KINGSTON, Jamaica – Educator and social worker, Laurette Adams-Thomas is the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA).

Her appointment, which was announced by the Ministry of Education and Youth in a news release, is effective today, Monday, October 2.

The ministry said Adams-Thomas is the former general manager of the largest infirmary in Jamaica and the Caribbean (The Golden Age Home) which provides holistic care, protection and welfare services for over 450 indigent people from the parishes of Kingston and St Andrew.

“She was the first female general manager of that institution, a position that she held for eight years providing effective transformational leadership,” the ministry said.

Prior to assuming that position Adams-Thomas also functioned as interim executive director/registrar at the Office of the Children’s Registry (now National Children’s Registry) where her focus was centred on ensuring that an effective system was maintained to facilitate the confidential receipt, assessment and referral of reports of known or suspected cases of child abuse.

Adams-Thomas is described as having diverse professional experience in the field of social work as she also worked internationally in supervisory and managerial capacities in group homes that provide care for clients of all ages who are mentally, physically and intellectually challenged.

“Beginning her career as an educator, she taught at the secondary level for five years at an institution in a volatile community, but her ultimate goal was to transform the lives of her students. She also served in the capacity of director in the field of Human Resource Management and Administration at the Office of Utilities Regulation and The Trade Board Limited,” said the ministry.

The new CEO is also described as a “strategic visionary with expertise in corporate and strategic planning, operational management, policy development, human capital development, organisational development and transformation and social welfare services”.

She holds a master’s degree in business administration, bachelor of science in human resource management and a number of certifications in leadership, corporate governance and strategic planning.