Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman legislator Moses Kirkconnell and Department of Environment Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie are among five members of the Cayman community featuring in the King’s New Year’s honours list.
Governor Jane Owen, in a brief statement Friday, announced the five recipients being honoured for their outstanding services to the Cayman Islands.
“I send my warmest congratulations to all those receiving awards,” she said.
Kirkconnell has been made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) “for services to the Caymanian People, to the Tourism Industry and to District Administration in the Cayman Islands”, according to the statement.
The MP, who has previously served as tourism minister, in a brief comment to the Cayman Compass on Friday, said he was “honoured and humbled” to be acknowledged with the award of an OBE.
“It has been a privilege to serve the people of the Cayman Islands, and in particular the Cayman Brac and Little Cayman community, over my nearly twenty years in Parliament,” he said.
“I share this special tribute with the exceptional teams I’ve been blessed to work with at the Ministry of Tourism and District Administration. With their support, we have completed many important initiatives to improve the lives and opportunities for Caymanians, and I look forward to continuing our work together.”
He is one of two people from Cayman receiving OBEs in the honours list, along with Robert James Berry, director of Cayman’s Financial Reporting Authority.
Berry has been awarded the OBE for “services to the UK Sanctions Regime and Global Financial Standards in the Cayman Islands”.
Department of Environment director Gina Ebanks-Petrie was awarded the title of Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her “services to the Environment and to the Community in the Cayman Islands”.
Last year, Ebanks-Petrie received the 2022 Women Sustainable Development Goal Leadership Award, which celebrates “an outstanding woman leader who is driving positive social, economic, or environmental change in her country, island, or community”, according to organisers.
Retired educator and former principal of George Town Primary School Sharon Marie Martin has also been awarded an MBE “for services to Education and to the Community in the Cayman Islands”.
Horticulture volunteer at the Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic Park, Valerie Wood, has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her “services to the Community in the Cayman Islands”.
Two residents were also awarded a King’s Certificate and Badge of Honour.
They are Melissa Martinez-Ebanks “for services to the Cayman Islands Postal Service”, and Morgan DaCosta “for voluntary service and service to cultural preservation and development”.
Owen explained that these are awarded locally by governors in some overseas territories “to those who have made outstanding contributions to our Islands”.
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