Ed ministry chief moves to OfReg
Christen Suckoo
(CNS): The government has added a new senior position to the Utility Regulation and Competition Office (OfReg) and is transferring the chief officer of the education ministry, Christen Suckoo, to the new post. OfReg already has a number of top officials covering the various parts within its ambit, such as ICT, fuel, electricity and water, but a new chief operating officer position has been added, which the board chair said would help the regulator with compliance. Deputy Chief Officer Cetonya Cacho will act as chief officer at education.
“Fair access to utilities, fuels and telecoms is essential to maintaining quality of life in the Cayman Islands, and we understand the importance that people place on this, ” said OfReg Board Chair Linford Pierson. “It is our belief that Mr Suckoo’s secondment and his extensive background in public administration will help OfReg to better address the regulatory and compliance concerns of stakeholders.”
Acting Deputy Governor Gloria McField-Nixon said the secondment of Suckoo was provided for in government policy and the Public Service Management Law that allows a civil servant to move to a statutory authority or government company.
“The policy allows us to temporarily move staff to agencies within the public sector that will benefit from their skill sets,” said McField-Nixon. “At the same time, staff gain exposure to new business environments where they can even develop new skills that will benefit their own professional development. Mr Suckoo will be playing an important role in supporting public administration and governance at OfReg.”
Suckoo will remain a civil servant as his substantive post has been transferred to the Cabinet Office, which oversees OfReg.
Officials said he was being moved to “bolster key functional areas of OfReg including budgeting, procurement and human resources. He will also lead on special projects aimed at enhancing good governance by implementing numerous policies adopted by core government in recent years. Those were listed as dealing with the Official Travel Policy, the Anti-Fraud Policy, the Policy on Offering or Receiving Hospitality, Entertainment and Gifts, the Procurement Code of Conduct, and Procedural Guidelines for Crown Estate Matters.
Suckoo, who takes up the new job on 1 September, said he was looking forward to using his experience to enhance the work being done by the technical staff at OfReg.
“As I move to the next stage in my career I would like to say it has been a privilege and an honour to work within the core civil service for nearly 20 years,” he said. “I welcome the opportunity to join OfReg, which is a relatively new organisation within the public service, and support its development as a key public authority.”
News of the move coincides with speculation about Suckoo’s position in the education ministry and after he is understood to have recently taken extended leave. Rumours of his resignation or suspension were persistently denied by senior officials, who have not commented on plans for his transfer.
Prior to becoming the top civil servant in the Ministry of Education four years ago, Suckoo served as deputy CO there with a focus on finance, administration and major capital projects. Before that, he worked as the deputy director of the Constitutional Modernisation Secretariat, which helped to develop the Cayman Islands current constitution.
He has also served as policy analyst in the Cabinet Office and risk analyst in the Ministry of Finance. Suckoo graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in finance. In late 2011 he became an accredited mediator with the London School of Mediation.
Category: Local News
CIG operates like a bridge game.
What does the CICSA Civil Service Council say about these senior personnel moves?
Is that group even around the table any more or have they gone mum like crickets in peat moss?
As usual they are all trying to figure out their arses from their elbows and who they can blame and complain to about it, 3:04
Watch and see if the “Cayman Brac Affirmative Action” isn’t implemented again, and another incompetent yes person is placed in Suckoo’s old post.
So much jealously and misinformation when something good happens to a caymanian. Sounds just like you all hang out with Bernie.
Congrats Christen your experience and expertise is so badly needed at Ofreg.
Folks Mr Suckoo will help reduce travel costs and make this bumbling SAGC more effective. I know I need my light bill reduced and reliable internet.
“Suckoo will remain a civil servant as his substantive post has been transferred to the Cabinet Office, which oversees OfReg.”
People people people, lets ask the first question first: Why was he transferred to the Cabinet Office?
Oh heck no!
