In 2012, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) hired Deputy Director of Finance, Administration and Special Projects Tamara Hurlston to set up its needs assessment unit as a pilot project.

In the short time since, Ms Hurlston has so far exceeded her employer’s expectations that she recently received the Deputy Governor’s Employee of the Month Award for June 2013.

Overcoming constraints of staffing and funding, she successfully developed the unit, which was one of the efficiencies recommended by the review of the public sector in early 2012. Instead she converted this drawback into an asset for the department, reorganising and reassigning personnel in a manner that ensured staff buy-in.

As a manager, she encourages her staff to excel and leads by example, proving herself to be a true asset to the department and to the civil service.

Unstinting in the demands she makes on herself, to meet financial reporting deadlines, Ms Hurlston will come in to work as early as 5.30 am. She also gives freely of her time to the civil service by cheerfully taking on, and finishing, extra duties in addition to completing her own assigned tasks.

Ms Hurlston also consistently finds ways to cut costs and maximise results, while prioritising service improvement. Phone costs are now down because the department is linked directly to the government telephone system. Meanwhile, car upkeep costs have been cut due to streamlining purchase arrangements and by soliciting donations of vehicles.

Recently, she ensured that, without curtailing services, the department was able to keep within its allocated funding limits and meet staff reduction goals by opting to leave vacant the positions held by two retirees.

Presenting Ms Hurlston with the Employee of the Month award, Deputy Governor Hon. Franz Manderson, Cert. Hon., JP, lauded her as an employee who exceeds expectations: “I am aware that over the course of one year, you spearheaded your department’s efforts towards achieving efficiency, effectiveness and value for money.”

He described her as “a civil servant with high standards” who “consistently makes decisions that are in your clients’ best interests but also in the interest of the staff whom you supervise.”

Congratulating Ms Hurlston on being named “most efficient” by her employer, Mr. Manderson added, “I was pleased to learn that your strong management skills have afforded you opportunities to act for the Director of Children and Family Services, despite this being an area outside of your professional scope.”

Asked for a comment, Ms Hurlston confessed, “I am still stunned” and said, “I am deeply thankful to the department for choosing me to receive this prestigious award. I am also grateful to be a part of DCFS and to the Deputy Governor for recognising my efforts.”

She added, “This is definitely going to motivate me to push and fight for our department’s needs and to be the best civil servant that I can be.”

Photo captions: Photos by Bina Mani

DG presents: Deputy Governor the Hon. Franz Manderson, Cert. Hon., JP, presents the June 2013 Employee of the Month award to DCFS Deputy Director of Finance, Administration and Special Projects Tamara Hurlston.

CO Tamara:

Ministry of Community Affairs Chief Officer Ms Dorine Whittaker, JP presents the Chief Officer’s Choice Employee award to DCFS Deputy Director of Finance, Administration and Special Projects Tamara Hurlston.

Group:

From left: DCFS Director Alicia ‘Jen’ Dixon, Ministry of Community Affairs Chief Officer Ms Dorine Whittaker, Civil Service Employee of the Month for June, Ms Tamara Hurlston and His Excellency the Acting Governor, Mr. Franz Manderson, Cert. Hon., JP

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