Roadtown, Tortola - Mrs. Carolyn Stoutt Igwe of the Premier’s Office was selected as the Government’s Employee of the Year for 2008, making her the fourth public servant to hold this distinguished title.
Mrs. Stoutt Igwe, who was chosen from among four groups of past Employees of the Quarter, was honoured at a brief ceremony yesterday at Maria’s by the Sea Hotel. She has served as the Deputy Supervisor of Elections, Private Secretary to the Chief Minister from 2003-2005, Personal Assistant to the former Deputy Governor, Mr. Elton Georges and has had stints in the Ministry of Finance, and the Passport Office. Presently, she is the Assistant Secretary in the Premier’s Office and serves as Desk Officer for the Department of Immigration and as the ministry’s Change Champion for the Public Sector Reform Programme.
In her remarks, Mrs. Stoutt Igwe said, “if I can help to motivate some public servants to provide a higher quality of service, if I can help to rally other public servants to carry out their duties with the same level of energy or even more than I exert, if I can help a public servant to know how valuable his or her service is to this world-class public service that we are seeking to build, then my work here in the public service would not be in vain.”
She encouraged the employees of the quarter for 2008 to continue on the path to service excellence and reminded them that the journey toward service excellence is one without a finish line and they would have to remain on that journey as long as they are public servants.
Among well wishers and public servants from all levels were Governor David Pearey, Deputy Governor V. Inez Archibald, Members of the Public Service Commission, Director of Human Resources Mr. David Archer and Keynote Speaker Pastor Howard Simon.
Mr. Archer expressed his delight in being at the ceremony and shared that when he speaks to employees and ask them what they want most, it is never collectively about salaries or benefits but about recognition. “We have to come together and recognise people and the value they bring to your organisation,” he added.
Pastor Simon in his motivational remarks encouraged the awardees to continue on the journey and spoke about three steps on the journey to excellence: know yourself; have a plan for your life; and keep on growing.
The luncheon on Tuesday also honoured previous Employees of the Quarter for 2008 and the outgoing Employee of the Year for 2007, Mr. Andrew St. Hilaire of the Ministry of Communications and Works. Participating and supportive ministries and departments were also recognised.
The Deputy Governor’s Office received the top Ministry Participation Award and Her Majesty’s Prison received the Top Departmental Participation Award. His Excellency the Governor was awarded the top consistent supporter of the Employee of the Quarter/Year Programme from 2006-2009.
The Employee of the Year programme was implemented to recognise the top employee from those employees recognised during the four quarters for exemplary performance. The first employee of the year ceremony was held in 2004.
British Virgin Islands News