The Department of Labour & Pensions, has recently filled vacant positions through succession planning, reassignment of staff, and appointment of new personnel in an effort to improve service delivery to meet client needs.

Mr. Mario Ebanks, Director of the DLP, and Acting Superintendent of Pensions said, “I am very pleased to announce several appointments which fill much needed vacancies that will contribute to our ability to provide more effective and efficient service delivery. Even with the pressures to contain costs and headcount, and still operating with less than optimum staff, I am pleased that the Government is supporting the Department with additional resources to ensure that it can better enforce the Labour & Pensions laws”. The new appointments include: Mrs. J. Loval Linwood, Deputy Director (Labour); Mrs. Leticia Goring, Senior Pensions Officer; Mr. Dwayne Forde, Senior Labour Officer; Mrs. Angela Madourie, Labour & Pensions Inspector; and Mr. Gene Hydes, Acting Head of Inspections.

Mrs. J. Loval Linwood’s appointment to Deputy Director (Labour) fills a much needed vacant position. She began her career in Labour Investigations and Enforcement upon joining the Department of Employment Relations in June 2007 as a Labour/Compliance Officer. Mrs. Linwood is well versed in the Labour Law, received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in 2012, has a Diploma in Human Resource Management from Oxford University, and seeks to complete her MBA in Human Resource Management. In her new role as Deputy Director (Labour) Mrs. Linwood will be responsible for the supervision and management of the technical and administrative functions of the Labour Investigations Unit, as well as supporting the administrative work of the Department through the Senior Management Team.

The new Senior Pensions Officer, Mrs. Leticia Goring arrives with over 12 years’ experience in sales, marketing and service management, as well as operations, human resources management, regulatory, compliance and market research. She previously held a critical role in the Department of Tourism and also held mid-to-senior management positions within the financial services, telecommunications and tourism industries, where she has worked successfully within both the public and private sectors. Mrs. Goring earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Leicester (UK) and two Bachelor degrees in Marketing and Finance from Florida International University (USA). Mrs. Goring joins a team of three (3) other Senior Pensions Officers, with another to be added in the near future.

Mr. Dwayne Forde moves into the position of Senior Labour Officer from his position of Labour Officer. Mr. Forde has experience in both the public and private sector, working previously with Dart Enterprises and the Department of Lands & Survey. He has a Diploma in Computer Applications and an Associate Degree in Computer Science, and obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University College of The Cayman Islands. Mr. Forde will continue to operate in the Labour Investigations Unit, working with one Senior Labour Officer and one Labour Officer, under the direction of the Deputy Director (Labour).

Filling a vacant position and bringing over 26 years of law enforcement background to her position, Mrs. Angela Madourie has been appointed as Labour & Pensions Inspector. Mrs. Madourie believes in serving her community and this new position is an extension of her personal beliefs; “I look forward to my new position with the DLP as the principles of this position support my core values of ‘justice for all’ and community service,” she said. Working under the direction of the Acting Head of Inspections, Mrs. Madourie will work closely with a small team comprising a Senior Labour & Pensions Inspector and an Assistant Labour & Pensions Inspector.

A well-known, long-serving member of the DLP, and prior to that the Department of Employment Relations (DER), Mr. Gene Hydes will move from his post of Senior Labour Officer to take-up the three month interim post of Acting Head of Inspections (HOI), pending the recruitment for the substantive position. In his new role as Acting HOI Mr. Hydes will be responsible for the supervision and management of the technical and administrative functions of the Inspections Unit (dealing with both Labour & Pensions laws compliance), as well as supporting the administrative work of the Department through the Senior Management Team. Mr. Hydes holds an impressive host of professional certifications and designations in various aspects of occupational safety and health and this position will continue to demonstrate his commitment to safety, training and inspections.

Acting Chief Officer Mr. Christen Suckoo was also supportive of the new appointments saying, “I would like to congratulate these members of the DLP on their new appointments, and also Mr. Ebanks for utilizing succession planning so that our Caymanian civil servants are able to progress in their department and careers. I wish them all well in their new roles and I look forward to the continued growth and development of the Department as they strive to improve services to the public.”

The Department of Labour & Pensions provides a host of important services to the dynamic service-oriented economy and workplaces of the Cayman Islands, including:

• Labour complaints and enquiries management;
• Labour investigations and compliance;
• Occupational safety & health;
• Labour Law training;
• Labour dispute resolution & conciliation;
• Pensions investigations and compliance;
• Pensions Plans supervision and regulation;
• Pension complaints and enquiries;
• Pensions awareness and training.

The DLP is located on the second floor of Midtown Plaza, can be reached at 945-8960 or visit the website at www.dlp.gov.ky

IMAGE: Photo Caption: New leadership team at Department of Labour & Pensions in-action. (L to R): Leticia Goring, Senior Pensions Officer; Gene Hydes, Acting Head of Inspections (HOI); Mario Ebanks, Director of the DLP, and Acting Superintendent of Pensions; Loval Linwood, Deputy Director (Labour); Angela Madourie, Labour & Pensions Inspector; and Dwayne Forde, Senior Labour Officer.

Photo Credit: GIS