Board of Directors

Gitte Goodrum came to the Bahamas in 1995, working as the CFO and in-house legal counsel in a group of real estate companies, which conceived, built and operated the Pelican Bay Hotel and the Lucayan Marina Village (now the Grand Bahama Yacht Club). These real estate ventures were sold several years ago, after which Gitte focused on her own company which designs and develops single family homes in the Fortune Bay area.
After coming to Grand Bahama with a young child, Gitte recognized the need for an international school and subsequently established the Lucaya International School in 1998. All three Gitte’s boys attended LIS from preschool onwards and have graduated from LIS with International Baccalaureate Diplomas. 
Gitte Goodrum is a dual citizen of the Netherlands and Denmark. She attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, from which she obtained a B.A. in Foreign Languages, an M.B.A. with a specialization in Finance and a Juris Doctorate with a concentration in International Law. She was admitted to the bars of California and Texas.
Gitte was appointed as Board member in 1998 and has continuously served on the Board since its inception. She is also the President of LIS.

Lesley Davies-Baptista was born in Nassau, Bahamas, and raised in Freeport, Grand Bahama. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs, with a minor emphasis in Mass Media and Economics. After returning home to The Bahamas, Lesley had careers in media, managing Cool 96 Radio Station, and marketing, as VP for Marketing for Abaco Markets Limited, along with freelance marketing and consultation positions for several years.  She currently manages the family business, Paint Fair, in Grand Bahama.

Lesley has always been active in the community, sitting on various boards and participating in various organizations - both in Grand Bahama and abroad.  She is currently on the Board of Directors for The Grand Bahama Children’s Home and Lucaya International School and also served as the Southern Region Director for the Paint & Decorating Retailers’ Association and as Director for the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, both for several years.

Lesley is married to Eric Baptista, who came to The Bahamas to teach almost 30 years ago, and together they have two children, Amelia, Alumni; Class of 2022 and Eli, Class of 2025.She is an active member of Lucaya Presbyterian Church and is the Sunday School’s superintendent.

Deanna Battello grew up on the island of Grand Bahama where she attended both primary and high school.  She graduated as Head Girl from Freeport Anglican High, known today as BMES then went off to the Big Apple to further her education.  Deanna graduated with honors from Mount Saint Vincent College in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. 

Opting for island living over the city life, Deanna returned home in 2001.  Since then, she has been a pivotal role in her family’s Real Estate Firm, Mosko Realty Ltd. She received her Bahamas Real Estate license in 2002, is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and currently working on her Real Estate Broker’s license and CIPS designation. Not only is she involved in sales, but she also plays a vital part in the firm’s daily operations.  Deanna is also the Vice President of G.B. Insulators Ltd.

Deanna is married to Gianluca Battello and they have two sons attending LIS since Pre-K, one entering Middle School and one in High School. 

Deanna was elected to the board in 2021.

Kristi Long was born in Nassau, The Bahamas and has lived in Freeport since 1985. Kristi was educated in the Bahamas until grade 9, then attended high school and college in Canada and the US.

Kristi and her husband Aron own and operate Long’s Marine here in Freeport which is a Yamaha dealership and marine service and retail store. They have two daughters at LIS, Peyton who is currently in Year 10 and Amelia Year 7.

Kristi's hobbies include horseback riding, gardening, cooking/baking, and all things beach and boat related.

Kristi was elected to the board in 2022.

Siobhan Antoni-Bates was born and raised in Freeport, Grand Bahama. She attended Freeport Anglican High School (BMES) until grade 9, and then made the move to Canada, where she attended boarding school at Lakefield College and University at Western Ontario.

Siobhan is no stranger to hard work and is known in her community, always happy to take on a challenge and get the job done. She was very involved in the movie industry and worked on various films here on the island. She then owned and operated a restaurant for 5+ years, before taking on the General Manager position of ‘Cariloha/DelSol’, a corporate retail store located at the Freeport Harbor, where she has been for over 12 years. Siobhan has volunteered throughout various events in her community. She was one of the co-founders of “Grand Bahama Dog Days Half Marathon”, which had over 700 participants and raised over $30,000 annually, to which was donated back to various establishments in our community, such as the Humane Society of Grand Bahama, Rotary Water Plant and The Children’s Home.

Siobhan and her husband Thomas have two boys attending LIS. Oliver who is 9 and currently in Year 5, and Zachary, 4, who is in Kindergarten. Siobhan joined the LIS Board of Directors in 2022, and is also an active member of the LIS PTA. In her spare time she enjoys playing tennis, horseback riding, golf and boating with her family.