The Government of The Bahamas for the first time ever appointed an Honorary Consul in Detroit. That person is entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist William F. Pickard, Ph.D., executive chairman of GAA Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management.
According to the Bahamian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an Honorary Consul represents the interests of the government in Detroit as well as acting as a liaison with the Government when its citizens in Detroit are in trouble or when they are facing misfortune.
“I am honored and humbled that the Government of The Bahamas has asked me to be Honorary Consul in Detroit,” said Dr. Pickard. “Michigan and Detroit have a strong Bahamian community and I will do my best to help support them and assist in their progress. “
Dr. Pickard joins four other Honorary Consuls of The Bahamas in the United States; they are located in Studio City, Ca., Chicago, Ill., Aurora, Co. and Houston, Tx. Since gaining independence in 1973, The Bahamas has appointed only 36 honorary consuls around the world; Dr. Pickard’s appointment is the 37th.
The Government of The Bahamas presented Dr. Pickard with his commission in December of 2020. It will be official when he shares the necessary credentials to the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in March of 2021.
According to the Bahamian government website, an honorary consul is often a private citizen or permanent resident of the country where he or she resides. The primary purpose of these appointments is to support The Bahamas with its interests and its citizens in areas where the government does not have official representation.
According to Dr. Pickard, one of his first duties will be to promote business, industry, tourism, and education, which has been one of his lifelong commitments.
Dr. Pickard’s stewardship of interests both private and public have spanned a career of more than 45 years. He started out as a social worker before pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams which began as a McDonald’s franchise owner in Detroit. Since that time, he started and successfully ran Global Automotive Alliance, one of the country’s largest African American-owned businesses. Pickard doubled down on his success becoming a co-managing partner of MGM Grand Detroit Casino, CEO of Bearwood Management Company, and co-owner of Real Times Media, a national multimedia company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan that also owns five black newspapers across the country.
He is the author of “Millionaire Moves: Seven Proven Principles of Entrepreneurship” and serves on numerous business and non-profit boards.
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