Recently, Premier David Burt congratulated the Cross Ministry Team of the Public Service International Women’s Day Committee (IWD) and Wellness Committee, who are the recipients of the March Public Service Excellence Award (PSEA).
This Cross Ministry Team of Public Servants are being celebrated for their outstanding work in organizing a series of International Women’s Day engagement events that highlighted the impact that women make within the Public Service.
Members of the Cross Ministry Team are as follows:
- The Public Service International Women’s Day Committee - Valerie Robinson-James, Shivon Washington, Jasmin Smith, Nea Talbot, Alexa Lightbourne, Malika Cartwright, Victoria Cordeiro, Jene Charles and Deborah King. With special mention to Michelle Lamb and DeLeon Grant.
- The Wellness Committee - Deborah Thomas-Gilkes, Virloy Lewin, Brigitta Wohlmuth, Pauleter Stevens, Denise Davis, Gaynell Weeks, Yosefyah Spence, Keechia Tuckett, Toni Fox, Natasha Shabdeen, Cymone Hollis.
Led by the Public Service International Women’s Day Committee, the series of activities were designed to engage female public officers and highlight the invaluable service they provide to the Government and people of Bermuda.
During the week of March 4 – 8, 2024, the Government of Bermuda joined millions around the world in observing International Women’s Day (IWD), which is celebrated annually on March 8.
Highlights of the week included a Public Service Panel Discussion - “Paving the First Path” - which featured female members of the service who are all Firsts” in their careers. “Paving the First Path” was streamed internally to all public officers, and enjoyed a significant number of views, inclusive of lunch time watch parties on the day.
Another event highlight during the week was a Wellness Walk, that was hosted by the Wellness Committee in partnership with the Public Service International Women’s Day Committee. On March 6, several hundred women converged on the Cabinet Office Lawn for the wellness walk which made its way through the City of Hamilton. The event captured the attention of other local organizations who have requested to join the public service next year in the IWD celebrations.
Today, Premier David Burt said, “It was remarkable to witness so many female public servants come together to celebrate one another for International Women’s Day. We value each and every contribution of the women in the public service who are at all levels of Government. They represent nearly half of our workforce, and they are instrumental to the efficient operations of the Government. The Public Service IWD events were also an opportunity to highlight the stories of resilience, determination, and leadership of women who have carved out pioneering paths for themselves and others.”
Cherie Whitter, Head of the Public Service thanked the Cross Ministry Committees for their efforts saying, “Employee engagement is key to creating a productive and healthy workplace. The Committee went above and beyond and the series of events were excellent tools to engender the kind of camaraderie required to boost morale and by extension, increase productivity. Well done to the Teams and on behalf of the entire Public Service Executive, thank you for your tremendous efforts.”
The public will be aware that PSEA is an internal programme that recognises a group or individual within the Public Service who made significant achievements in service delivery in the last 60 days.