Statement by the Honourable Osbourne Bodden, MLA
Ministry of Community Affairs, Youth & Sports

On behalf of my colleagues and the entire Cayman Islands Government, I extend my sincere gratitude and thanks to a remarkable woman who has dedicated her life to the Civil Service and the people of the Cayman Islands. After thirty-three years of service, Ms. Alicia E. (Jen) Dixon, MBE, Director of the Department of Children and Family Services, is retiring effective 1 September 2015.

Ms. Jen, as we affectionately call her, has dedicated many long hours and faced many challenges in her thirty-three years of service. Her career began when she joined the Civil Service in April 1978 as a Clerical Officer. Ms. Jen then moved to the formerly known Department of Social Services, and was appointed the first Caymanian Deputy Director in October 1987. She served in that capacity for almost 25 years until she became the Director of the Department of Children and Family Services in 2012.

Ms. Jen has brought her unwavering compassion, commitment and diligence to all aspects of her work whether it was dealing with clients, the community, guiding her Department, assisting the country in recovery efforts after natural disasters or putting her wealth of knowledge about our society to use on a number of committees.

She is an ardent advocate for children, namely for the provision of appropriate on-island facilities and mental health resources, as well as persons with disabilities and the elderly. I know that Ms. Jen will continue to give back to our community and help those who are most vulnerable during this new chapter in her life. We wish Ms. Jen a happy, fulfilling retirement and much success in all her future endeavours.