Being recognised in the latest round of the King’s New Year’s honours came as a surprise for the recipients in Cayman, all of whom were personally informed of their award by Governor Jane Owen last week.
“When I got the call it was a combination of unbelievably awesome, emotional and humbling,” Robert James Berry, director of the Cayman Islands Financial Reporting Authority, told the Compass as he recalled when he was first informed he was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Berry, as well as Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman Member of Parliament Moses Kirkconnell, were the two Caymanians awarded an OBE in the King’s New Year’s honours.
Kirkconnell said he was “honoured and humbled” to be acknowledged with the 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 told the Cayman Compass.
Berry said he was “deeply honoured”, adding that he wanted to recognise those without whose encouragement, guidance and support, the award would not be possible.
He thanked his wife, as well as “the Attorney General, the Solicitor General, the Cabinet Secretary, members of the Operation Hektor Taskforce and my incredible staff. I also want to thank whoever nominated me for taking the time to do so.”
Gina Ebanks-Petrie, director of the Department of Environment, was also honoured, as she was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the environment and to the community in the Cayman Islands.
Like Berry, she said, she had no idea that she had been nominated.
“The call just asked if I could meet with the Governor, which I do from time to time, so that really wasn’t a clue,” Ebanks-Petrie said, as she recalled when she learned she was receiving the MBE.
The DoE director told the Compass she was “very honoured and deeply humbled” to have been recognised for her work, both formal and voluntary, in the environmental space over almost 40 years.
“While I have had to address many challenges over this time period, much of what I have been able to accomplish is because of the excellent and committed team at the Department of Environment, who work tirelessly every day for the benefit of current and future generations, and I am also extremely pleased for the recognition on their behalf,” she added.
Sharon Marie Martin, former educator and retired principal of the George Town Primary School, said she was equally surprised to have been made a MBE after having received a Certificate and Badge of Honour in 2009.
“I was not aware of the nomination and was completely surprised when I received the call from the Governor’s Office. I am deeply humbled and honoured to receive this prestigious award,” she said. ‘
She added, “The work I do is never for recognition and I never expect it. However, it is extremely gratifying to know that what I do is worthy of recognition. I am extremely grateful for this award,” Martin told the Compass via email.
Horticulture volunteer at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, Valerie Jill Wood, has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her “services to the Community in the Cayman Islands”.
In a brief comment via email, Wood expressed joy at receiving the honour.
“I’m quite overwhelmed, as I had absolutely no idea I was to receive an award like this. I have loved being involved with the Botanic Park since its inception, thirty years ago, and seeing it evolve, especially the Children’s Garden, has been a reward in itself,” Wood said.
Special honours were also given to Deputy Postmaster General Melissa Martinez- Ebanks and Cayman National Cultural Foundation Board member Morgan DaCosta in the form of a King’s Certificate and Badge of Honour.
These honours are awarded locally by governors in some overseas territories.
Martinez-Ebanks, who was recognised for services to the Cayman Islands Postal Service, said she was “extremely humbled and honoured” by the award.
“I passionately believe the Postal Service has so much to offer as a key economic partner for our people and I very blessed to work with an amazing team that shares and supports that vision. I did not know I had been nominated. In fact, when I got the message that the Governor wanted to speak to me, I was puzzled and frankly a little worried that we’d not delivered our best service in some regards,” Martinez-Ebanks said.
She said she pulled together all sorts of data to have on hand for the call, in an effort to be ready to answer any questions the governor may have had about the national mail service.
“My feelings now, having been awarded, are mixed; partly, just a ‘wow’ that I want to enjoy, and another part, a sense of urgency to leverage this to keep the conversation on the Postal Service and all that we offer,” she said.
She added, “We will introduce 10 new products in 2024. Our team of customer experience specialists has completed training and our focus is on working with [small and medium-sized enterprises] to grow an export market.”
DaCosta said he received an email from the Governor’s Office saying that she would give him a call. The reason for the call, he said, was not shared in the correspondence.
“I actually was surprised. I didn’t even know I was nominated for anything… Her Excellency called the next day [after the email], and it was then that she gave me the news that I had been awarded this Badge of Honour for work that I’ve done with the foundation. So it’s quite a surprise, obviously, quite the honour,” he said.
DaCosta, who has been with the CNCF since 1996, said he had no expectation that he would have been recognised at any level for his work.
“I was just simply doing what I believe was for the love of country more than anything else and the preservation and perpetuation of the Cayman Islands culture, through the Cayman Islands National Cultural Foundation,” he said.
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