Skyler Knight (March 5 2053) is an Andbian retired politician and former President. He was the first President of the nation and served for 9 years before his retirement due to health issues.
Personal Life[]
Upbringing[]
Knight was born as an Inaguan citizen on the island in 2053. When he was 22 he studied law and government. In these years the unrest grew in Inagua and when he turned 34 he joined the Andbiaguam Independence Movement (AIM). He became one of the key figures in the group and in 2089 as he turned 36, he was declared the President of the new nation, now known as Andbia.
Presidency[]
Skyler Knight officially took office in August of 2089, previously serving as the de-facto leader of the nation. He declared his motives in his speech at the ceremony, declaring "This nation is only as strong as its citizens. We will support the middle class, give to the lower class, and tax the companies which may have hogged all cash flow of the nation had I or someone similar not been put into office." He would continue to expand on this idea in the coming weeks by taxing multiple companies and investing the nations small budget into the military and infrastructure of the cities.
In the first year of the nation's existence it had accumulated over $5,000,000 of debt to multiple nations. At the same time the population was growing so rapidly it was becoming a problem. He mitigated extra costs and spent the nations lasting funds on payments. In the midst of this the vice president William Marter died due to pulmonary fibrosis, serving with half a mind and half a lung of air until his death. Multiple people in previous months questioned his decisions, of which seemed irrational and rushed. He was replaced by Anthony Harris, a much more calm yet sufficient alternative. By 2092 the election was here and the debt of the nation had barely been paid off. With an approval rating of %60 it was starting to seem unlikely he would win. His opponent was Joseph King, a right leaning politician who pointed out the flaws in Knight's government plan. $2,000,000 dollars annually were spent on what King declared 'Knight's War Machine'. He also pointed out many questionable business decisions involving the taxing of big companies in Andbian territory, causing some to leave the nation and set up headquarters in other countries, losing Andbia money in the long run. Knight declared that King would waste the nation's budget on material items that would only bring down Andbia's standing on the global stage. It was shallow but enough to retain office.
In the second term of his presidency he made the decision to save money rather than spend. After years of saving the nations cash reserves reportedly 'the hundred millions'. His second term was uneventful and had no real problems or changes within the nation. He did join the alliance Nations of Neutrality and it was in this term the Aqua War was fought, leading to Andbia joining the Antarctica Alliance. It was also revealed in 2101 that it was around this time that Knight was diagnosed with Stage I Lymphoma. It was benign and did not affect his performance at the time so he continued to serve without speaking to anyone about the diagnosis.
His third term was again uneventful. He continued to save money and stock up on cash. It was in this term he announced his retirement from office. It was unclear as to why he was stepping down at the time. We now know that the Lymphoma he was previously diagnosed with had become more serious and he had to step away from office to deal with it. He selected Jesus Perez as his successor. He stepped away officially in 2098.
Post Presidency[]
Health Complications[]
Reports came out in 2101 revealing his illness. It was reported that he would never run for office or enter the Congress room ever again. He stated that his retirement was a treat and that an early retirement was always ideal. The then 48 year old still seemed relatively healthy. It was announced in early 2102 that he had been diagnosed with Stage D Congestive Heart Failure. It was unknown what had caused this but it was also revealed that he was now cancer free. He underwent a heart transplant in March of 2102. It was successful. Knight so far has been healthy and continues to keep a healthy diet and routine. He currently lives in Carribea where he and his family live in privacy.
Legacy[]
Despite being a controversial figure, Knight no matter what will go down in history as one of the greatest rulers of Andbia. He was the first leader and a major revolutionary in Inagua and became one of the main reasons Andbia can even call itself a nation.