About Us

Colin Lightbourn

Colin is native to the Bahamas and attended the University of Tampa where he received a BS in International Business as well as a private pilot license and scuba instructor rating. He has served in leadership positions in both the conservation and real estate industries in The Bahamas. He has been President of the Bahamas National Trust and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Bahamas Real Estate Association.

Since 1996 he has being flying and exploring throughout the islands of the Bahamas. After being involved in numerous real estate ventures and development projects, he started Bahamas Waterfront Properties Ltd. in 2007, and is now channeling his vision into the sustainable development and hospitality branding industries with Green Island Development.

Michael L. Hartman

“Focusing on the nature and the people as opposed to the built and the consumed” is one of Mike Hartman’s founding principles that guide him and his career. Mike is not only passionate about the preserving the environment and the world we live in, but he lives by that passion as well. “Leaving a campsite better than how you found it” is just one of his philosophies and his partnership in Green Island Development is building upon that philosophy.

Originally from the Midwest, Mike brings a diverse field of experiences to Green Island Development. He grew up on a small farm and held a variety of jobs, from construction to sales, as he studied for his Bachelor of Arts degree at Indiana University. Following university, Mike worked in the commercial publishing industry managing a division of magazine style travel and sports publications.

In 1995, Mike decided to pursue island life in Key West, Florida. There he met, Petagay Hollinsed-Hartman (a native of Jamaica) and together they developed Tiamo Resorts on South Andros Island in The Bahamas. Their vision resulted in a 100% sustainable, one of a kind operation that received overwhelmingly positive response and worldwide attention and still holds as one of the leading examples of the way the travel industry view sustainability and luxury today.

Mike is an innovative leader with environmental sensitivity and style. Under his direction, Tiamo Resorts was the recipient of multiple prestigious awards, including the National Geographic Traveler Conservation International World Legacy Award, British Airways Tourism For Tomorrow Award, CHA American Express Green Hotel Of The Year Award, Islands Magazine/CTO Annual Sustainable Tourism Award, the International Hotel and Restaurant Association Environmental Award, a WTTC For Tomorrow Award, Conde Nast Traveler World Saver Awards and Travel and Leisure Top Ten Green Hotels Award. During his tenure as owner of Tiamo, Mike was extremely active within the Bahamas hotel industry as Past President of the Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board and the Sustainable Development Chair for the Bahamas Hotel Association from 2005 – 2008. He was also honored as “Hotelier of The Year” in the 2008 Bahamas Cacique Awards.

Now a founding partner in Green Island Development, Mike remains - more than ever - committed to “giving back.” Through Green Island, Mike has been implementing his hard-earned knowledge in various opportunities within The Bahamas and the Caribbean – helping others to take advantage of this solid business model as Green Island pursues its sustainable development plans.