Another ex-minister appointed as board chair

| 21/09/2021 | 20 Comments
Cayman News Service
Deputy CO Joel Francis, Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, UCCI Board Chair Gilbert McLean and Parliamentary Secretary Katherine Ebanks-Wilks

(CNS): Gilbert McLean is the latest former minister to land a board chairmanship as the PACT government continues to appoint members for the various public authority boards. McLean, the new chair of the University College of the Cayman Islands, was the health minister in the 2001-2005 UDP administration but lost his Bodden Town seat in the 2005 elections. Ronnie Dunn and Nichelle Scott, two more new faces for the board, have been appointed as directors, while Jared Awe, an existing member, has been appointed deputy chairman.

McLean was MLA for the Sister Islands from 1988 to 1996, and represented Bodden Town from 2000 to 2005. After losing his seat he failed to make it back into politics despite three attempts.

Before becoming a politician he worked as a teacher and then in the civil service in various roles, including government training officer, assistant secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works, senior assistant secretary in the Ministry of Planning, Lands and Natural Resources, and permanent secretary (now called chief officer) in the Ministry of Tourism, Aviation and Trade.

McLean said he was looking forward to meeting the other members of the board and taking a careful and detailed look at what currently exists, to build on it and to change those things that may require improvement.

Dunn, the current deputy CEO of the Health Services Authority, is a licensed Certified Public Accountant with over 20 years experience. Within Government, he has held the positions of chief financial officer, director of budget and management, and acted as accountant general. He has also served on the Civil Aviation Authority and the National Roads Authority boards and as Chairman for the Government’s Central Tenders Committee (now PPC).

Scott is also a CPA and works as the manager of Customer Services at CUC and is the CFO for the power company’s subsidiary Datalink.

Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said she was confident that the collective experience of these new members along with the existing board will ensure the UCCI is positioned to continue providing accessible and affordable quality education,

O’Connor-Connolly thanked the three outgoing members, Scotland, Matthew Tibbetts and Shomari Scott, for their “outstanding leadership and dedicated service amidst a time of great uncertainty.”


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Category: Education, Government Administration, Local News, Politics

Comments (20)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    And people thought PACT was going to be this fresh government… The only thing fresh about this government is the level of ignorance it brought to key positions.

    • Anonymous says:

      The PACT govt. is slack and is not doing a good job, and will be replaced after the next election.

      However, the PACT (with all its failures and foolishness) is not worse (and could never be worse) than the PPM-Unity Government.

      The PACT are just a group of misfits, who are not doing a good job, but the PPM were oppressive and persecuted the Caymanian people.

      In any event, the leadership of both the PACT govt. (Wayne Panton and Chris Saunders) and PPM-Unity govt. (Alden McLaughlin, Moses Kirkconnell, Roy McTaggart and Joey Hew) are all Lodge members.

      Different Government. Same Lodge.

      • Anonymous says:

        Replaced with what?

        Every election we hear the same crap

        This one gonna be the most important….

        Then about 4 months into the term the foolishness starts about next election going to change….blah blah

    • Anonymous says:

      A sad day for education. We have taken UCCI back to the 1980’s.

  2. Anonymous says:

    They must have taken him out of the museum. Geez – he’s so over the hill that he can’t even coast down anymore.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Hand cushy numbers to your old friends. Rinse and repeat no matter who is in charge.

  4. Anonymous says:

    We can’t seem to recycle anything in Cayman except political hacks.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Not him again

  6. Kman says:

    Here we go again with the good old boys club giving special privileges to their own. The more things change the more they stay the same, thanks PACT for sticking with the same old ideas. Look at the picture of Shomari departs and his wife Nichelle replaces him, potentially conflict of interest there. Gilbert time to retire and time to pass the mantle on.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Honestly … Wayne went all out in Newlands for this ? To be held hostage by a bunch of ex UDP Mackeeva loyalists ? Haha I hope it was worth every penny Wayne

  8. Anonymous says:

    Gilbert will do a fine job. Congratulations!

  9. neverwannabeacivilservant says:

    Interesting info on progression in the Civil Service – Training Officer, Assistant Secretary, Senior Assistant Secretary, Permanent Secretary, one truly wonders how the Permanent Secretary (Chief Officer) spends his day with all these minions doing his work for him, but that’s Government for you.

    • Anonymous says:

      He didn’t spend much time at any of these positions and made little impact. Another mediocre civil servant who became a politician.

      • Anonymous says:

        You clearly don’t understand that Government is a huge wheel to turn and its not for profit.

        Perhaps some of the criticism is because he created CINICO which is a God send for retirees and the indigent.
        The private sector typically kicks you out a 60 with no health plan.

    • Anonymous says:

      Interesting that his list of jobs doesn’t mention the non government ones he struggled with…..

  10. Anonymous says:

    Lawd have mercy. De dish run away wid de spoon ta rass.

  11. Kman says:

    More candy treats for the good old boys club I see, oh how things change the more the stay the same. Shomari departs and who takes his spot no other than his wife Nichelle, I guess transparency reigns Supreme with PACT.

    • Anonymous says:

      UDP is the wolf that snuck into our lives disguised as PACT.
      Mac is running the country now through stacked boards, and honest Wayne can only wring his hands as he watches Kenny, Saunders and Jay slowly take over.

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