Caymanians take on top jobs at MDAL
(CNS): The Ministry of District Administration and Lands (MDAL) has appointed Caymanian Chelsea K Whittaker as deputy district commissioner for the Department of District Administration, where she will be responsible for providing managerial, leadership and strategic policy support to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman District Commissioner Mark Tibbetts.
She is one of four civil servants who have recently been appointed to senior positions in that ministry. On Grand Cayman, Nicola Anderson-Wildman, Charles Brown and Neyka Webster have been appointed to a single open position of acting deputy chief officer, where they will rotate in that post, holding it in turn for six months.
Whittaker will begin her permanent appointed on 1 January. DC Tibbetts said he was looking forward to working with her and that her “appointment epitomizes effective leadership development within our civil service. In addition, her accomplishments, familiarity with the Sister Islands and our department, plus her demonstrated senior management experience across a variety of government portfolios, proves promising for achieving our team goals.”
Prior to joining the civil service, Whittaker worked in HR and operations in the private sector. She joined the civil service as a HR and information manager for the Ministry of District Administration, Tourism and Transport.
She went on to become the senior HR manager for the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, Agriculture and Lands, and acted as HR director for a six-month period. Following the 2021 General Elections, she was transferred to the Ministry of District Administration and Lands, where she now serves as senior HR manager.
Regarding the job rotation scheme for the role of acting deputy chief officer in that ministry, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said, “While only one candidate can fill the role, all three qualified candidates have an opportunity to further develop leadership and management skills that will better position them for prospective senior roles. I am proud to support this very innovative approach to recruitment within our civil service and wish each candidate the best.”
The three Caymanian candidates will be seconded from government posts. Nicola Anderson-Wildman, who is chief financial officer (CFO) in that ministry, will begin the rotation. Charles Brown, a senior policy officer with the Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure, will be in the post for the second six months, and Neyka Webster, the CFO at the Ministry of Tourism and Transport, will close out the rotation schedule.
MDAL Acting Chief Officer Wilbur Welcome said he would miss Whittaker as she takes her knowledge and experience to Cayman Brac. “Chelsea is a wonderful and valuable addition to any team and she will surely be missed by our ministry.” But he said he was excited about the opportunity to work with the three rotation candidates.
“Each candidate brings an extensive and unique portfolio of skills, experience, knowledge and capabilities to the role. This diversity of competencies will undoubtedly provide our Ministry with a competitive advantage that we shall utilize towards enhancing service levels for all our stakeholders. Our team is happy to have them,” he added.
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Category: Government Administration, Jobs, Local News, Politics
9:40 pm, ministers has lots to do with it, like in the immigration board, all from the minister voting block
Opinions opinions opinions. Mine is that a few more years under her belt would have been a better idea. Now that position is set for what, 30 years? If you planned to give it to her from the time she came to the Brac, which you did, why waste time advertising? Typical.
How she makes the so call workers,park further away from the Building, then the customers could get to park closer to the Administration Bldg.and please answer the phone.
Charlie Brown is a chip off the old block.
You go Charlie!
Congratulations Chelsea and I wish you all the best in your new role. Pay no mind to the negative comments and do your best! This is another classic example of Caymanians bringing other Caymanians down. It needs to stop! This is why Caymanians can’t progress or succeed in our own country. Spread love not hate.
It always is a blessing when a Caymanian moves up and gets these higher jobs! With such a small community as Cayman Brac, succession and personal career growth will be very limited, so obviously some persons will be disheartened/discouraged if they felt this was their next step/ career aspirations. Just very glad it wasn’t given to a expat. I Welcome you , fellow Caymanian, Mrs Chelsea, to your new home.
So.
Was there not a Bracker or Little Caymanian to fill this role?
What about the Works Manager for PWD CYB that has been employed as a civil servant in the Sister Islands for more than 25 years?
What about the Marketing & Promotions Manager for District Administration?
Both of these individuals have masters degrees, decades of experience, and the intimate knowledge of District Administration and the Sister Islands that is needed for this role; yet they were passed up for this opportunity.
There are others as well that could’ve been considered.
But the ministry chose an “outsider”? Who’s the minister again? Please don’t tell me it’s the MP from Cayman Brac East!
Imagine believing people from little and the brac somehow automatically are the best people for the job.
Brac and Little are more than welcome to go it alone if you’re so qualified. You don’t need Grand
11:50
Are any of the persons you mentioned performing to a high standard? What experience do they bring to the table?
I understand that PWD is not performing to a high standard so why promote the works manager
This is a new civil service. Gone are the days where you get promoted based on nepotism or tenure.
Don’t blame the Minister she has no say in these matters.
9:40pm would like to shake your hand for the comment!! On the money!
Your understanding is not my understanding.
9:40 pm, ministers has lots to do with it, like in the immigration board, all from the minister voting block
Chelsea has sister island roots. I know that and I don’t even know her personally. And why does that even matter, aren’t we’ll all Caymanians ? Isn’t it good for us all when one of us rises ?
They really need to take away the keyboard from some of unna…. I hope the first thing she invest in is a community recreational centre for all of unna idle charlatans over there.
Right we are all Caymanians, it doesn’t matter which Island one is from. PWD is at its lowest in work ethics for manyn many years.facts are facts
If so, it’s because ultimate say is elsewhere.
I’ve never known a place that loves to shout about Deputy this, Acting that, Deputy Assistant this, Acting Deputh Chief that, Assistant Deputy Acting Chief Officer this, Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Next in Line Never To Happen that. Just promote them for God’s sake!!!
You think Cayman Brac should be held to a different standard than Grand Cayman?