For those who care to recall, here are a few things Mrs Rodrigues actually did in her four+ years as Chief Officer:
– Bringing back free Reception classes in government schools;
-The first graduation policy that asked for passes not just attendance;
– Setting up the first effective Early Years Unit in Ministry and the first Early Years curriculum for our schools ;
-Setting up CIFEC, so that instead of a wasted year students could have second chances to improve their grades or start A Levels or university early;
-helped with changes that saw the percentage of students leaving school climb from the 20-30% achieving 5 or more o-levels (that everyone had accepted for many, many years).
-remember the Ready2Work programme? Still going strong. Second chances for past students nobody thought could succeed but the programme challenged and delivered jobs?
-Intorducing the first free national after-school programmes for all students from government schools. ( Remember the times before when students had no safe places to go after school? Remember high school students hanging out in town causing problems?)
-3 new world-class primary school blocks developed in George Town, Savannah and Bodden Town (while fighting off Tom Jones and still managing to get Clifton Hunter finished);
-remember all the work Michael Myles did? She hired him and helped him introduce programmes like BEST for at-risk students and Prison Me No Way to help our children stay away from crime and prisons;
-Setting up NWDA-the first department set up to help advance the opportunities for Caymanians for training and employment.
I could go on, but I hope you get the point. Stop trying to tear down Caymanians who actually make a difference!
9:54 am — thanks for setting the record straight. It is awful how we attack people without the evidence.
I have no beef either way — but for goodness sake, don’t go off half cocked and making all sorts of allegations without knowing the facts.
it is tough enough being a civil servant without having to cope with this sort of character attacks based on sheer unfounded speculation.
Umm, i think you replied to the wrong post
7:30am: what is Mr. Suckoo’s substantive post?
Another of the DG’s little children Mary Photo copy &paste Rodrigues brought back from temporary Exile for wrong doing to replace a incompetent temporary replacement who has unfortunately run out of time. His connection or having a sibling in the opposition benches didn’t help the situation either especially when this unity government wants to send a strong message to all those who oppose them. Sending him out in to OfReg little wonderland hit by scandalous travel issues ain’t no joke either but a career ender.
Cetonya Cacho acting as chief education officer. Why not chief education officer guess she is another civil servant that stands up and speak out on any wrong doings she will never become the chief officer. Mr. Suckoo tell it just as it is like his brother Hon. Al suckoo PPM as can be seen Hon. Al suckoo always getting shut down by the unity government. So why not do the same to his brother that is what the unity government all about destroying their own flesh and blood caymanians and the present minister of education is a big minister for the unity government put it all together it is all political. That is what happens to civil servants that stand up and speak out against wrong doings whistler blowers they are called they get removed from one government department to the next and the politicians are the biggest people that removes them because they are in the way of them.
1) Cetonya Cacho is a Deputy Chief Officer. Deputies act for Chief Officers all the time, this is not news. Hopefully they advertise quickly so that no one is made to be acting for any extended period of time – that’s the real worry.
2) This Ministry is not only responsible for Education, so making the Director of the Department of Education Services the Acting Chief Officer would be a disservice to Youth, Sports Agriculture and Lands.
Great… Just add more to travel expense and out of sight pay cheque. See the sly grin on his face…. I GT IT MADE… Now on easy street … Sweet. Gone Shopping for new travel luggage.
Wouldn’t His salary and benefits remain the same ? it’s a secondment not a New post
It is a secondment to brand new post of immaculate creation.
A secondment means that his employer is allowing him to serve in this role, usually for a agreed period and technically his employer would still be paying him. But . . in this matter, anything is possible.
His employer don’t want him. Its a permanent secondment
Suckoo did not choose this move. He was forced out by an Education Minister who, rather than listen to her senior people, did not like the message he was delivering, so she got rid. Same old!
