Appreciation for Overwhelming Support to the Successful Hosting of the 2017 CARICOM Statisticians’ Meeting

The ESO hosted the 42nd Meeting of the Caribbean Statisticians’ Standing Committee, the 27th Meeting of the Regional Census Coordinating Committee, and the 10th Regional Statistical Research Seminar on October 23rd to 27th, 2017. The Meetings were hosted in the Cayman Islands for the first time, and were held at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort.

The Opening Ceremony of the Meetings was held on October 23rd, with the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Hon. Roy McTaggart as the Keynote Speaker. The CARICOM Project Director for Statistics Dr. Philomen Harrison gave the Opening Remarks while Mr. Michael Nixon, the Senior Assistant Financial Secretary served as Master of Ceremony. Other participants in the Opening Ceremony and their respective roles were Rev. Donovan Myers (Prayer), Miss Natalia McCoy & Mr. Junior Hines (The National Anthem), Mrs. Karen Edie Turner (The Cayman Islands National Song), Ms. Maria Zingapan, ESO Director (Welcome Remarks), Mr. Matthew Brown (A Cultural Presentation), Mr. Yoan Tamayo Garcia (pre-ceremony musical selection) and Mr. Junior Hines (post-ceremony musical selection).  

Delegates were also welcomed a welcome video presentation “This is Cayman!” produced by the Government Information Service team comprising of Mr. Martin Wilkinson, Mr. Stephon Johnson and Ms. Bina Mani.  The video featured leaders and members from all districts of the Cayman Islands including the Hon. Julianna O’Connor Connolly (Minister for Education, Youth, Sports, Agriculture and Lands), Mr. Kenneth Jefferson (Financial Secretary), Mr. Tim Adam (Manager, Cayman Turtle Centre), Mr. Frederic Burton from North Side (Manager of Terrestial Unit, Department of Environment), Ms. Japhia Augustine from East End,  Mr. John Ebanks (Member, Older Persons Committee) from George Town,  Ms. Kara Coe from Bodden Town, Dr. Anna Matthews, Mr. Wil Pineau (CEO, Chamber of Commerce), Ms. Jackie Powell Marsden (CIMA Senior Statistician) and the ESO staff members.  

“On behalf of the ESO, I am deeply grateful to God for all the volunteers, including those behind the scenes, who assisted in the successful hosting of the Meetings,” stated the ESO Director, Ms. Zingapan. “The delegates felt the warm welcome and hospitality of the Islands through the obvious participation of many community members, including the Governor Her Excellency Helen Kilpatrick who graciously hosted the delegates in a reception at her residence,” she added.

Jamaica’s delegate, the Director for the Economic Accounting Division of the Statistical Institute Ms. Yvonne Newland commended the hosting through a letter to ESO. “The hospitality displayed by the staff of the Economics and Statistics Office was exceptional. The keynote address, by the honorable minister at the Opening Ceremony was well received as it connected statistics to real life situations and emphasized the importance of statistics in the everyday planning and policy making of a country,” she wrote.

In her Welcome Remarks, Ms. Zingapan also acknowledged the willing support of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, the Office of the Governor, the Immigration Department, the Department of Tourism, Facilities Management, Public Works Department, and the Protocol Office. GIS staff Ms. Martha Connolly assisted with the production of the welcome banners.