{{Short description|Tobago politician}} '''Abby Tinica Taylor'''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-11-12 |title=Caribbean From Islands to Influence — Female Trailblazers in Trinbagonian Governance |url=https://ilaglobalnetwork.org/webinars/caribbean-from-islands-to-influence-female-trailblazers-in-trinbagonian-governance/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=International Leadership Association |language=en-US}}</ref> (born 1985) is a Tobagonian politician from the Progressive Democratic Patriots. She was Presiding Officer of the Tobago House of Assembly beginning January 2022, and currently serves as Tobago's Director of Antiquities.
== Early life and education == Taylor is a native of Mary's Hill, Tobago, where she attended St Michael’s Anglican Primary School and Scarborough Secondary School.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Augustus |first=Simone |date=2025-12-18 |title=Alumni Spotlight: From History Enthusiast to History Maker – The Inspiring Journey of Ms. Abby Taylor |url=https://usc.edu.tt/news/from-history-enthusiast-to-history-maker-the-inspiring-journey-of-ms-abby-taylor/ |website=University of the Southern Caribbean}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Connelly |first=Corey |date=2026-01-25 |title=Abby Taylor embraces new role to preserve Tobago's heritage |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2026/01/25/abby-taylor-embraces-new-role-to-preserve-tobagos-heritage/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Connelly |first=Corey |date=2021-01-24 |title=PDP's Abby Taylor: 'I want to uplift Tobago' |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2021/01/24/pdps-abby-taylor-i-want-to-uplift-tobago/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |language=en-US}}</ref> She grew up in a single-parent household with three siblings and a cousin, where her mother "struggled to make ends meet."<ref name=":3" />
In 2012, she graduated from the University of the Southern Caribbean with a Bachelor of Arts in History, where she received 100% tuition coverage through the university's GATE program.<ref name=":1" /> She holds a Master's Degree in Carnival Studies from the University of Trinidad and Tobago.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":2" /> As of 2026, Taylor is pursuing a doctorate degree at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, studying the creative and cultural economy.<ref name=":2" />
== Career == Taylor is a member of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) party.<ref name=":2" /> In the December 2021 Tobago House of Assembly election, she was the only candidate from her party not to win a seat in the Tobago House of Assembly.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2022-01-29 |title=THA Presiding Officer dries tears to serve |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2022/01/29/tha-presiding-officer-dries-tears-to-serve/ |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |language=en-US|last=George|first=Kinesha}}</ref> The PDP party had reached out to her to ask her to contest the Black Rock/Whim/Spring Garden seat while she was a procurement manager at the Tobago Festivals Commission. <ref name=":3" />
Taylor has been Presiding Officer of the Tobago House of Assembly since January 2022. In the Tobago Assembly Legislature, this position acts as the spokesperson of the Legislature in its relations to other organizations and presides over all sittings of the Assembly. Taylor has advocated for Tobogo legislative history to be added to the national school curriculum.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-27 |title=Ms. Abby Taylor – New Presiding Officer |url=https://www.tha.gov.tt/info-hub/ms-abby-taylor-new-presiding-officer/ |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Tobago House of Assembly |language=en-US}}</ref> At the time of her selection for the role, at the age of 36, she was the youngest presiding officer in the history of the Tobago House of Assembly. <ref name=":4" />
As Presiding Officer, she introduced the "Primary Plenary" initiative, a program that educates primary school students about legislative government.<ref name=":1" /> She also advocated for the digitization of Hansard and historical documents.<ref name=":0" /> She represented the Tobago House of Assembly at the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Australia.<ref name=":1" /> In 2025, she controversially instructed police officers to escort a former assemblyman out of the House for allegedly disobeying instructions.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Elizabeth |date=2025-01-25 |title=ABBY MUST RESIGN |url=https://www.tv6tnt.com/news/7pmnews/abby-must-resign/article_12345014-dad4-11ef-9fe5-d347eec1ccd3.html |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Caribbean Communications Network |language=en}}</ref>
In 2026, Taylor became Tobago's Director of Antiquities, the first person to serve in the role. She states in an interview that her priorities in this position will be "proper documentation and digitisation; facilitating better conservation and storage standards; ensuring greater access for schools, communities and the public; and forging stronger partnerships with cultural practitioners and researchers."<ref name=":2" />
== Personal life == Taylor is a mother of three children.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> After giving birth to her youngest child, she suffered from postpartum depression.<ref name=":3" />
== References == {{Reflist}} Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century Trinidad and Tobago women politicians Category:21st-century Trinidad and Tobago politicians Category:Women legislative speakers Category:University of Trinidad and Tobago alumni {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Abby}}