The transition to the new Tourism Authority is proceeding apace with the establishment of a project management office, an executive steering committee and the retention of an executive search firm to help recruit its first chief executive officer, said chairman designate David Dodwell yesterday.Following harsh criticism of the process by Shadow Tourism Minister Wayne Furbert, Mr Dodwell issued a press release outlining the process going forward.Legislation dissolving the Tourism Board and creating the TA which will assume all the responsibilities of the Tourism department will be tabled in Parliament this month by Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell.“We have embraced the National Tourism Plan in full with the exception of its suggested method of governance.“The Authority is the OBA Government’s method of creating an independent and accountable enterprise that will be the singular voice that continually evolves Bermuda as a world class tourism destination,” Mr Dodwell added.“The Minister and I have created an Executive Steering Committee which will make the transition to an Authority a reality.“This committee will be chaired by myself and report to the Minister. Until we have appointed a CEO for the organisation, the ESC will act in that position, ensuring that the critical functions of the Board and BDOT continue and the transition happens effectively over a short time frame.”Francis Richardson, Permanent Secretary of Tourism Development and Transport, Jessica Mello, director, Deloitte & Touche Ltd and Mr Andrew Dias, General Manager of the West End Development Corporation are the ESC members.The ESC has created a Project Management Office (PMO) which will be responsible for executing the strategic transition plan laid out by the ESC, Mr Dodwell continued.“The PMO has been retained on a short-term basis and consists of the Hon Michael J Winfield, Erin Smith, Larry Jacobs, and Rasheeda Burgess. The PMO may be assisted by advisers with relevant expertise, such as Ernst & Young.“The ESC has retained a leading executive search firm, Korn Ferry, to assist in identifying a shortlist of the best candidates for the new Tourism Authority Board to review and appoint the first chief executive officer.”He added: “This is a very significant step for tourism in Bermuda. We are working towards our vision of being an independent, modern, and leading tourism enterprise — dynamic, entrepreneurial, and vibrant.”Mr Furbert has suggested that the switch to a new Tourism Authority is a “fiasco” because Government had failed to follow guidelines allowing for a “transitional phase” between the abolition of the department, and the creation of the authority.