Let us piece this all together wasn’t Mary suppose to ‘edit’ and implement the ‘golden’ report for change in the civil service that Dan wrote ? this all makes sense now the chosen few I.e from the Brac will be able to work hand in hand to cover their incompetences at the expense of the Caymanian people. This is all so much a conflict of interest but then thats the Cayman Brac way … certain Moses must be in the commercial remix somewhere …. when will us Caymanians standup to this misguided group and take the integrity of our country back ???? Cayman is full of Caymanians if given the chance could and would contribute to rebuilding our country. Instead of the musical chairs with the same group of friends with benefits. Come on Julie stop posting on Facebook and streaming church videos … some of us remember when you had those hot pants and tube tops on … wait a minute shouldn’t Peter ‘Goofy’ show up at this point with some stupid idea ?? Sure he has changed church’s or moved to Cayman Brac by now lol …You got to love this soap opera that our Cayman has become.
5:44am, you know what bobo, if I were you I would stay away from whatever it is you’re smoking or drinking. An Irish writer called James Joyce many years ago wrote a book called Ulysses and your post seems very much in his style.
Agreed Brack era is here. Certainly look out for one another and don’t forget nepotism too for which they are well known. I count at least four relatives and cousins of Moses on SAGCs boards etc plus others
There used to be 2 high functioning Regulatory bodies – ICTA and ERA…then the PPM joined them and added the unit formerly called Fuels Inspectorate…the PPM then named their friend — JP Morgan to Lead this team….For the past 18 months JP Morgan was CEO with Linford Pierson as Chairman….and they screwed it all up!!
People why are JP Morgan and Linford Peirson getting a pass???
The 2 of them are to be blamed for any wrongs at OfReg!!
The CIG is well known to set people up to fail by keeping necessary resources from them, and they try use budgetary or other excuses while the objective is political be it CS office politics or elected. And at the same time not spending budgets in other areas, where one former CO one time boasted he had $1m to spend in the three months before year end on one line item alone. Then the game plan is to start rumours by saying a person was not delivering,and damaging careers, professional reputations and placing stress on the families in the process.
People see through all of this though, and some of the perpetrators of these games shouldnt have to wonder why when the backlash of KARMA hits them directly or indirectly often through their offspring.
I don’t understand this move. While I am confident that Mr. Suckoo will do a good job in whatever position he is give OfReg itself is already top heavy and if anything should be looking to reduce the number of senior managers.
A New COO Post in OfREg to accommodate Suckoo, who has close relations to Suckoo. Perhaps, for Suckoo to continue in government, as a civil servant, he was strategically offered a job placement whereby his transition would be easy and accepted. Congrats Linford! You still got those “Big Banker” negotiating skills that continues to serve you and your family well, even in the local government sphere.
That just makes absolutelty no sense
Its perfectly understandable. The man had to go as he came up against Ju Ju and she always wins because she is the “chosen” one lol
If you havent figured it out, you dont get to the top with good ideas in Cayman. You get to the top by showing how much you can ignore the incompetency. All the commentors here will not have their contract renewed.
Someone recently told me that the civil service is not the place to have good ideas. It leads you nowhere and is not rewarded in any form or fashion at all.
You get to the top in Cayman by never ever putting your head above the parapet.
Shuffling decks chairs on the titanic.
This makes no sense, why wasn’t Alan Jones moved to OfReg. He is longer standing CivilServant and from a more relevant Ministry?
Because he is bright and competent and doing his job, 11:49. This is getting rid of Christin…who is surrounded with all sorts of professional and personal issues… to a convenient dumping ground for high paid non performers, failed political candidates and businessmen. The other dumping ground, the Protocol Office, is filled up and in any case cannot support salaries such as Christins of $120k a year. Nearly everyone in OFREG is on $100k plus, doing what we do not know.
Oh my someone sounds like a disgruntled non-performer with a bit of a chip on their shoulder
This sounds like pure envy coming from an expat behaving like a true colonial. You come to “ see our glory but don’t know our story “.
Good idea and question.
Has a reputation for getting things done and being careful with public money. No conflicts or vested interests either. Also supervised the creation of the Authority in the first place I recall.
Fact is that no one within Cabinet Office etc has been properly monitoring OfReg’s out of control spending ….all of the management need to be properly held to account.
Obviously a put- up job.
CK not getting in with Miss Julie !?
True and yes he did supervise OfReg setting up. So how come if he was so bright and competent as 6:41 says then why was proper governance not put in place then and is just being done?
