SXM Daily

All news

Culture

Franklin Meyers: SAM leader, MP and former TEATT Minister

Funeral director Franklin Meyers was an island commissioner, Sint Maarten's TEATT Minister in the first cabinet of 2010, and since August 2024 has sat in Parliament as leader of the Soualiga Action Movement.

By SXM Daily ·

Franklin Meyers is a funeral director and politician who leads the Soualiga Action Movement (SAM) and has been a Member of Parliament since the snap election of 19 August 2024. He was Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) in the first cabinet of the country Sint Maarten.

Illustrative: the Parliament of Sint Maarten building in Philipsburg

Illustrative photo: Richie Diesterheft, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Early life

Meyers was born on Sint Eustatius on 28 November 1967, where his parents were living because his father was Chief of Police there, according to a Soualiga Newsday campaign profile. His SXMElections candidate profile gives the same date of birth.

Funeral director

Meyers finished high school in New York in 1987 and earned a degree in Mortuary Science from Miami Dade Community College in 1991, according to his CAReKINE speaker biography and Cruise Industry News. He gained his private pilot's licence in 2006. The CAReKINE biography says he was managing director of Emerald Funeral Home from 1991 to 1999; he later ran his own funeral home and crematorium.

Island politics

From 1999 to 2007 Meyers sat on the Island Council of the Island Territory of St. Maarten for the Democratic Party. On the Executive Council he was Commissioner of Public Health, Telecommunications and Sports, and he chaired the supervisory board of Smitcoms, both sources record.

Minister of TEATT

In 2010 he co-founded the United People's party. When Sint Maarten became a country on 10 October 2010, Meyers became TEATT Minister in its first cabinet, for the UP, Cruise Industry News and CAReKINE report.

Return to Parliament

The Daily Herald describes him as a former MP. After the January 2018 election he was the first formateur, according to The Daily Herald; he handed the assignment back, and Sarah Wescot-Williams was named as the next formateur.

In May 2024 Meyers announced that SAM would push to contest the snap election, and SMN News identifies him as SAM's leader. He headed the party's list in the election of 19 August 2024 and won a seat, according to the Government of Sint Maarten's official results, and Parliament lists him among its members. See our guide to the Members of Parliament of Sint Maarten.

Sources

  • https://carekine.com/speaker/en-franklin-a-meyers/
  • https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2011/01/12611-franklin-meyers-takes-helm-as-minster-of-economic-affairs-tourism-transportation-and-telecom-for-st-maarten/
  • https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/franklin-meyers-led-party-will-push-to-contest-snap-election
  • https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/no-candidate-put-forward-for-plenipotentiary-minister
  • https://www.sintmaartengov.org/Election/Documents/Final%20Results%20per%20Candidate%20-%20Sint%20Maarten%20Parliamentary%20Snap%20Elections%20-%2019%20Aug%2024.pdf
  • https://sxmparliament.org/members/
  • https://www.soualiganewsday.com/index.php?Itemid=519&id=765%3Afrankie-meyers-campaign-continued-with-a-meet-greet&option=com_k2&view=item
  • https://sxmelections.com/soualiga-action-movement/meyers-franklin/1129/politician.aspx

Source: https://carekine.com/speaker/en-franklin-a-meyers/

More in Culture