I hope she makes workers in the Dist Admin.Bldg.turn off their computers and monitors, especially on week ends, checking the P O. Boxes one can see their computers monitors on, even on long weekends, wasting power.
I am so pleased with Ms. Whittaker’s appointment.
Elated actually!!!!
As a young Caymanian, with her mass experience in various HR departments that adds to her unbiased, beautiful personality, I can only pray this will be a new, much needed, positive change for the Sister Islands!
Welcome to the Brac Ms. Whittaker!! And I hope you will make this your home and succeed Mr. Tibbetts role as he retires, AGAIN!!
Oh! And please, Ms. Whittaker, try to stop jobs from being made redundant (after individuals reach retirement or above retirement age, leave) only to find other jobs for them (or create other jobs for them) in other Government depts. We Brackers have seen this and we are very hmmmmm (looking for correct word) disgusted to say the least, as this disables our young, qualified Brackers from obtaining jobs on the Brac, which is their home!
Also, please put something in place for our youth that are doing internship through District Admin. Our youths need a full time job and if certain Government departments like them & their work, dedication so much, why are they keeping them on as interns (working 3 days a week) for several years instead of training them and hiring them full time!?
Succession planning has to be put in place for our youth immediately to ensure our young Brackers have a full time job (as this internship after a year or two discourages them from pursuing further education and getting full time jobs).
Factually, it about time that qualified Caymanians from Grand with new perspectives fill the Sister Islands posts instead of expats or less than qualified Brackers (just because they have the “right last name”) ……A breath of fresh air, actually!
For decades it has been a “hand down/next in line” for Brackers in District Administration and other Brac Government Depts to take up posts just because of their “certain last names” &/or “power” Ministers in those departments have that enables them to put politricks into action to obtain control and future votes!
Cheers & prayers to new beginnings and a lot of positive changes! You’ve got this Ms. Whittaker! And it is well deserved! Make us Brackers proud!
There’s this thing called the Internet, there are millions of available jobs
You talk about succession planning…
The CS is noted for “cross-agency” deployment and promotion. Invariably, some civil servants with training and experience in a particular discipline are transferred or prompted out of their trained area and are not as efficient in the transfer.
Many Civil Servants are set up for failure because their leaders (COs and DG) promote or transfer them above their capabilities, for nepotistic reasons or simply “rewarding” people without strategically planning succession and/or replacements. Let’s see how these promotions pan out!
The CS is a mess from the top down and the future looks even more grim! Imagine Gloria McField-Nixon as permanent DG after Franz retires and enters politics!
8:48 which cave have you been living in for the past 5 years? Cause the civil service you are describing is not the civil service I am honored to work for today.
The civil service I work for has provided me more training in the past 5 years than in the past 10 years.
Remote working has been a tremendous success and we just got a bonus payment for Christmas.
Our customers love us.
5:44 pm, we wish civil so call servants will answer your phone, be on time for your work and no shopping during your work hours.
Say it louder for the Civil Servants sleeping in the back!!! Dealing with government in any capacity is absoloutley the reason Cayman cannot function.
The public think your honoured civil service is a joke, waste of money and resources.
It’s a terrible service, every department I’ve had the pleasure in dealing with has been useless bad of mismanagement.
Have you ever had a real private sector job?
Been a while, glad to see you are back franzplant.
Debbie @ 04 /5:44pm – I’m Anonymous 04 @ 8:48pm – I’m commenting on the Civil Service of today!! The same one under the “leadership” of Franz Manderson, Gloria Nixon and many “waste of space” Chief Officers!! The very same CS which I (and obviously many customers) STILL have endless problems making initial contact with, getting responses and/or getting prompt actions and “one-time” efficient service from!
May I please take the liberty to paraphrase your words and suggest it is the same Civil Service that you and many like you are “honoured to be employed by” – not WORK FOR!! But then again… with hounoured being the active word, perhaps you are honoured to work for an embarrassing collective of free-loaders (barring a suffering few)!
8:48 what a sad world you live in. Stop being jealous of our civil service and our amazing civil servants many of whom are working right now while you hide from covid-19.
Get a life!
Listen to the speech in Parliament made by our DG on Friday.
You will see that we have a world class civil service.
DG say everyone is working hard, doing a good job but mail still takes 8 to 12 days to get to Grand from Brac. When Civic services workers used to work, mail used to only take one week to get to Europe or even Japan, fact.
… has appointed Caymanian.. Necessary description?
Has appointed black…
Has appointed white..
Has appointed person duly qualified to fill the position.
Nearly 2022 and still not moving.
Congrats to the young lady.
.
Who else would be given the job?
The person who has a better handle on Brac.
Don’t be daft. Family and friends first.
Someone needs to employ the unemployable
11:22 pm, just suppose people in Grand says that about all the Brackers working their in high jobs.Think before speak,ok. CAYMANIANS ARE CAYMANIANS PERIOD.
Connections
Hope the new DDC puts a stop to the workers shoping during their working hours and be on time for their work
Optimism or sarcasm?
The only business place on the Brac that the workers got the privilege to park next to the Building and the customs has to park further away is the District Administration building.
Would have been better had qualified persons taken up the posts instead.
Would be better not to have a ridiculous number of people being paid top dollar to run a pretty modest sized ministry.
So Leroy Bentley (Mark) Tibbetts naturally succeeds the previous post holder. . . which begs the question why there was not anyone with more experience from Brac/Little who did not take up the Deputy Post – ie someone who is already thoroughly familiar with District Admin, the Brac and Little.
Hmnn, while I congratulate Ms. Whittaker, really do wonder is this is a totally political thing. Again congrats Ms. Whittaker welcome to the community and hope your time here proves better than any other place.
I think you answered your own question
Wishing you great success Chelsea.