A civil service veteran whose time with the Government has spanned more than 20 years has been appointed as the Head of the Public Service, it was announced yesterday.

Cherie Whitter said she aims to attract talented Bermudians to take up hard-to-fill roles and create an administration that will serve the island’s needs into the future.

Her appointment came after the retirement of Derrick Binns in July.

Mrs Whitter said: “I am committed to working towards transforming and modernising the service, placing a significant emphasis on customer service and standards of excellence.

“There are many highly skilled, talented public officers and a host of career opportunities for forward-thinking professionals who are enthusiastic about making a difference.

“One of my goals is to attract skilled and talented Bermudians to assume critical and hard-to-fill roles in the service.

“It’s essential that we ensure a robust and highly efficient administration that can serve the current and future needs of Bermuda.”

Mrs Whitter’s appointment was made after recommendation by the Public Service Commission.

A government statement said: “Mrs Whitter’s time in government has spanned more than 20 years, and she has held several leadership positions in the Public Service.

“As permanent secretary, Mrs Whitter has held various portfolios, including the ministries of tourism and transport, the Cabinet Office, economy, trade and industry and home affairs.”

It added that she was appointed Deputy Head of the Public Service in 2014, a role that required her to take on delegated functions of the head, including handling disciplinary matters and leading government reform initiatives.

The statement said: “Mrs Whitter is the executive sponsor for the implementation of the government reform plan and is credited with, among other initiatives, establishing the Government Service Standards Policy and developing and implementing the Public Service Excellence Awards programme.

“The PSEA programme recognises and celebrates service excellence throughout the Government of Bermuda.

“Mrs Whitter believes that the PSEA programme is an essential component in motivating public officers and in helping to dispel the negative perceptions often attached to the work undertaken by public servants.”

The statement explained that she is the public service technical lead on industrial relations matters, including collective bargaining with the Government’s six union partners.

It added: “Mrs Whitter has championed the development and implementation of an internal public services value assessment to provide data to support decision-making relative to future services.

“She has also been instrumental in taking steps towards preparing the Government for paperless transactions through the establishment of the digital forms initiative.

“Additionally, Mrs Whitter led the establishment of the project management office for the economic recovery plan, as well as the establishment of the project management office for education reform.”

The government statement said: “Mrs Whitter holds a Master of Arts with a dual major in management and human resource development.

“She has executive management experience in both the private and public sectors.

“Mrs Whitter assumed the role of Head of the Public Service on October 1, 2023.”