Techa Clarke-Griffiths Recognises Work Of Civil Servants

President of the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA), Techa Clarke-Griffiths has acknowledged the work of civil servants, particularly those on the front-line, for their vital role in the hurricane melissa recovery process.

Mrs. Clarke- Griffiths noted that, during and after the storm, public servants stood on the front lines answering the call to serve Jamaica with dignity and selflessness, whether it was restoring essential services or providing health care.

“As we embrace innovation, we must never lose sight of the human soul that drives the public service. Artificial intelligence can analyse data, but it cannot feel compassion. It can generate solutions, but it cannot show empathy. It can predict outcomes, but it cannot restore hope to someone who has lost everything. That power, to care, to comfort, to uplift, belongs to our public servants,” she said.

The JCSA President was speaking at the recent launch of Civil Service Week, held at the Eastwood Park New Testament Church of God, in St. Andrew.

Mrs. Clarke- Griffiths pointed out that the rebuilding process after the hurricane is not just about infrastructure, but that “we are rebuilding lives, we are rebuilding communities, and we are rebuilding trust.”

“Yes, technology will help us become more efficient, but beyond the systems and data is our character. [It is] our compassion, and our faith that will define and determine how we rise again. We must go beyond artificial intelligence to embrace what I call moral intelligence, emotional intelligence, and spiritual intelligence, the kind that reflects God’s wisdom in every decision and action we make,” she stated.

Held under the theme ‘The Public Sector: Beyond Artificial Intelligence’, Mrs. Clarke-Griffiths called for collective strength as “we build a more compassionate, efficient, and productive people-centred public service.”

Meanwhile, the 14 finalists for Civil Servant of the Year 2025 were presented with gift baskets during the church service. Due to the impact of Hurricane Melissa, the selection process for this year’s awards was abandoned and all the finalists were recognised at the service.

The honourees are: Records Officer at the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), Keron Broderick, Office Attendant at the JCF, Tanya Green-Jackson; Driver at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Raymond Goff; Manager, Regional Inventory and Fixed Assets in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Miss K.J. Johnson; Registered Midwife, Simone Cooper-Barnard; and Coordinator of Customer Care and Director of Patient Services, in the Health Ministry, Stacey-Ann Pennant-Reid.

The list also includes Office Manager, Jamaica Fire Brigade, Neil A. Davis; Writer, Producer, Presenter, at the Jamaica Information Service, Andre Palmer; Customer Care Officer, in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Nadine Griffiths-Thompson; Manager, Medical Imaging Services, in the Health Ministry, Camille Wade-Carr; Chief Medical Technologist, Franklin White; Administrator, Operations Manager in the Health Ministry, Carlene Taylor-McKenzie; Senior Community Development Officer, Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Patrick Ferguson, and Deputy Director, Institute of Jamaica, Nicole Patrick-Shaw.