Joint winners for employee of the year
(Front row) Employees of the year Aubrey Bodden (left) and Tristaca Ebanks flank Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, with POCS Chief Officer Gloria McField-Nixon (far right) and 12 of the finalists
(CNS Local Life): In a break from tradition, Deputy Governor and Head of the Civil Service, Franz Manderson named two honourees for the Employee of the Year Award for 2016-17, on Wednesday, 7 March. Aubrey Bodden and Tristaca Ebanks were both recognised in front of co-workers, family and friends.
The “year” was also non-traditional, as it spanned 18 months to align with the 2016-17 financial year in the civil service, stated a government press release. The ceremony, part of the Deputy Governor’s Awards, was held at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands. The two winners were chosen from the 14 women and four men named employees of the month from July 2016 to December 2017.
Manderson, who is currently acting governor, said the bar had been exceptionally high and that the joint winners had tied in the all-important evaluation scores.
“All of our finalists are distinguished by their willingness to work tirelessly in the pursuit of excellence,” he said. “In recognising each of these exceptional public servants, we are making great strides to becoming a world-class civil service.”
Bodden, who was nominated under the theme “Most Professional” as the employee of the month in September 2016, is government’s first-ever chief internal communications officer. She was a Cabinet Office policy analyst when nominated. Ebanks, a personal assistant in the Ministry of Home Affairs, was nominated under the theme “Most Customer Conscious” in March 2017.
All finalists received Caymanite catboat awards from Manderson following video messages from each nominee, and brief remarks from their managers. Bodden and Ebanks each received a plaque and $1,000 cash. They will also represent the civil service by accompanying the deputy governor at events during the year ahead.
Acting Deputy Governor, and Chief Officer for the Portfolio of the Civil Service (POCS), Gloria McField-Nixon also congratulated the winning finalists. “The results of this year’s programme demonstrate the high calibre and stiff competition which existed among the 18 finalists,” she said. “They are all winners and consistently exemplify our core values of passion, integrity and professionalism.
“Ultimately, Tristaca and Aubrey were selected as the employees of the year to represent these outstanding finalists and the civil service overall, because of the special magic each possesses. Their engaging spirits, love for public service, commitment to continual improvement and track record of exceeding expectations gave them the extra boost.”
A video message was also screened from the outgoing employee of the year Philbert McFarlane.
Category: Civil Service
