Isla de Montserrat: juramenta nuevo gabinete
Montserrat’s new cabinet sworn in
Following the general election held in Montserrat on Thursday September 11, 2014, the new Cabinet was sworn-in on Tuesday.
The newly-formed People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) led by Donaldson Romeo won seven of the nine seats in the Montserrat Legislative Assembly. The other two were retained by the two members of the former ruling Movement for Change and Prosperity MCAP) in the persons of former premier Reuben Meade and former minister of agriculture, housing, lands and environment, Easton Taylor-Farrell.
The new cabinet/government is profiled below:
Donaldson Romeo: Premier, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism
Romeo first won his seat in the then Montserrat Legislative Council in 2009 as an independent. Prior to the 2014 election, he had been the opposition leader since 2011, and achieved the historic first of an Office for Opposition Representatives. Romeo is also a highly regarded and qualified professional portrait artist.
Delmaude Ryan: Minister for Education, Health and Social Services, and Deputy Premier
Ryan has spent 16 years public service with the government of Montserrat; has facilitated youth and adult learning programmes at the Montserrat Secondary School, Montserrat Community College, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Small Business Development programme, HYPE and through her own business establishment, Cassidy, Strategic Business Services. She has held several senior positions such as: Head, Public Sector Reform Unit; Director (Resp), Performance Management and Development; and Director, Organizational Development. She graduated from the University of the West Indies with a BSc in Public Sector Management, also has an MA in International Development, Public Policy and Management from the University of Manchester in the UK and holds certificates in executive training in public management from York University. She has also been active in the community serving in various church, school and community organizations
Paul Lewis: Minister of Communications, Works, Energy and Labour
Lewis has been senior electrical inspector with the government of Montserrat and Up to his ministerial appointment was the president of the Montserrat Civil Service Association. He served as president of the Caribbean Public Service Association and over the last ten years has also served as a board director on the Montserrat Utilities Ltd, Social Security, and Labour Advisory boards and chaired the Accident Investigation Board. Lewis is a community organizer, and a successful calypso writer, judge and commentator.
Claude Hogan: Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing and Environment
Hogan is an avid sportsman, economist, global consultant and regional integrationist. His academic achievements include: first class honours at Kean University, New Jersey, International Diplomacy studies at Harvard, and a Masters in Trade and Economic Law at the University of London. He has done post-graduate work at the International Development Bank and the World Trade Organization. Hogan has over 25 years of professional experience working with DFID, FCO, EU and the United Nations System. He has worked in a variety of high profile positions: CARICOM diplomat, project manager, university lecturer, and as a previously member of the Legislative Assembly and minister of government.
Gregory Willock: Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Sports and Culture
Willock has worked with the government of Montserrat for 24 years – 14 as a customs officer, and 10 as a computer technician. He is the owner/managing director of Officetech Ltd. and founder of Punch and Get Out Productions, a non-profit organisation and charity. He has also been the Leeward Island’s Cricket Committee Chairman, WICB acting director, and a member of the WICB Cricket Development Committee. Willock co-founded the Sir Howard Fergus Scholarship Fund, is a former chairman of the Montserrat Festival Committee, organised the 2012 Living Healthy 50-Strong Challenge and planned the visit of the famous FIFA World Cup Trophy in 2013 on its world tour to Brazil.
