“The best value-for-money within government” is how his superiors describe Mark Orr, the latest CIG Employee of the Month recipient.

Deputy Governor, the Hon. Franz Manderson, JP (on Thursday, 1 November) presented the award for September  to Mr Orr who is the Chief Conservation Officer at the Department of Environment (DoE).

Mr Manderson commended Mr Orr, who is also the head of the DOE enforcement arm, for his sense of dedication and commitment.

“I fully understand the risks and rewards of wearing an enforcement uniform, as this was the foundation of my civil service career,” Mr Manderson noted.

This was the second CIG Employee of the Month presentation. The first recipient was John Gray High School Principal Lyneth Monteith, for August. Each month a single winner of this award is chosen from nominees put forward by Chief Officers from their own portfolios. Those awards are known as the Chief Officer’s Choice.

Chief Officer for the Environment Jennifer Ahearn (who presented the Chief Officer’s Choice award) and DoE Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie also offered congratulatory words. Other DoE officials attended the event.

In addition to the two certificates, Mr Orr received a monetary award for his sterling efforts to protect the marine environment, as well as his strong interest in public safety.

Asked to sum up his response to the recognition, Mr Orr states: “These efforts require teamwork. I especially appreciate that my co-workers, as well as my supervisors, recommended me for this honour.

Mr Orr’s commitment to the job and work ethic were praised extensively in his nomination form which also describes him as a true conservationist.   It went on to say that “he is available for any disaster: including conservation violations, pollution incidents, as well as search and rescue; and he responds at any hour and in any weather”.

Some of the Chief Conservation Officer’s recent work has included dealing with the issue of captive stingrays, the protection of nesting sea turtles and the hazards posed to unwary swimmers by the lone wild dolphin.

The form states that “Mark is driven by the belief that his work makes a difference’ and that he “clearly stands highest in devotion to duty”.  Examples of this include him listing his personal contact details with Emergency Services and in public brochures as a point of contact for responses to conservation violations – to which he “unfailingly responds”.

The Deputy Governor’s Award programme was developed to recognise civil servants who exceed expectations.  Every 12 months the Deputy Governor will select a winner from among individuals who have received the CIG Employee of the Month award over the past year. The awards serve to reinforce and encourage the high standards which are expected from all Cayman Islands civil servants.

The other September awardees were Michelle Connolly-Rivers, Sophia Chandler, Sherilyn Eden and Brian Crichlow.

Article and photo by Information Officer Lennon Christian