Former Senator The Honorable Jennifer A. Isaacs-Dotson received her instruments of appointment as a Senator on May 22nd, 2017, after the historic victory of the Free National Movement in the May 10th, 2017, general elections. This appointment was an important part of achieving gender equality in the Senate. She was a candidate for Exuma and Ragged Island in the National Bahamian elections held on September 16, 2021, for the Free National Movement (FNM). She was unsuccessful in her bid to become a Member of Parliament and the FNM also lost the national elections.
She has always demonstrated a commitment to public service in The Bahamas; she has served as a member of Cleveland Eneas School Board; Unity Centre of Light Board; the College of The Bahamas College Council; TRIFOR Committee; Health and Safety Board; National Tripartite Committee; University of The Bahamas Transition Board of Trustees; Bahamas Development Bank Board and served as Chairman of its Human Resources Committee; Vice-President of the Bahamas Volleyball Federation (BVF); Acting President, Vice-President and Secretary of the New Providence Volleyball Association (NPVA); has played volleyball for over thirty years and as an administrator of the sport been actively involved in the development of volleyball locally and internationally; First Vice-President of the Bahamas Softball Federation (first female to hold this position); and currently is the President of The Bahamas Softball Federation (BSF) (first female to hold this position). Former Senator Isaacs-Dotson has played softball for over thirty years and as an administrator of the sport been actively in the development of softball locally and internationally; former national team member for field hockey, netball, softball, and volleyball; and Bahamas Games team member for softball and volleyball.
Former Senator Ms. Jennifer Isaacs-Dotson career in trade unionism is indeed historic. She was elected as the first Bahamian Female President of the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) on October 2016. Her career in trade unionism began as a shop steward at the Government High School. She later served as an Executive Officer and Assistant Secretary General of the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) where she served for nineteen (19) years. Moving on to The College of The Bahamas (COB) now University of The Bahamas (UB), she served as the Vice-President External prior to becoming the First Female President of the Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas (UTEB), serving in this office from 2004-2013 and was re-elected as President in 2016. Former Senator Isaacs-Dotson has served as the General Secretary of the National Congress of Trade Unions of the Bahamas (NCTUB) where she has also served as Trustee, Assistant General Secretary and became the First Female President serving from 2010-2013, as well as the Head (Chair) of the NCTUB Labour College. She has served as the only Bahamian Female to hold the following offices: President, First Vice-President, and Second Vice-President of the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL), President of the National Congress of Trade Unions of the Bahamas (NCTUB), and President of the Union of Tertiary Educators of the Bahamas (UTEB). She also coached the Ladies Volleyball Team at The College of the Bahamas now University of The Bahamas along with Ms. Cora Hepburn as the Assistant Coach for several years.
She began her professional career as a Registered Nurse in the Ministry of Health, later transferring to the Ministry of Education as a Trained Teacher and currently she is at The University of The Bahamas (UB) formerly the College of The Bahamas (COB) as an Associate Professor in the School of Education. She attained a Diploma as a Registered Nurse, a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education graduating summa cum laude from Saint Augustine’s College now University in Raleigh, North Carolina and a Master of Science degree in Physical Education graduating magna cum laude from North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham, North Carolina and becoming the first Bahamian female to hold a Master’s Degree in Physical Education. Recently she obtained an LLB degree from the University of The Bahamas in 2020.
Former Senator Isaacs-Dotson has served as a member of the Apprenticeship Committee, Ministry of Labour, the Project Steering Committee for the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute’s (BTVI) Enhancement Project, and many other national and regional committees. She currently serves on the IDB CONSOC Civil Society committee, Council Member, Association Caribbean Tertiary Institutions (ACTI), the National Congress of Trade Unions (NCTUB) Board, the Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas (UTEB) Executive Board, President of The Bahamas Softball Federation and serves as an Usher and Lay Reader at Saint Matthew’s Anglican Church.
Former Senator Isaacs-Dotson is the daughter of the late Edward “Ned” Isaacs and Mary Eugene Ferguson-Blyden, both now deceased. She is divorced and the proud parent of one son James Clarke who is married to Shonel Wilson-Clarke and they have three sons, Jamero, Justice and Jaycob Clarke.