "From the Earth to the Sun" , established = as Institution for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledgere-established 1992 (University status granted) , type = Public , chancellor ...

. In 2010, Connolly was the reigning "Mrs. Turks and Caicos", representing her country in the Mrs. World Pageant. In July 2012, Connolly became an at-large candidate in the upcoming general election. On 9 November, she was voted in as one of the five ''at-large'' members of the parliament. At the first sitting of the house on 28 November, Connolly was unanimously voted in as Deputy Speaker. In 2013, the

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

began an investigation, alleging that Connolly had failed to declare contracts with the Turks and Caicos Islands Government on her declaration of candidacy."Turks and Caicos elections mess continues"
''Caymans Compass'' by: Brent Fuller 12 March 2013 The investigation against Connolly and her political colleagues was subsequently dropped. In the December 2016 election, Connolly retained her seat as an all island member and became part of the new PDM government as Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services. In January 2019 Connolly crossed the floor of the House of the Assembly and joined the PNP. In the February 2021 general election she was voted in as an all Island candidate with PNP, who won a resounding 14–1 victory. Connolly was subsequently appointed as Minister of Tourism, Agriculture, Fisheries, Heritage & the Environment in the new government.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Connolly, Josephine 1959 births Living people People's Democratic Movement (Turks and Caicos Islands) politicians Members of the Turks and Caicos Islands House of Assembly Government ministers of the Turks and Caicos Islands 21st-century British women politicians