Acting Deputy Governor Mary Rodrigues has announced new Deputy Chief Officer (DCO) appointments for three ministries in the Cayman Islands Government.

Dr. Tasha Ebanks Garcia will join the Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs; Ms. Tamara Ebanks has moved to the Ministry of Financial Services, Commerce and Environment; and Ms. Nancy Barnard will work for the Ministry of Health, Sports, Youth and Culture.

These appointees will assist their Chief Officers with overall management of the respective ministries, including: strategic planning, policy implementation, development of legislation, monitoring output performance, as well as research and development.

Each DCO will also be responsible for liaising directly with stakeholders including regional and international organizations, as well as local committees and other bodies associated with their ministry.

Dr. Tasha Ebanks Garcia’s main areas of responsibility will include workforce development, tertiary education, libraries and scholarships.  She previously held the position of President and Chief Administrative Officer for the International College of the Cayman Islands (ICCI), leading the introduction of student support and counselling services as well as developing a learner centered syllabi. She acquired both a Masters and Doctorate degree from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University focusing on systemic treatment of issues affecting individuals and families, acquiring necessary skills to understand human behaviour of families, communities and organizations to help with the process of change.  She has been a founding member of the Young Caymanian Speakers Bureau and a founding Board member of Youth Anti-Crime Trust, she has worked with Cayman Big Brother, Big Sister, is a presenter of parenting workshops and a keynote speaker at a national conference in the United States on Solution Focused Parenting, a presenter at the Future of Cayman Forum and Leadership Cayman and has worked closely with the Ministry and Department of Education in recent years as a founding Board member of Youth Anti-Crime Trust, and a coordinator with the Passport2Success Programme.

“I believe that we have all been given the skills necessary to make a substantial contribution to the world around us. I also believe that it is our responsibility to be good stewards of all that we have been given,” said Dr. Ebanks Garcia. “Through my skills, expertise and passions I am able to serve as a facilitator of change and an advocate for those in need. I look forward to the opportunity to serve my country as a civil servant and in that role make a substantial contribution to the Cayman Islands in the area of education and employment.”

Ms. Tamara Ebanks was most recently the Chief Human Resources Manager for the Ministry of Home Affairs and Community Affairs.  She has worked in the civil service for more than a decade contributing significantly to development and enhancement of the planning, community affairs, housing and gender affairs ministries in which she served and has held appointments to the Freedom of Information Steering Committee and the Disaster Management Steering Committee.

“Financial Services is the biggest contributor to government revenue, while commerce provides support for small businesses as well as key investment projects, and the environment is the heart and soul of our islands,” Ms. Ebanks said. “So I’m excited to be the most recent member to join the team in Government’s newest Ministry which covers all of these subjects. A lot of work has been done to determine the strategic direction of the Ministry of Financial Services, Commerce and Environment and I look forward to being part of that process and to offer my expertise from operational and human resources standpoints.”

Ms. Ebanks also brings academic accomplishments to the role including two masters’ degrees; a Master’s of Science in Human Resource Management with Distinction from the University of Portsmouth, UK and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of South Florida, USA.

Ms. Nancy Barnard is the former Business Development & Marketing Manager for Mourant Ozannes, Cayman Islands, and has also served as the Director of the National Gallery.  She has an exemplary background in business development and project management, proven fiscal responsibility and extensive community involvement through membership and executive roles with national committees.

“I am looking forward to working with the Ministry to help it to meet its remits for our country, in particular within the Ministry’s areas of responsibility about which I am most passionate: culture, youth and health along with environmental health,” noted Ms. Barnard.

Ms. Barnard is a familiar lecturer and presenter at Leadership Cayman, University College of the Cayman Islands, Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs and the International InSEA Congress in Viseu, Portugal.   She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University, Canada and a Master of Art from University of Leicester, England.

“Education, health and financial services are critical to the quality of life of the Cayman Islands public. These appointees come from backgrounds which we believe will greatly benefit their new ministries in particular and the civil service in general,” stated Acting Deputy Governor Mary Rodrigues.

Ms. Barnard will start her position in the coming weeks, while Dr. Ebanks Garcia and Ms. Ebanks are settling into their new duties.

(GIS)

Photo credit: Government Information Services (GIS)

Photo captions:

Photo 1 caption: Deputy Chief Officer Dr. Tasha Ebanks Garcia, Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs

Photo 2 caption: Deputy Chief Officer Tamara Ebanks, Ministry of Financial Services, Commerce and Environment

Photo 3 caption: Deputy Chief Officer Nancy Barnard, Ministry of Health, Sports Youth and Culture