Up Front
Head of GovernmentPersonnel Department to Retire; Successor Named
Ms. Jenny Manderson,MBE
Mrs. Jenny Manderson, Permanent Secretaryin the Personnel Department, has advised His Excellency the Governor,Mr. Peter J. Smith, CBE, of her wish to retire effective 31 July2001. Succeeding Mrs. Manderson will be Mr. Colin Ross, presentlythe Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Health and InformationTechnology.
Mrs. Manderson retires after 33 years ofdistinguished service, which was recognised with the award ofan MBE in 1993. After joining the civil service on 1 February1968 as a Departmental Assistant, she advanced through the ranksto become Permanent Secretary of Personnel on 1 June 1987.
That tenure was interrupted on 11 May 1995when she was appointed as District Commissioner on Cayman Brac.She returned to the Permanent Secretary's position on 1 March,1999. In addition to her civil service responsibilities, Mrs.Manderson is president of the Justice of the Peace Associationof the Cayman Islands.
Reflecting upon her career, she emphasisedthat it has been her privilege to serve the people of the CaymanIslands. "People sometimes speak of civil service as a sacrifice,and in many ways it is, because the demands are great," Mrs.Manderson remarked. "However, the rewards of helping theservice and by extension, my country, to progress and strengthenfar outweigh the sacrifices.
"There is always more work to be doneand I have every confidence in Mr. Ross, a person who has loyallyand effectively served the Cayman Islands so well. I'm sure hewill continue to develop services and standards so that the PersonnelDepartment meets the demand for proactive human resources management,"she said.
Mr. Ross has been a public servant for morethan 25 years. For the past six, he has been with the variouspermutations of the Ministry of Health, where his consistentlystrong performance has been widely noted and appreciated, commentedthe Governor.
"Adapting to the changing demands onthe Personnel Department and ensuring that it remains an effectivecentre of human resource advice and guidance will be a challengefor the new Permanent Secretary," Mr. Smith said, concluding,"I share Mrs. Manderson's belief that Mr. Ross will capablymanage the position."