CHARLESTOWN, Nevis - AVERIL WILLIAMS, a career public servant for 37 years, was honoured one week ago in recognition of her dedicated service to Nevis. The glowing gesture was spearheaded by Premier Hon. Joseph Parry and his Ministry.
“I feel that my work has not been overlooked,” she said in an interview two days after the Saturday evening ceremony and dinner in her honour at the refurbished Golden Rock hotel. She said that she was pleasantly surprised to see the combination of guests at the function. "Of course I expected the Premier to be there since he was the first to inform me of his desire to honour my contribution as he was well pleased with it, and also it was in his ministry that I last worked. Some others I had figured out, but the range...took me by very pleasant surprise. I can see that thoughtful planning was done to make me happy."
Guests were drawn also from the senior teachers with whom Mrs. Williams taught in her latter teaching years, from the Premier's Ministry, Human Resources, Government Press and Public Relations Department and friends. There were Permanent Secretaries from the various ministries of the Nevis Island Administration and, of course, close family members.
In his address at the function, Premier Parry described Mrs. Williams as a model civil servant. He lauded her dedication and outstanding service and made special mention of her high level performance at the Department of Labour which she last headed. Permanent Secretary Joseph Wiltshire, under whom Mrs. Williams worked, and Principal Mrs. Marion Lescot were among those paying glowing tribute.
The honoree is very grateful to Premier Parry and his ministry for the gesture. "It is rather a nice feeling when you can get your flowers while you live. Smelling the roses brings joy and encouragement to go on."
Mrs. Williams launched her public service career in January 1972 when she entered the teaching profession at the then Gingerland Infant School. She commenced Teacher Training that same year and gained Trained Teacher status from the St. Kitts-Nevis Teacher Training College in 1975 after being engaged in In-service training for the first two years and full time for the last year. On completion of that training she returned to the same school and moved to the Gingerland Primary in 1978 when the infant and junior schools in the parish of St. George Gingerland were merged. She taught there until 1988. During that stint she, in extra curricular activities, engaged her talents in the development of the children teaching dances, poetry and drama which she created. What will keep her however on the school's Hall of Fame is the school song which she created. She claims that the Almighty Creator woke her one night and impressed on her thoughts its lyrics and melody.
She enjoyed her 16 years in teaching and noted that it has been fulfilling to see her students grow into adults and hold responsible places in the world of work.
Many will recall Mrs. Williams as a TV personality from as far back as 1988. In that year she accepted the offer of a transfer to the Public Relations Department of the Premier’s Ministry in the Administration of the Hon. Dr. Simeon Daniel, first Premier of Nevis. The Permanent Secretary was Mr. Wendell Huggins. Journalism was Mrs. Williams' second love, so accepting the offer was not difficult. Coincidently, at the time she was pursuing a home correspondence course in Journalism with a college in Britain. She had also started to contribute articles about happenings in Nevis to the Democrat published in St. Kitts.
Her first position at the department was Executive Officer. In May 1992 she achieved a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Miami. She had, prior to leaving teaching, enrolled in the programme, initiated by Premier Simeon Daniel in an effort to stop the brain drain on the island. In that year, sometime after graduation, she was privileged to be a part of a two-week Public Relations exposure in the Republic of China on Taiwan. She was the lone nominee from the Federation and joined other public relations personnel from other Caribbean nations which had friendly relations with Taiwan. According to Mrs. Williams, the experience was very educational. “I marveled at the tenacity that performing artistes exhibited in preparation for public performances. I marveled too at the people’s relentless attitude to work and the exemplary customer service that they provided and exhibited...On arriving home, I kept thinking that many of our people needed a change in work attitude. I thought they had a lot to learn about work ethics.”
In 1993 Mrs. Williams was promoted to Public Relations Officer status.
She was often on the television network TBN with the programme “The Week Gone By”, which was already established when she moved to the department. The programme provided the people of Nevis on a Sunday afternoon with knowledge of what was happening in the island. VON Radio later acceded to her request to air a radio version of it on a Monday evening and Cable TV agreed to show a repeat of the Sunday programme on a Tuesday evening.
The television work and preparations for airing on the three media outlets were time consuming. Her operations base initially was a small room at the Administration Building in Charlestown and from there, she, with one or two others, worked in collaboration with TBN. "The Nevis Island Administration had made arrangement for such. You see it was just a few years after the country had gone into independence and I think the young Nevis Island Administration was still finding its footing", pointed out Mrs. Williams.
