Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/5167/-1/140/
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TOP PUBLIC SERVANT RETIRES Big Send Off For Evalie Bradley
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Evalie Bradley, who served as an Anguillian public servant for some 35 years, spanning the early days of modernising the service and its current much-developed system, was showered with praise at a retirement ceremony on Saturday night, September 1. The grand event was held on the grounds of the Chief Minister’s residence at Sea Feathers and attended by many invited guests.
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Chief Minister presents plaque to Mrs. Bradley
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Superintendent Minister of the Methodist Circuit in which Mrs. Bradley serves as a Local Preacher, described her as a person of faith in God. He was at the time delivering the opening prayer and remarks. “I want to say to Mrs. Bradley now that she has time from the Government that the Church will find good use for her skills,” he stated. He said she served the public service with commitment, courage, creativity, compassion and now with a sense of contentment having reached the end of her tenure.
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The Head Tables with Government Officials and Reverend Niles (left)
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Chief Minister Fleming said the event was an auspicious occasion for Mrs. Bradley whom he congratulated for doing so much for the public service. “When this occasion was planned, I readily agreed for two reasons: one, was to honour Evalie and two, I knew a lot of civil servants were going to be here and I wanted to encourage them to please stay in the service,” he reported – until at least I am ready to go.”
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The Head Tables with Government Officials and Reverend Niles (left)
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Mr. Fleming was grateful to Mrs. Bradley and a number of other public servants who, over the past seven years had worked closely with and supportive of his ministry because of the relationship which he developed with them. He was appreciative of her candid views and advice and the respect with which she expressed her opinions. He noted her retirement but told his listeners: “I can assure you that the Government of Anguilla can’t afford to lose people who can contribute so much to the country” – a statement interrupted that Mrs. Bradley’s services may later be retained.
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Top Public Servants and others at the Retirement Ceremony
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Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development, Rodney Rey, presented a number of highlights of the public service rendered by Mrs. Bradley. In the early 1970s she was trained for an Administrative/Executive post in the public service and one of only three trained secretaries. In 1981 she was appointed Clerk to the Executive Council and the Anguilla House of Assembly and acted as Establishments Secretary and in 1985 she was formally appointed to the latter post and attended many training courses abroad. She also served as Secretary to the Public Service Commission from 1985 to 2000.
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Top Public Servants and others at the Retirement Ceremony
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In 2001 after 28 years of distinguished years in Establishments, she was transferred to the post of Labour Commissioner. Rey said she enjoyed her work there and brought respectability and national prominence to the department and was recognised as a dynamic and committed leader and administrator. In June 2006 she was promoted to the post of Principal Assistant Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office with responsibility for Information and Broadcasting, the Environment, Gender Affairs, International Affairs and Protocol. It was from that position that she will formally retire in October 2007 (at 55 years).
Other persons who paid glowering tribute to Mrs. Bradley were Foster Rogers, Permanent Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, Minister of Finance, Victor Banks, and Minister of Social Development, Evans Rogers and, during the toasts, a number of persons who served with her in the public service; and her brother Erville Hughes.
Mrs. Bradley was the recipient of a plaque presented by the Chief Minister, a Certificate of Appreciation by Foster Rogers, as well as other presentations including flowers from the Department of Public Administration, Sandra Richardson and Lelia Richardson on behalf of Ruby Fleming, wife of the Chief Minister, and a bag from Countess Rey and Rose Brooks presented by Mr. Fleming.
Responding, Mrs. Bradley who traced her own journey through the public service, was grateful to the Chief Minister and staff for arranging “such a lovely evening for her.” In her wide-ranging address she said she had entered the public service with a dedication, commitment and an enthusiasm to do everything to her best ability. “Tonight I can proudly say I am confident within myself that I was able to fulfil that mission,” she stressed.
She referred to the various challenges, difficulties and criticisms she endured in the Establishments Department and dismissed them in this fashion: “As far was I am concerned I did what had to be done with honesty, fair play and integrity.”
Mrs. Bradley said her 28 years and experience in Public Administration, dealing with personnel matters, had equipped her well for the post of Labour Commissioner. “It was a position in which I was more creative and innovative and enjoyed sitting down with people and dealing with their grievances,” she acknowledged.
Of her next post as Principal Assistant Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, she said that while a bit hesitant at first, she was able to take on the challenge, was very happy, very much at home and very comfortable doing her work to the best of her ability.
She added that she enjoyed her many years in the public service and was grateful to all with whom she had an opportunity to serve and those who were of much assistance to her.
The ceremony was chaired by Kenneth Hodge, the former Director of Information and Broadcasting who has now replaced Mrs. Bradley at the Chief Minister’s Office. The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Wycliffe Richardson, Press Liaison Officer.