Minister of National Security and the Public Service, Major St. Clair Leacock, delivered the welcoming remarks at a recent Thanksgiving service, setting a tone of high expectations and government support for the nation’s public servants.
Reflecting on his own entry into the public service at the customs department, Minister Leacock contrasted the straightforward nature of the “public service of yesterday” with the demands placed on modern workers. Today’s public servants operate in a “much more complex and uncertain world,” yet they are still expected to deliver results while being increasingly adaptive, creative, and innovative.
Minister Leacock emphasized the critical timing of this call to duty, stating, “If a government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines ever needed your service, that time is now”. He assured attendees that the current administration is in full support of public expectations and committed to leading “from in front” to achieve the highest standards for the country.
To demonstrate the administration’s appreciation, Leacock revealed that both he and Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday had each dedicated hours to personally signing over 1,000 certificates to be awarded to public servants during the week of activities organized by the Public Sector Reform Unit.
Drawing on his travels during the first six months of the administration—which included visits to Taiwan, the Bahamas, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados—Leacock noted how impressed he was by the “demonstrative effect of good order” and the consummate professionalism of regional public servants, particularly in national security. He expressed confidence that such high examples are entirely attainable in St. Vincent.
Leacock concluded his remarks with motivational quotes, urging public servants to look past limitations and focus on possibilities, reminding them that trying to please everybody is the “formula for failure”. He encouraged them to use the week of activities to recommit to building a better St. Vincent through their service