Deputy Governor awards two civil servants
(L-R) Senior Assistant Financial Secretary Michael Nixon, ESO Director Maria Zingapan, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, award winner Travis Walters and Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson
(CNS): Temar Clarke and Travis Walters have been named the two latest employees of the month for the civil service. Clarke, payments and payroll officer with the Treasury Department, was honoured for September; and Walters, a statistician with the Economics and Statistics Office (ESO) took home the award for October.
Clarke was nominated for outstanding customer service and her exemplary attitude and abilities. Accountant General Matthew Tibbetts nominated her for the award.
“Temar is an outstanding member of our team, and her reputation is known throughout government for delivering unsurpassed customer service,” he said.
The Employee of the Month is part of Deputy Governor Franz Manderson’s Award Programme which was developed as an internal scheme to recognise civil servants who exceed expectations.
Walters actually won two awards for October. In addition to being recognised by the deputy governor, he was named the chief officer’s Employee of the Month.
He is a Statistician III in the Social Statistics Unit of ESO. His nomination for the awards was based on his use of IT skills to improve his and his colleagues’ efficiency in responding to data requests from the public and private sectors, locally and internationally.
“Travis has been the in-house ‘help desk’ for the customised data processing software at ESO,” said Chief Officer Kenneth Jefferson.
Clarke has worked in the Treasury Department since 1999, where she handles queries from across the government. Possessing a wealth of knowledge about her role, Clarke is known for willingly sharing this expertise and being most helpful in all her duties.
Government also noted that, despite often dealing with sensitive issues, Clarke is able to remain calm and provide clients with exactly what they need, usually in a timeframe which exceeds their expectations.
Even at peak times, when Clarke is focussed on payroll duties, she makes sure to assist with queries, answering calls and supplying the information requested.
“It’s an honour to be named Employee of the Month as I try to do the best job I can to assist all my fellow civil servants,” she said.
(L-R) Deputy Governor Franz Manderson presents Temar Clarke with her award certificate, along with Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson and Accountant General Matthew Tibbetts
Presenting the award to Clarke, the deputy governor said. “It has been noted that each individual who has any contact with you will testify that your attitude and abilities allow you to be extremely flexible and helpful — no matter the task.
“On a regular basis, your expertise is needed by almost every government department, but despite the demands from this taxing environment, it has been stated that you capably provide the highest quality of service, and in a way which allows clients to enjoy their experience.”
Walters joined ESO in May 2010 in the entry-level position of survey enumerator, coder and verifier and was promoted to his current position in January 2013. He also undertook further education, completing his master’s degree in computer science and programming in December 2013.
“Travis embodies humility; he chose to start at ESO in an entry position despite having a bachelor of science in computer science,” said ESO Director Maria Zingapan. “On the other hand, he is not timid. He dreams of being ESO director someday, and has taken steps towards that dream such as completing a masters degree in computer science, and increasingly applying his knowledge in statistical data processing.”
Some of the data that he routinely provides, which affects the general welfare of the community, includes the Electricity Regulatory Authority’s core inflation rate, which is used in the review of electricity rates in Grand Cayman, as well as specific Census and Labour Force Survey data that is used in court cases and business planning,
He played a key role in developing a tablet-based questionnaire for the Labour Force Survey as well as training staff to use the tablets. In addition, he routinely contributes to the development of initiatives at ESO to improve service delivery.
“Beyond his excellent customer service, Travis has been extremely helpful in identifying ways to minimise the cost of IT resources,” said Jefferson. “His diligence in assisting the external developers of ESO’s customised software has also reduced the overall cost of consulting.”
The deputy governor praised Walters for his values and the standard of his work.
“You serve as a role model for all civil servants,” Manderson said. “Thank you for demonstrating such a remarkable level of performance and commitment to the Cayman Islands Government.”
Category: Civil Service
