Our Story
Review our timeline in public health consulting
2017
Regal State of Mind was created in October 2017 to offer mental health advocacy tailored to Caribbean communities (and the larger African Diaspora) via social media to dignify their mental health journeys amidst heightened stigma.
2018
Regal State of Mind's consultants completed its first set of freelance public speaking and training services on mental health across The Bahamas. Our consultants expanded to completing a year-long global health fellowship to advance health equity for people at risk of or already living with HIV/AIDS, housing insecurity, mental illness, and substance abuse in New York, USA (many of whom were Caribbean immigrants or first-generation Caribbean Americans) through advocacy, data analytics, policy development, and project management.
2019
Regal State of Mind's consultants returned to New Providence, The Bahamas after the year-long fellowship. They continued their mental health advocacy work by providing peer mental health support to victims and first responders of Hurricane Dorian who were displaced and relocated to New Providence. They also accepted a program management consultancy in Grand Bahama with Mercy Corps to support local and international stakeholders with strengthening water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
2020
Our consultants continued to support the Hurricane Dorian response WASH program, which extended to address the COVID-19 pandemic, by developing standard operating procedures to document, complete, and hand over activities to the local stakeholders in Grand Bahama.
Our consultants returned to New Providence to complete a consultancy with The Bahamas Red Cross to manage the Preparedness for Effective Response project at the headquarters and across six islands, with cross-cutting themes in health in emergencies and Protection. Gender and Inclusion.
2022
Our consultants provided public health expertise to Royal Caribbean Cruise Line to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic on its CocoCay private destination, then accepted a consultancy to provide technical cooperation to the Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies in The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands on behalf of the Pan American Health Organization, the regional office for the World Health Organization, in the areas of communicable diseases and public health emergencies.
2025
Regal State of Health Consultancy was formally established as a boutique public health consulting firm to design culturally rooted public health solutions in the form of products, technical services, and resources to address multiple health challenges that significantly affect the Caribbean region.
Our Culture
Read more about what defines and drives our work
Meet Our Principal Consultant
Born and raised in Nassau, The Bahamas, Tezel Lightbourne is a Public and International Health Professional with a demonstrated history of knowledge, experience, and skills across multiple health topics through nonprofit, non-governmental, government, and commercial organizations in the Caribbean region and the United States of America for more than a decade.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology Pre-Medicine from Philander Smith University and a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Epidemiology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health.
She credits her passion for advancing health equity to wanting to build and live in a more just, resilient, vibrant, and healthy Caribbean region.
See Our Impact
Read how our consultants have benefitted organizations, customers, and clients in the past
I wanted to extend my sincere thanks for taking the time to talk with me. I truly enjoyed our conversation, and it was a valuable experience to learn from your insights and expertise.
Hearing about your journey and the impactful work you’re doing has further inspired me, and I appreciate the advice and guidance you shared. Thank you again for the opportunity and for your generosity in sharing your experiences."
Dr. Merlin Jenitia, Master of Public Health (Behavioral Health and Health Equity) Student, Saint Louis University
"You and the team should be very proud of your activities. From a technical perspective, this was one of the more challenging and risky water projects Mercy Corps has completed. Your professionalism was apparent throughout."
John Holroyd, Senior Engineering Technical Advisor (Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene), Mercy Corps
"I asked Regal State of Mind to present on the topic of Mental Health in a Medical Law Course held at the University of The Bahamas. Miss Lightbourne's vast knowledge and personal experiences on the topic of mental health allowed her to communicate in a way that was easily understood and could be put into personal practice. I enjoyed how she related real-world stories to dispel the myths and stigma of having a mental disorder."
Floidira Collie, Bachelor of Laws (LL.B. Hons.) Graduate, University of The Bahamas
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