Candy Foggo has quit as director of Parks ? the second resignation in the top ranks of the Environment Ministry in less than a month.

Ms Foggo told last week she decided to leave the job after six years for reasons of ?personal growth and development?.

In late November Brian Rowlinson left his post as permanent secretary for the Environment to manage the new Southside housing project known as Bermuda Homes for People.

And it will also be a new start in the new year for Ms Foggo as her next job will be in ?the private sector?, although she would not say where she was going.

During her 12 years in the civil service, she said her biggest achievement had been ?instituting a training programme for individual staff that identifies Bermudians abroad who can be trained in England so when they return they are qualified to take a post in the Department?.

Another of her Department?s achievements was the Railway Trail.

?The Railway Trail has had major improvements, with Government going in partnership with the End to End and Bermuda Vision Project,? she said.

Twenty-five percent of the total proceeds of the End-to-End Walk went to the Railway Trail Support Fund, which plans to address the needs of the track many walkers use.

?We have survived Fabian and got things back up and looking pretty different from one year ago,? she said.

?We are well on the road and the foundation has been laid.?

But she said her job in Government had big challenges.

?The biggest challenge was getting the public to take ownership for their parks and not abuse them,? she said.

?Illegal dumping and scrambling in parks, that the challenge,? she said. ?We try to preserve open space for all and not just a select few?.

She said she thought the Ministry of the Environment ?were probably surprised? at her resignation.

?But I do not think I ruffled any feathers,? she thought. ?We left on amicable terms. It was not a forced resignation or anything like that?.

However, her old job could sometimes be frustrating, she said.

?Sometimes the implementation process takes a little longer than I would like. This is an Unionised shop. When you do things, you have to involve the Union, who are involved with staff.?

And she said she had to steer Parks, through its growing pains.

?The Department of Parks has had to go through a number of changes ... We started in the Ministry of the Environment. I saw it go from Agriculture & Fisheries to Works & Engineering to Youth & Sport then back to Environment.?

?I had to manage the whole change process and still have the Department working efficiently in its day-to-day work.?

She said people still referred to the Parks? Department as ?Ag & Fish.?

?When they complain they get the name right,? she said. ?But when they want to give credit, they get the name wrong. Which is frustrating?.

However, overall her time in parks was ?great,? she said, and she would probably miss it when she goes.

?Sure I?ll miss it,? she said. ?I think it is the best job in Government and you have the biggest impact on the environment, which is what everybody sees. Tourists come to Bermuda for parks and beaches and residents see it every day.?

She thanked her staff for supporting her over the years but was sure ?they would do a great job in my absence?.

The person slotted for the top-Parks post is unknown, she said.

?They will have to advertise the job,? she said.