Today (August 11), after 40 years of dedicated service, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Works, Randy Rochester, retires from the Public Service.
Mr. Rochester worked his way up through the ranks of Government, having served in such areas as the Transport Control Department (TCD) as Director; the Ministry of Home Affairs as Permanent Secretary; and most recently as the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Public Works, which is considered one of the most active Ministries in Government.
In his role as Public Works Permanent Secretary, Mr. Rochester was responsible for the overall administration of the ministry.
The Ministry comprises of Tyne’s Bay Waste to Energy Facility, Water and Sewerage, the Department of Parks, Public Lands and Buildings, Works and Engineering, the Bermuda Land Development Company, Golf Course Board of Trustees, the Bermuda Housing Corporation, the Bermuda Housing Trust, West End Development Corporation, the Corporation of Hamilton and the Corporation of St. George’s.
During his time serving in diverse roles Mr. Rochester shared, “Within the Ministry of Transport, I would say the highlight of my tenure was overseeing the move from the old TCD facility on North Street to the new purpose-built facility. From relocating the driving and riding tests over to the softball stadium parking lot, erecting temporary offices at this location – and setting up the IT infrastructure at this same location, there were many logistics to consider before construction could commence. I was fortunate enough to work with a great team at TCD to see this project through.”
More specifically focusing on Public Works, he reflected on some of the infrastructure and development projects noting that the Ministry has a very broad scope. From the efficient operation of the Marsh Folly dump site and the engineering section; to the employee development and environmental projects of the Parks Department; to the evolution of the Tyne’s Bay Waste to Incinerator Plant and the creation of affordable housing by the BHC; Mr. Rochester is keen to commend the Ministry teams and thanked them for their hard work in undertaking these critical projects.
Reflecting on his 40-year journey within the Bermuda Public Service, Mr. Rochester recalls many significant changes he’s seen over the years.
He said, “When I started in the government back in June of 1985, there was a sense of pride we took in working for the government. However, over the years, it seems that the younger generation have a different outlook on working long term at one job generally and move about more frequently. I am not opposed to that as I am sure I would do the same if I was coming along today. The challenge for the government is retaining talent as we simply cannot compete with the private sector with the short-term benefits private companies may offer.”
Finally, it’s been noted by many of Mr. Rochester’s colleagues that he has a reputation for being dedicated, fair, patient, professional and supportive.
Mr. Rochester shared his thoughts on that concluding, “Although I am rather serious when it comes to work and I hold my teams at all levels accountable, I have a very easy-going personality and love to see people happy.
“Now that it is known that I am retiring from the Government the question is asked often about who will lead the Ministry and will all be well. My response is simple, ‘leaders make leaders!’. Everywhere I go I try to prepare teams at all levels to advance themselves. If I didn’t prepare someone to take over from me, that means I failed at my job.
“So, I believe the Government and more specific, the Ministry of Public Works will be just fine as there is so much talent from the front facing employees all the way to the Public Service Executive team of the public service.”
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