Local civil servants move to senior ministry jobs

| 15/10/2019 | 38 Comments
  • Cayman News Service

(CNS): Joel Francis has been appointed as the deputy chief officer for adult education, youth, sports and public libraries, while Wilbur Welcome has been made the deputy chief officer for agriculture, lands and administration at the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, Agriculture and Lands. Within one of the biggest government ministries, the senior civil servants make up a team of three deputies working under Chief Officer Cetonya Cacho covering diverse portfolios.

The two Caymanians both have post graduate qualifications and a history with government. Francis, who has 22 years of civil service experience, started his career at Radio Cayman as a talk show host and journalist before climbing up the civil service ranks.

Welcome is the youngest deputy in the ministry but has served seven years with government. As a senior policy analyst in financial service, he was responsible for leading the charge on the Non-Profit Organisations Law.

Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said Francis’ track record and extensive experience are aligned perfectly with the ministry vision, while Welcome’s former boss, Attorney General Samuel Bulgin, said he was a dedicated civil servant who serves with purpose and professionalism. 

Cacho said she was thrilled to have Francis and Welcome on the team. “Mr Francis has proven to have valuable insights, the ability to execute major programmes and move our islands forward,” she said.

Welcome was a stand-out for his role at interview, Cacho said, adding that he “has good knowledge with the development of legislation and has the ability to be public-facing, given his previous experience with public speaking, as well as representing Cayman internationally”. She noted that “his appreciation and familiarity with local agricultural practice and priorities also helped”.

Francis is married and the father of three children. He is an avid fisherman and volunteers as a director of the Cayman Islands Angling Club.

Welcome. who is also a keen fisherman, lives in East End, where he is an active member of the William Pouchie Memorial United Church. He is a former footballer and enjoys farming.


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Category: Local News

Comments (38)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    I do notice something here. When Cacho was promoted it was either very little comments made or positive comments. Now what did either one or both of these men do in either their career or personal life that people aren’t so pleased with? To me people feel the promotion is undeserved.

    • Anonymous says:

      It is not that promotions are underserved. It could be well deserved, but NOT in the fields they have no expertise in. There seem to be fundamental misunderstanding that to be promoted in the field of Education, for example, one must have an extensive education, experience and expertise in Education. His/her achievements in the field must be remarkable.
      Having ‘history with government” really means nothing. In fact, this statement, as many others, have no real meaning and are basically hogwash.

      Examples of meaningless statements:
      – climbing up the civil service ranks? From where to where?
      -leading the charge on the Non-Profit Organisations Law. WHAT EXACTLY that means?
      – track record and extensive experience.. EXPERIENCE in what?
      – aligned perfectly with the ministry vision.. WHAT IS THAT?
      – serves with purpose and professionalism… WHAT IS THAT?
      – proven to have valuable insights… What insights?
      – ability to be public-facing? WHAT IS THAT?
      – his appreciation and familiarity with local agricultural practice ?

      These two individuals, I repeat, might well deserve promotions in something, but the way they are presented by Education Minister and Chief Officer leaves many questions unanswered.

  2. Anonymous says:

    One is better than the other and it’s not just because he’s worked in govt longer. But where was the application for that job? I’m Caymanian and I know about the local agriculture and appreciate it. I am quite good at public speaking without the need for notes. It doesn’t mean that you will like what I have to say but who likes what any government official or politician has to say……

  3. Anonymous says:

    The feelings of the Minister should be totally irrelevant. Another sign of the DG playing politics and seeking approval of elected members to certain appointments.

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    • Anonymous says:

      4:41. Really!! Get a life! Oh and some Education would be helpful.

    • Alfredo Hernandez says:

      4:21. Really!! Focus on the good news. Caymanians being promoted. Our Education Ministry is on the right tract.

      Congrats Joel and Wilbur

      • Anonymous says:

        Fact is that it’s a dysfunctional Ministry led by a CO promoted too soon and an appointment that pandered to the Minister’s wishes. The best applicant didn’t get the job.

  4. Anonymous says:

    What exact expertise these individuals bring to the table?

    “…proven to have valuable insights, the ability to execute major programmes and move our islands forward”. What those insights are(were)? What major programs were executed? I assume all these achievements were in adult education, youth, sports and public libraries.

    What Mr. Welcome’ achievements in Education, Youth, Sports, Agriculture and Lands are?

    “..appreciation and familiarity with local agricultural practice..” what is this? A joke?

