Mariea C. Caisey, J.P., one of the most gregarious citizens of St. George’s, is known for her leadership abilities, as she is the Deputy Mayor for the old town. She was also the first woman commodore of the St. George’s Dinghy and Sports Club, from 1998 to 2000.

She is extremely well-known in the area as she has a high profile and is very friendly and outgoing. She is the kind of person who has many pals because she knows how to be a friend.

Her family has lived in St. George’s for many years on historic Turkey Hill, so naturally she is extremely supportive of the town and sits on many committees.

She is a woman of many accomplishments and has had a long career — 30 years — with the Bank of Bermuda, where she is business administration manager at the branch office on Bermudiana Road, Hamilton. She supervises ten staff, comprised of administrators, tellers, and clerks.

“We provide retail bank functions for our valued customers,” she said.

Ms Caisey dedicated herself to the bank when she was about 19.

She worked at Pearman Watlington on Front Street in the summers while she was a student. After completing high school she accepted her first job on August 30, 1971 and began work in the proof department at the Bank of Bermuda. She was a very quick learner and progressed upwards over the years. She is very goal-oriented and believes in always doing her best.

Ms Caisey lists her three greatest accomplishments:

“As a divorced mother I brought up my son Shelton to be a great son, husband, and today he is a loving father.

“I was able to apply myself and I grew within the bank through old-fashioned hard work and dedication.

“When I first ran for a post with the Corporation of St. George’s I failed but when I tried the second time I was successful and became a councillor. The third time I ran for the Alderman’s position along with three others. I received the highest number of votes and became the Senior Alderman and was appointed Deputy Mayor.

“I am very proud and it has been a great experience. I continue to learn new things and when the Mayor is away I fill in for him as the Acting Mayor,” she explained.

The best advice she has received came from her late father who told her that she was “too independent”. Although it was somewhat of a negative insight into her personality she took it as positive advice.

“When I thought about his comment it helped me when I was bringing up my son as a single parent,” she reflected.

Ms Caisey faces challenges on her job daily but her biggest by far is being patient.

“Being patient and having the right answers for my staff and remembering that everybody doesn’t have my aspirations is my greatest challenge. I also have to make sure customer satisfaction comes first,” she said.

Ms Caisey said that she most admires Oprah Winfrey as she reflects kindness, generosity and is a very intelligent woman.

She also holds Martha Stewart in high esteem because of her love of home and cooking. Ms Caisey frequently prepares beautiful intimate dinners for family and friends and says she is a perfectionist.

Her best business mentor was Jack Lightbourn, one of the retired executives from the Bank of Bermuda.

“I really looked up to Mr. Lightbourn, who told me one day that he only had a high-school diploma. That motivated me since I did not attend college. From that day forward I was extremely empowered and believed that I too could be successful,” Ms Caisey said.

When asked to describe herself she revealed that she is very opinionated, a best friend who is genuine, attentive, observant, truthful and can be the life of the party but shy with strangers. I know of no one who would consider her shy!

She has specific dreams for the future such as continuing to grow in her career and travel. One of her biggest aspirations is to meet a wonderful significant other that she can share her life and grow old with.

Ms Caisey gave the following advice to any young person thinking about a career in banking:

“In banking you need to be a people person, you need excellent communication skills and a sound educational background. It is not easy to acquire a successful job without a college education today.

“It was very challenging for me to get where I am today. I acted upon my own initiative and was highly motivated to succeed. I wanted to be the best person I could be for my young son and me.” During the weekends she enjoys spending quality time with her son, Shelton, his wife, Wendy and their eight-month-old baby boy Shelton, Jr. Other joys which she admits to are watching ‘who done it’ movies, shows about the home such as Martha Stewart, Bob Villa, Homes and Gardens and sailing.

Ms Caisey loves travelling and sights England and Europe as her favourite destinations.

“I adore England as I can walk in the historical steps of King Henry VIII. I love the quaint pubs and markets. I have a special yearning for the English countryside. I also like many other places in Europe.”