Winnifred Fostine-DeSilva, Bermuda’s first woman Collector of Customs, thrives upon her work and is extremely dedicated to her demanding position.

Her tall stance and calm demeanour give her a ‘presence’ — yet she is very approachable and always ready to meet the demanding challenges which present themselves.

Every day is different for her as she thrives upon working with the senior managers of the department to ensure that the goals and objectives of Customs are met within their budget. She sees that the Government’s revenues are accurately accounted for and that the Customs enforcement role is carried out fairly and effectively.

She said: “One of my main focuses is providing high quality service to the Bermudian public and our visitors through the facilitation of legitimate travellers and importers.”

Mrs. Fostine-DeSilva knew when she was fresh out of school that she wanted to work with people and not be tied to a desk. When she first joined she says that she was naive about the enforcement role that Customs played and at first she was a little intimidated by it.

As her career advanced she was given the opportunity to work with Mr. Colin Middleton when he was in charge of the enforcement unit. Later he became the Collector and constantly challenged staff by giving them new projects and making them research the law. Mr. Middleton died in the late 1980s and was clearly a memorable mentor to Mrs. Fostine-DeSilva.

“I jokingly told him that I intended to replace him as Collector when he retired but the more I thought about it the more realistic the goal became. I knuckled down and obtained the education and experience required for the position.”

She attended high school at Whitney Institute and completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Management in August 1993 by attending the evening programme at the Naval Air Station in Bermuda. Her Master’s Degree from Webster’s University, also in Bermuda, was in Finance and was granted in December 1997.

“It has been a long road with many obstacles. I gave up a lot of free time when I was obtaining my qualification but fortunately I have a very supportive husband and he encouraged me to continue and finish.”

She believes that the four greatest accomplishments she has made thus far in life are marrying her husband, getting her Master’s Degree, becoming the Collector of Customs and establishing her golf handicap below 15.

“As Collector I strongly value my working relationship with the Bermuda Police and Crime Stoppers. Another accomplishment is found in developing a solid work relationship between the US, Bermuda and UK Customs,” she said.

She is also proud of Bermuda’s association with Canada Customs, the World Customs Organisation in Brussels and the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council.

Some of the best advice she has received is ‘don’t take things too seriously or personally’ and to ‘research thoroughly and remain focused’.

She cites that one of the hardest aspects of her jobs is staying within the department budget. She is responsible for about 170 people.

“Managing within our budgetary constraints is a major task, as staffing is always a challenge. It is hard to predict enforcement costs a year in advance. There is a serious drug problem in Bermuda. Drug seizures at the end of 2001 totalled $19,146,991.23.”

The other big challenge is making sure the staff are constantly updated on new techniques and have the tools and equipment to carry out their jobs.

When asked whom she most admired she said: “Internationally it would be Margaret Thatcher as she had a vision and the courage, commitment and dedication to follow it through. Her open and factual way of dealing with difficult and controversial issues aided in gaining the support of her colleagues.

“Locally it would be Dr. Barbara Ball for her dedication and commitment to the labour party, even in face of adversity she stood by her ideals and never lost sight of her goal. She is an inspiration to everyone.

“Dame Lois Browne Evans is a first lady in so many things as she has always stood by her convictions. She achieved her goal to be where she is today,” she said.

Mrs. Fostine-DeSilva spoke at length of her mentors and in an official capacity they were Walter Maddocks, Norma Smith, Gerry Ardis and William LeDrew. She says that her husband and Edgar Wilkinson played an informal role by ensuring she was kept abreast of the latest world events.

“Their constant political debates keep me aware of current issues and new laws and regulations. Recently I have relied on William Kattan and Donald Scott to provide guidance and to act as my sounding boards,” she said.

When asked to describe herself she said: Dedicated, fair, knowledgeable, determined, creative, loyal and adaptable.

“You have to have vision and the ability to dream as a manager. I am very supportive of my staff and encourage their expertise. I get joy out of helping dedicated staff achieve goals,” she said.

She dreams about the future and professionally hopes to see the department fully automated, working to the highest standards of excellence, for all staff to become fully trained and for all promotions to come from within the department. On a personal level she dreams about retiring in excellent health and spending a long and healthy life with her husband travelling around the world playing golf.

“I don’t have a favourite travel destination — I like to experience new things and tend to visit new locations every year. Atlanta is an annual destination for a golf tournament.”

In closing she suggests that young people work hard and give 125 percent! She also suggests volunteering for assignments to stay in tune with current affairs. She believes in the power of mentors and that success follows those who accept a willingness to change.

“Never refuse an opportunity to gain exposure to and experience in other work environments as it will pay off in the end,” she concluded.