Kerry-Ann Spaulding — Civil Servant of the Year

SHE is a Christian who believes in equity, justice, fairness and has used Zechariah 4:10 as a guiding force in her life.

The scripture, which instructs us not to despise the day of the small beginnings, has helped Kerry-Ann Spaulding, 2017 Civil Servant of the Year, to structure her life.

When All Woman caught up with Spaulding, the acting director of corporate services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MOFAFT), she willingly recounted the story of her life and how diligently she worked, moving from a receptionist at the ministry in 1995 to now holding a senior position and securing one of the most sought-after awards in the public sector.

Born and raised in Castleton, St Mary, Spaulding shared that her early life experiences were in tandem with a close-knit community that looked out for the well-being of others.

As a result, it came as no surprise that in 1995 after she left Oberlin High and completed an additional year of studies at Camperdown, a friend pointed her in the direction of the Offices of the Services Commission, which paved the way for her civil service career.

“Initially I wanted to become a nurse and I filled out the application and was told that a letter was sent to me, but I did not receive the letter. So after my friend told me how he got his job and I registered with the Office of the Services Commission, they called and said there was a receptionist position and asked if I would consider it, so I went,” she explained.

The following year, Spaulding enrolled at the University of Technology where she pursued a diploma in business administration. On completing the course in 2001 she decided to upgrade her qualifications, and signed up for a bachelor of science degree in business administration.

By this time, Spaulding had moved from receptionist to accounting clerk then internal auditor, but in 2003 an opportunity arose which saw her being appointed as the third secretary — finance and administration at the Permanent Mission of Jamaica to the United Nations and Specialised Agencies in Geneva, Switzerland.

For the next five years Spaulding performed duties overseas as an accountant, office manager, supervised administrative and support staff, and liaised with MOFAFT on various administrative, financial and human resource matters.

On returning to Jamaica, Spaulding became supervisor of the mission accounts at the ministry, then acted as director of mission accounts before being appointed director. From there she became the acting principal finance officer in December 2013 until she recently assumed the role of acting director of corporate services.

In her 22 years of working with the MOFAFT, Spaulding has also received a diploma in government accounting; certification in the negotiation of international financial transactions, and attained intermediary proficiency in French.

She has also acted as charge d’affaires for the permanent mission of Jamaica in Geneva, conducted inspection visits at the Jamaican Embassy in Venezuela, at various Jamaican High Commissions located in Port of Spain, Trinidad; London, United Kingdom; Abuja, Nigeria; Ottawa, Canada, and the Jamaican Consulate General in Toronto, Canada. She was also elected as Jamaica’s representative to the finance committee of the International Seabed Authority.

Currently pursuing an MBA at the University College of the Commonwealth Caribbean, Spaulding also enjoys community service and volunteerism, particularly field work including hospital visits and golden age home visits with her church.

Spaulding is also a member of the human resource advisory board within the MOFAFT, past treasurer of the Jamaican Foreign Services Association, former co-leader and treasurer of the young adults group at the Church for the Nations in Geneva, and member of the procurement committee and diplomatic week committee at the MOFAFT.

She has assisted a number of individuals with their professional endeavours and has impacted the lives of many of her colleagues. Some of them posted as far away as Nigeria, South Africa, Tokyo and Mexico have expressed their congratulations to her on being named the 2017 Civil Servant of the Year, a first for the MOFAFT.

A mother of two, Spaulding shared that she enjoys family time and bonding with her children. She also enjoys singing, worshipping, spending time with friends, and going to the library.

Some of her favourite places, apart from Jamaica, include Switzerland, the UK, USA, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Cuba, Trinidad, Nigeria and the Cayman Islands.

Another of her guiding principles is to remain focused, get the job done and help others along the way.

“Whatever you have, use it for the benefit of others. I am also guided by Nehemiah chapters one to five which speak to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, and [the concept of] teamwork and cohesiveness comes out. Of course there will be distractions in life, but we have to work together and share in the dream and the vision. If you are leading a team, ensure that everybody stays together, ensure you do things well, that people are motivated, and you’ll get the outlook you desire,” she declared.