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Well done Joel! Been following your career ever since you asked the saintly Brother John Jefferson Sr on your Radio Cayman show if he had ever contemplated being unfaithful to his wife. You nearly lost your job for that but you are, like the Jeffersons, moving on up.

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  6. anon says:

    Are these new positions, there seems to have been a lot of promotions recently. If not what happened to the previous D.C.O’s?.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    An endorsement from the education minister isn’t something to be proud of. Also, the fact that he was a radio DJ just makes sense that he’s going into government leadership roles, those guys are so egotistical.

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    • Anon. says:

      You are so full of it!
      Joel was a radio host over 15 years ago, you don’t think that he has developed himself and obtained additional qualifications and experience over the years?
      People here are always tearing each other down.
      If someone starts as a security guard or a janitor and work their way up and obtain the necessary qualifications and become the boss, all you hear is “he used to be a security guard/janitor”.

      Stop being so envious and petty and get a life.

  8. Anonymous says:

    The best educational system in the world, Finland, is revamping. LI Andersson, the The Finland Education Minister is 29 years old.
    Here are few points:
    – the primary objective of the reform is to raise the level of expertise in Finland;
    – bringing upper-secondary education under the scope of compulsory education is crucial in circumstances where higher qualifications are necessary for both individuals and the society;
    – re-defining the minimum skills requirements of people;
    – re-examining compulsory education in circumstances where changes in the labour market and technological advances are doing away with tasks that could be performed with basic education qualifications and raising skills requirements for all occupations.
    – to enable continuous learning for every Finn, including adults who are already in working life;
    – change the growing trend towards differences in learning results;
    – to make early childhood education and comprehensive school education more equitable;
    – increased money for pre- and after-school programmes and leisure activities during school time.
    – One of the government’s flagship education policies involves more opportunities for apprenticeships.

    What objectives for the Cayman education system new appointed individuals want to achieve?

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  9. Anonymous says:

    I am so proud to see these promotions. Congrats Joel and Wilbur.

    I see major changes in promotions within the civil service these days. The focus on capability and not tenure is the right way to go.

    I once complained about the hiring decisions in the civil service. Today I am commending the Service.

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    • Anonymous says:

      “Jack of all trades, master of none” is a figure of speech used in reference to a person who has dabbled in many skills, rather than gaining expertise by focusing on one.

  10. Anonymous says:

    This is so amazing. i have never seen so many capable Caymanians being promoted in our civil service. We are so proud of you Wilbur.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    They might have “history with Government”, but their education and experiences are not relevant to the posts.
    Both will be working in Youth,sports, education? Why? How agriculture came into this play?
    You won’t see someone educated in turf management leading a Drama department; or educated in finance managing agriculture and land! A former ballerina won’t teach hockey!
    It seems that neither, including the Minister herself, have no education, experience and expertise in Education.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Absolutely agreed! I would like to thumbs up 10000 times for this comment.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I believe the minister was once a Physical Education teacher. She also used to run with a team in Cayman Brac called “the barefoot brigade” I understand she used to clean up the medals.

    • No state citizen says:

      It is called the Ministry of Education, Youth Sports, AGRICULTURE and Lands which means it encompasses other areas besides Education so what do you know about these mens’ qualifications and experiences that do not make them relevant to their posts as Deputy COs?

      Typical narrow-minded person who is quick to tear down anyone who are improving themselves…..a sure sign that you are not improving yourself and just jealous and petty.

      Go sit down and shut up if you don’t have anything positive or constructive to say.

      • Anonymous says:

        But the truth is that they have no experience or education in any of the above. Growing vegetables in your backyard should not constitute experience in agriculture. I grow basil, tomatoes because I prefer them fresh. But I also have local mangoes, June plums, small red plums, avocado pear, coconuts, guavas, naseberries, and more that I planted in my backyard and reaping the fruits. Does that make me an expert or have extensive knowledge of local agriculture? I personally don’t think so. But if that qualified me, then the standard is really low.

        Was any of these involved in sports aside from in primary and high school? Set aside the minister as she has education and is a qualified lawyer. But these two individuals? Do they engage in sports?

        Having a degree should not qualify you to provide guidance on education. They studied and received an educational themselves for their specific degree but to assist guiding a country on how to progress the country on improving education, they have nothing of value to contribute.

        Owning a piece of land should not qualify you to provide guidance on land….

        If people are to be promoted, then groom them. Fill in the gaps. Make them experts in these fields. I feel silly saying that I’m from Cayman sometimes when other countries require these things and ours only requires you to be either a brown nosed or related to someone or a friend of someone.

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