Long-time civil servant and former Immigration Department chief Franz Manderson will become Cayman’s second Deputy Governor following the retirement of the current deputy governor.
Donovan Ebanks – who became the country’s first deputy governor following the approval of Cayman’s 2009 Constitution – announced he would be leaving the post as of January 2012 and has frequently touted Mr. Manderson as his successor.
Governor Duncan Taylor said Friday that Mr. Manderson had been recommended for the post following an open recruitment process earlier this year.
Mr. Manderson began his career as a clerical officer with the government in 1981 and worked his way up through the Immigration Department ranks, earning a law degree and eventually being promoted to Chief Immigration Officer, a post which he held for five years.
In 2009, Mr. Manderson became chief officer to the Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs, which has responsibility for and oversight of law enforcement in the Cayman Islands.
“I am delighted to have a person of Mr. Manderson’s calibre to be the next deputy governor,” Mr. Taylor said in a statement released Friday.
Mr. Ebanks’ retirement after just more than two years in the post comes due to the civil service’s mandatory leaving age requirements. He will reach age 60 early next year.
The deputy governor has often said that he would not seek to remain in public service beyond the normal retirement age.
During a November 2009 interview with the Caymanian Compass, Mr. Ebanks said he viewed his nomination as the country’s first deputy governor under the new Constitution as a “caretaker” position.
“I’ve always subscribed to the notion that one of my responsibilities is to try to ensure that there’s someone behind me who is ready to not only do my job, but who also could do it better than I could do it,” he said. “And I’m pleased with (Chief Officer) Franz (Manderson’s) development in that regard. Obviously, it isn’t for me to say he’ll be the next deputy governor … but he obviously heads up the field of candidates.”
Mr. Ebanks joined the Public Works Department in 1975. At age 30, he was promoted to chief engineer and was subsequently promoted to Deputy Chief Secretary in 1994.
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