Government announced yesterday that Beverley Morfitt was appointed as a new Assistant Director of Public Affairs at the Department of Communication and Information (DCI).

Mrs. Morfitt (pictured) has over 20 years of Government service, but has had extra responsibility since June 1, when she was handed the additional responsibility for management of the department?s three Public Affairs Officers.

?Under the direction of the Director, Mrs. Morfitt is also responsible for developing and disseminating Government?s policies, programmes and activities to the general public,? a Government release said.

She takes over the role of Valerie Pethen who retired in December 2005. Mrs. Morfitt began her career as a journalist with and Mid-Ocean News before joining the civil service as a travel writer in the Bermuda News Bureau and then as a Public Relations Officer in the Government?s then-Department of Public Relations within the Cabinet Office, the release said.

Not afraid to join in a fire-fight, Mrs. Morfitt was one of 12 women soldiers in the first ever women?s platoon of the Bermuda Regiment in 1980, serving for five years and attaining a rank of Acting First Lieutenant.

She is currently a director of the Sail Training Association of Bermuda. Mrs. Morfitt has acted as media co-ordinator for Royal and VIP visits, served on the planning and media committees for the Bermuda Tall Ships Race 2000 and was editor of ?Inside-Out?, the first internal newsletter of the Bermuda Civil Service.

According to the Government release, Mrs. Morfitt?s other civil service experience included serving as the Acting Director of the Department of Human Affairs, with responsibility for staff and operations of the Human Affairs, the Human Rights Commission, the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality (CURE) and the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Mrs. Morfitt was previously the Senior Public Affairs Officer at DCI, and is experienced in communications, public relations, media management, speech-writing and journalism and has extensive experience assisting Government Ministers, Ministries and departments ? including Government House ? with their communication needs.

Educated in Bermuda, the US and the UK, Mrs. Morfitt has a diploma in senior editorial training and a Master of Arts degree in Mass Communications from the University of Leicester.

Mrs. Morfitt and her husband Craig, an Inspector in the Bermuda Police Service, have two daughters, Whitney, 20 and Courtney, 16.