WORC appoints two new Caymanian deputies

(CNS): Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC), one of the government’s busiest departments, has appointed two Caymanians to the leadership team. Allison Lovinggood is now the deputy director of business operations, having been formally given the responsibilities she has held since December 2022. Mervin Manderson, who has been acting as deputy director of compliance, has now been appointed to the position.

Lovinggood was previously the manager of training and development, according to a release from WORC. She is now responsible for a wide range of critical operational areas, including direct oversight of Human Resources, Customer Care, Records Management, System Development and Support, and Operations (facilities management).

She will also be analysing, developing and implementing improvements and policies, as well as ensuring compliance with legislation, as well as proactively managing a variety of programmes and business process reengineering engagements. Before her tenure at WORC, she held significant positions in a professional services firm and the private sector, officials said.

Manderson started his career in 2007 as a trainee at the old immigration department. After completing six months training, he became an officer with Border Control at the airport and seaport, where his duty was to ensure passengers and visitors were landed in accordance with the law. Three years later, he transferred to the Enforcement Unit, where his responsibilities were to investigate breaches of the Immigration Law, build case files for court cases, and act as the lead officer for repatriations to Cuba and for people deported for criminal convictions.

Over the next six years, Manderson climbed the ranks and was promoted to senior enforcement officer, then to senior immigration officer of compliance and then compliance manager before he acted as deputy director of compliance.

Manderson holds the record for issuing the highest administrative fine for a breach of the law at CI$200,000. He has managed and overseen more than 160 arrests, as well as hundreds of investigations relating to marriages of convenience which led to permit refusals or revocation. He also managed the team that issued over CI$1 million in administrative fines between 2019 and 2021.

Manderson will support the director of WORC by providing strategic oversight of the Compliance Unit, which consists of Enforcements, Complaints, Marriage Investigations, and Risk Management and FOI. The role involves reducing illegal and unethical conduct and ensuring compliance with the Immigration Transition Act, serving as a focal point for compliance activities and making recommendations to improve trends identified as areas of weakness, and overseeing internal and external investigations.

According to the release, the appointment of a deputy director for business operations is crucial in streamlining WORC’s operational processes, ensuring efficiency and adaptability in a dynamic business environment. Simultaneously, having a deputy director of compliance strengthens WORC’s commitment to upholding regulatory standards, reinforcing trust and accountability within the organisation and with external stakeholders.

WORC Director Jeremy Scott said he was proud to announce Lovinggood and Manderson as deputy directors. “Their dedication, expertise, and leadership have been instrumental to WORC’s growth, and I am confident they will continue to drive our mission forward. Congratulations to both on these well-deserved roles,” he added.