As the years progressed in doing her work, she, of necessity, had to investigate the news, write the stories, present the news for TV recording and assist in the editing process. She had to do the camera work occasionally in order to have a programme to meet the deadline. In spite of all the challenges, referring to certain of those circumstances as 'squeezing milk from stones', she said she never once laid down arms. Benefits from having attended a journalism course in St. Kitts, ran by The Voice of America, infused courage. She says she loves her country and enjoyed working hard for it.
Gradually, over time, the Public Relations Department was given a few added staff and a few vital pieces of equipment making it less dependent on TBN.
In her latter years there, in terms of print production, Mrs. Williams was able to spearhead the upgrade of the office magazine. It was given the new title “Nevis Today” and featured colorful pictures. It carried a generally attractive appearance.
"Over a period of time, I would say in tiers of upgrade, the department was given improved space and today I am pleased to see that it has spacious office space, a studio it can call its own, a large staff, and an array of very modern equipment" said Mrs. Williams. "A lesson I have learnt is that one should cease the moment when it presents itself and do one's best in the moment even with trials. Waiting for the perfect situation may never come in your day. I don’t' think it came in my day but I did my best."
Mrs. Williams served as an Assistant Secretary at the Premier’s Ministry from 2001 to 2006 in the Administration of Premier Vance Amory. There she dealt with immigration and some administrative matters. She spearheaded the implementation of worker identification cards. Labour matters were also under her purview. She had learnt the job and was very comfortable in it, but in September 2006 she was transferred to the Department of Labour and appointed Chief Labour Officer.
"I was not happy with the transfer but comforted myself with the Bible verse which says, “All things work together for good to them that love the Lord.” Mrs. Williams said she told herself that she must like what she does, and with that she threw all her energies into the job. She had to learn the job fast. “When you are new at a job, those you serve are not concerned that you are in a new position. They want answers to their questions and solutions to their problems." Much fulfillment came when she was able to help an unemployed find work, when she was able to solve difficult disputes, and, in general, when she helped to bring about harmonious relationships in the workplace.
During her stint at that department, she held a few workshops for persons in the workplace. She was able to utilize her TV and creative skills in the production of the Department’s fortnightly programme, “Towards a Better Workplace”, which was already established when she was posted there. She got many commendations from viewers for her input. She also worked with a Federal committee to bring about the recent minimum wage rate. She served on other labour-related committees and meetings in both St. Kitts and Nevis, among other things. She is of the view that her advice to the Trinidad fact-finding mission that visited Nevis in relation to the Nevis Island/Trinidad Skills Training programme, helped in deciding on the courses undertaken by Nevisian youths in the twin-island Republic
The time was trying for Mrs.Williams' department when an estimated 650 Four Seasons employees lost their jobs some six months after Hurricane Omar struck the hotel in October 2008. “We tried as much as possible to see if there were vacant job positions, but there was a ripple effect when the resort closed and there were layoffs here and there all over the island, so placements were few.” However, she responded quickly to encourage those who had lost their livelihood by organizing key personalities to give timely advice on her television programme on money management and how to make ends meet in general. She also spoke with bank managers to find out what was being done to help the situation.
Mrs. Williams submitted her retirement letter and request for pre-retirement leave in July, hoping that she would be able to see the Four Seasons redundant workers receive their severance pay check before bidding the public service goodbye. Having seen them receive the check in early August, she felt relieved and content in her spirit to finally bring her 37-plus-year Public Service career to an end at the beginning of November.
When asked how she managed to successfully serve under the first Premier, Simeon Daniel, former Premier Vance Amory and the current Premier, Joseph Parry, she said, "I believe that a civil servant should adhere to professional ethics. Work honestly. I am not perfect but I tried to work as a civil servant should. I do not do my work with any grudges. I do it positively giving it my all.”
During her work life Mrs. Williams has also judged several elocution, poetry and essay competitions of varying levels on the island of Nevis.
In saying goodbye, she said she wishes the Nevis Island Administration and the workplace in general every good wish. She is very grateful to Almighty God for enabling her to reach the milestone and to all who have worked with her through the years, as well as to all others who have helped her, however small, along the way.
Born to Elsworth and Miriam Richards of Cox Village, Mrs. Williams has fond memories of her parents. Her father died when she was a teenager and she regrets that he did not live long enough for her to share ‘piece of her bread’ with him. Her mother died in 2004. “They gave me good and Godly upbringing. I love God and look to Him each day for wisdom."
Mrs. Williams has retired from public service while robust. She said the new phase of her life is really in God's hands and He alone knows our future. However, among other things, she plans to utilize her other creative potentials. She is an acclaimed poet and will continue to write and publish poems. She likes drama and will try to be engaged in that art form. Gardening, carrying on her mother's legacy of garment making, playing the steel pan and learning the piano will also be past time activities. Her active church involvement will continue and she intends to give some voluntary service to her community.
