The Deputy Governor’s Office and the Department of Public Administration have bidden farewell to seventeen employee, in various Government departments, who have now retired from the Civil Service.
The thank you and farewell second Civil Service retirement Appreciation Ceremony was held on Thursday, December 12, at the Ellen Conference Room at La Vue Boutique Inn under the chairmanship
of Mr. Vonlee, the Accountant General. The chairperson was Mrs. Maria Hughes, Human Resource Management Officer, and the Invocation was delivered by Pastor Rodwell Grant.
Mrs. Kathleen Rogers, Permanent Secretary in the Department of Public Administration, delivered an address prepared by the Deputy Governor, Mr. Perin Bradley, who has responsibility for the public service but was unavoidably absent.
Parts of the Deputy Governor’s address to the retirees read as follows: “At a time when the notion ‘country above self’ seems to be slowly replaced by a sense of entitlement, you have demonstrated, through your years of service, a sense of duty and commitment to the people of Anguilla. For that, we are eternally grateful. I would also like to offer thanks and appreciation to your families. We recognise that they would have provided you with a base of support that allowed you to thrive in your respective careers – be it the long hours to meet deadlines, travel obligations, or difficult days on the job. We recognise that your families made sacrifices as well, and we honour them for doing so.”
Mr. Bradley’s address continued: “You represent a wide cross-section of the public service, performing in roles and executing functions that many take for granted. As I stated last year, the public service is not necessarily the most glamorous field of work and it certainly won’t make you rich – but it is the most important work that there is. Through your collective efforts, over the years, you have made a positive difference in the lives of the people of Anguilla. You were teachers, custom officers, librarians, accountants and a little bit of everything.
Despite the knocks that we get sometimes, you all should be proud of your contributions.”
The Deputy Governor added: “My only regret at this ceremony is that you are all leaving with a wealth of knowledge, experience, and an understanding of how Government really works. I would encourage each of you to lend us your expertise in some way, shape or form.
Consider serving on the Public Service Committee or some other Board.
Consider making yourself available to train and mentor younger public officers. Take some time to document policies and procedures that could benefit incoming officers.”
The honoured retirees were: Patricia Macdonna; Doreen Richardson; Corvette Richardson; Eurith Browne; Octavia Fleming; Rhonda Connor; Florence Wattley; William Newton; Sanford Richardson; Merle Gumbs;
Icilma Morton; Worrel Brooks; Carmen Olivaras; Maureen Rey; Heidi Duncan; Kenneth Hodge; and Mariette Hodge. Nine of the retirees were not present at the ceremony – many of them having been off-island.
Mr. Sanford Richardson, who retired from the post of Commissioner of Social Development, spoke on behalf of the other retirees. He told the gathering that the retired seventeen civil servants had 573 aggregated years of experience and institutional knowledge and skills.
Speaking for himself and the others, Mr. Richardson, who oversaw the Anguilla Government’s administrative programme for social development, including that of the elderly and the needy, said: “It was a real privilege to serve the people of Anguilla. All the scholarships received by us were paid for by the poor people of Anguilla – and they deserve a round of applause.”
Still grieving over the passing of his brother, Wycliffe Richardson, he was nonetheless able to maintain his well-known humorous manner of speaking and mixture of candid admonitions; and was applauded for his brief address.
Words of Appreciation were delivered by Ms. Leonie Brooks, Executive Secretary at the Department of Public Administration.
The Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School Jazz Band, under the direction of Music Teacher, Mr. Lennox Vanterpool, performed at the ceremony.