It’s all a big mystery.
I feel so much better now!
This is excellent news. That SAGC is out of control. Suckoo will have a tough job promoting good governance and stopping the Jollys around the world.
A clear sign to me that it is not business as usual in CIG.
But the Board needs to get its act together as well. We are watching to see what they will do about the vacant CEO post. If they promote any of the current staff, the entire Board should be sacked. Never award poor performance.
Better if they had made him the CEO!
He’s a good manager and an honest man and would have served much better administratively in charge of the dysfunctional unit!
What a crock of Bull Shite…he was so incompetent that HIS ENTIRE MANAGEMENT TEAM in the Ministry wanted to quit. It was Suckoo or them!!
That is a complete lie.
Good manager 7:26? Have you asked his staff?
How many people work at offreg now? Why is it a department and not a person?
Tank u Jesus! Now can we really make a difference now he’s going because I always thought he was misplaced and couldnt handle that job. Franz will take care of him don’t worry. That’s his boy!
The Caymanian way 6:34….discipline by promotion or sideways move.
Don’t worry DG oh I mean Gov will take care of you! Promote you to a better job and less responsibility! what in word does he know about utility regulation………. are we being serious here?
He is in charge of the administration nktnthe regulation … did you even read the article first ?
What is a word to Juliana know about Education, absolutely nothing but it does not stop her. Ignorance is bliss but as long as she turns up in her church clothes ranting about God.
Holy frock covers a multiple sins!
The spinning by Gloria in all this is sickening though I suppose she is following orders. He has been massively out of his depth in the Ministry, totally disorganized and the subject of many complaints.
And an Ask Auntie question
You are so right; totally disappointed in Gloria McField. I really thought as a person whose background is communications, who is also a lawyer and someone whose achievements I admired, she was above this. The reality is that most Caymanians know that this is a spin job and several hundred know the real story by now. They do; this is Cayman.
Surely in her acting capacity as Deputy Governor, and by operation of the law head of the civil service, and by virtue of her substantive post as Chief Officer of the Portfolio of the Civil Service charged with promoting and facilitating the compliance with the Public Service Management Law, 2018 Revision, she should be well aware that that law states in section 4.(f) that the public service shall “be an employer that . . . makes employment decisions on the basis of merit”. She should also be aware that the Public Authorities Law, 2017, states in section 42 that a public authority (which is what OfReg is):
(a) shall operate an open and fair appointment process for all staff;
(b) shall notify a vacant position in such manner as enables suitably qualified persons to apply for the position.
And she knows that there is no provision in the Public Authorities Law for the provisions of section 42 to be waived.
Yet, she is content to ignore both legislative provisions in making this announcement without any mention of how the OfReg has conducted an open and fair recruitment process or how Mr Suckoo had earned the secondment on merit. I believe that she ignored them because neither had been complied with.
One is left to wonder why if OfReg is so in need of the ‘operational skills’ that Mr Suckoo is said will bring to bear, and since the CEO position is vacant, why he wasn’t simply seconded to be the CEO and put proper operational systems in place before a new CEO was recruited. Can he reasonably be expected to sort these things out under and acting CEO? Is there an Acting CEO? Who is the Acting CEO?
Well, the answers to these questions lie in ‘the rest of the story’ which this release naturally doesn’t cover but which the ‘several hundred’ already know. I can’t wait to hear her or Franz get grilled on the floor of the LA about this. My FoI pen is full of ink.
As Sir Walter Scott said “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive”.
Another World Class Sivil Cervice.
8:43 Make sure an FOI the OfReg Board Meetings. Especially all the Extraordinary ones that took place in August.
8:43 You should read the Ofreg law before posting such nonsense. The Law provides for his secondment. I guess you are jealous because you didn’t get the secondment. Posting rubbish comments won’t get you there either
Gloria is not above the Public Authorities Law – or is she?
What utter BS. Everyone knows the real story behind this move.
Clearly after some free travel.
