Cayman Islands’ 2022 New Year Honourees
GIS – Recipients from Grand Cayman and Little Cayman, who were named in the 2022 New Year’s Honours, received their awards at a wonderful and moving occasion for many recipients and their families at Government House (Thursday, 5 May) evening.
The honourees were recognised for their outstanding contribution to the Cayman Islands in several fields. Thirty-six out of 40 recipients from both the public and private sectors received their Certificate and Badge of Honour awards in person from His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Martyn Roper, OBE and the Premier, Hon. Wayne Panton, JP, MP, announced by Deputy Governor, Hon. Franz Manderson, MBE, Cert. Hon., JP.
After a melodious musical prelude by the Cayman Arts Festival Elite Ensemble, the Deputy Governor welcomed the gathering. Cayman Islands’ noted baritone, Mr. Rudy Myles, Cert. Hon. led in the rendition of the National Anthem. He also sang the National Song at the close of proceedings.
In his welcome remarks, the Deputy Governor noted that the awards, this year to an unprecedented number of persons, were a fitting recognition of these individuals going well past the call of duty in their service to the Cayman Islands.
The Deputy Governor also thanked their family members for their sacrifices to enable the awardees to perform admirably, for which they often had to spend many long hours, weekends and holidays away from home. However, those sacrifices were not in vain, he observed.
Lauding and thanking the awardees in his opening remarks, the Governor alluded to the long history of the awards, dating back to 1926 and said, “Today they are still awarded locally by Governors in five British Overseas Territories – the other four are Bermuda, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands and St. Helena. They are for members of our community who, by their loyalty and meritorious conduct, have provided services of exceptional benefit to the people of the Cayman Islands.”
The recipients who are members of the community from all three islands “are a shining example of service, commitment, integrity, selflessness and sacrifice,” the Governor reiterated.
Due to the remarkable contribution of so many people towards Cayman’s successful management of the global pandemic, he had for the second consecutive time made a large number of awards than has been the practice in past years, he underscored.
“Many of the individuals being awarded today were involved in the early operations of Travel Cayman, played key roles in developing the Government’s Phased Reopening of the Borders Plan and delivered the Public Health response,” Governor Roper explained.
Others being awarded were for their services to the financial services sector and the media, the Governor added.
The ceremony was organised by CI Government’s Protocol team, headed by the Director of Protocol, Ms Meloney Syms.
The entire presentation ceremony, which was a by-invitation-only event, can be viewed on the Cayman Islands Government YouTube channel