Frederica Lambert, a Department of Health community health worker, is the 2023 Public Service Employee of the Year.

Ms Lambert was recognised at a ceremony last Thursday before 200 high performers, in which she came top out of more than 4,000 public servants overall.

The award for excellence in project delivery was presented to the Department of Employee and Organisational Development’s compensation and benefits team.

Tony “Wayne” DeSilva, from the Department of Education and the Whitney Institute, was recognised for excellence in supporting people.

Jahkari Woods, another community health worker, was given the rising star award.

Ms Lambert was commended for going “above and beyond her role and achieving significant results”, working tirelessly within the health clinic and providing crucial assistance in patients’ homes.

Her impact extended beyond her team and she was described as a self-motivated learner able to deliver excellence in exceptional circumstances.

Additionally, the Department of Employee and Organisational Development team won recognition for resilience and proficiency after last September’s cyberattack disabled networking systems government-wide.

The team members are Theresa Bascome, Doreen Simmons, Troyeisha Weeks, Keasha Richardson, Sharmila Basden, Denika Minors, Arlene Trott, Laurie Wade, Mauriaca Ollivierre, Davita Cann, Donna Tucker and Nicole Young.

Mr DeSilva’s contributions went beyond the school curriculum. He was called a beacon of inspiration, promoting confidence in public office through “unwavering support for colleagues to ensure the delivery of high-quality instruction and programming for Bermuda students”.

He has given free group instruction to art students on Saturdays for more than ten years. He was also nominated as the Bermuda Educators Network outstanding teacher of the year.

Mr Woods was among a pool of public officers 35 and younger nominated for the monthly public service excellence award.

The rising star award came for his impact within the department and “outstanding commitment to his team”, after being put forward for excellence in service several times.

David Burt, who presented the awards, said: “When we initiated the Public Service Excellence Award Programme alongside the Service Standards, we held high expectations for its potential to boost internal morale through the recognition of the exceptional accomplishments of public officers.

“We expected that it would be a tool to help inspire public officers towards our goal of excellence in service delivery.”

The Premier added: “The fact that over 200 officers have been nominated for awards in the last 12 months is a testament to the impressive dedication within our ranks.”

Cherie Whitter, the Head of the Public Service, said: “Congratulations to all of our nominees and awardees, most notably the 2023 Employee of the Year.

“There’s a distinct difference between simply providing service and customer service excellence, and we’re thrilled with those who are demonstrating we are capable of exceeding expectations.”

The awards programme was started in 2021. Each month, an individual or team is selected for accomplishments within the previous 60 days.