I bet he can’t wait to go on all those business trips. This should up the average salary bill to well over $100,000 and guess who pays for all these chiefs with hardly any Indians?.
Expats?
If news stories had a label showing the ingredients, this one would say 10% cover up and 90% hogwash.
Mary Rodrigues is the second worst problem in the Education regime – guess who’s the worst? BTW has Mrs. Rodrigues completed her report yet?
Which report?, you mean the one she edited?!!!
And what happened to Mr.. OFReg CEO that was always traveling on training trips all over the world ? Where did he go ? Did he get too much training and had to go, so Mr. Suckoo could take over the disfunctional traveling and training board .
JP? the CEO? Good Question. Where are you JP? Travelling again i guess.
Just heard from a good source that the man’s contract ended and he has moved on.
Good luck Cristen. Famoe work with him and make Ofreg respectable.
i wish Mr. Suckoo all the best in his new assignment.
Unfortunately, in the Civil Service there are so many constraints on good performance.. it can be a frustrating place to work. I hope he is allowed to fly in the new setting.
More PPM skulduggery, wait now and listen for them to blame everything wrong with Education on Mr. Suckoo, despite it being JuJu making the policies. Juliana Alden and Mac all deserve each other, perfect threesome Vomit!!!!!
Did he jump or was he pushed? I think we all know the answer.
Congratulations Mr. Suckoo, so proud of you!!
ofreg……a perfect representation of this bizarre wonderland we live in.
long live the civil service!….zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Its like the Protocol Office, a dumping ground.
2:47 only one problem with your comment. It’s BS!! Ofreg is not part of the much improved civil service. Maybe it should be. Please try and educate yourself about the difference between the Civil Service and the Public Service.
After all the wonderful things the Education Minister announced on Friday. Suckoo should be proud of his achievements. Every time I enter the John Gray Hall I will remember you Christen. Thank you for your service and good luck.
What actually did she announce on Friday? The woman has not tackled the heart of our educational problem in Cayman. She XXXXX had already distanced herself if no educational improvements came about. I would say that in the last five years we have come a long way in providing for our children’s education needs but we have a way to go yet.Throwing money at teachers will not turn us into good teachers, praying to God will not make us good teachers or children sporting short hair will not turn them in lovers of knowledge.
excellent! glad to see caymanians moving up the ladder! congratulations mr suckoo…????
Dan Scott’s Education Council pulled the trigger!
Juju got rid of Suckoo make no mistake. Cacho is holding the fort until Mary Rodrigues moves across as Chief Officer.
Exactly! Suckoo refused to be a ‘yes person’. He is too smart to be a lamb.
Wait and see who ends up there. That will confirm what many of us already see what is occurring.
Not her again, please, pretty please.
Finally some new blood
Reimaginaging the Civil Service has been impossible in a land where no one feels able to take on the establishment that were voted in. If you want to keep your job in Education, then tell JUliana what she wants to hear. Mark my words though that you need to fear Juliana and the Education Council, not Mary Rodrigues.
GOAB… first it’s actually GAB. 2nd I have been reading your negative comments. I have yet to find a post where you actually make sense or say things that are true.
Regretfully you represent the shrinking minority of civil servants who simply don’t get it ,Or can’t get it, or worse, too “smart” to get it.
I bet you spend the majority of your day complaining rather that demonstrating your ability. You say you support Caymanians but constantly tear them down.
Work perform shine! Then you might achieve something. Get with the program.
GOAB stands for Government Office Accommodation Building I believe…it’s what the GAB was called before it was built, when it was just a project. So the fact this person uses that acronym shows they’ve been around 10-15 years at least. That said, I haven’t yet seen anything this person has said come out as the truth. Doesn’t mean it isn’t, but still, it has to happen eventually or this person might as well change their handle.
Franz, Gloria and their echo chamber:
GOAB 4th Floor is always on point!
Thanks my friend and keep on keeping the buggers somewhat honest!
Can you actually imagine Mary getting on with JuJu !? OMG !
Would be worth the price of. admission to watch that all pan out….????????????????