Troy Whorms promoted to Top Post at Public Works Department

The Ministry of Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure has announced that Mr. Troy Whorms will assume the top position as Director, (Acting), at the Public Works Department (PWD), effective January 2021.

Mr. Whorms will be responsible for planning, controlling and directing the operations of PWD’s divisions, sections and units to ensure the provision of comprehensive, high quality services in a cost effective and timely manner.

As Director, he will also be responsible for continuing the Department’s strong focus on the training and development of Caymanian employees by implementing robust succession planning and other opportunities for them to progress.

Mr. Whorms is currently Director of the Facilities Management Department which administers and oversees the operations of the Government Administration Building. He was appointed to the position in 2015, and has led his office in firmly establishing a reputation for providing excellent service and achieving Cayman Islands Government’s highest annual engagement survey index of 90% in 2019.

During his early career, Mr. Whorms worked with the Public Works Department where he gained extensive experience managing the administrative as well as technical aspects of projects, including dealing with contractors, budgets and staff. He has held several positions in the civil service including Assistant Engineer, Technical Assistant, Assistant Construction Manager, Deputy Facilities Manager, Facilities Manager and Head of Department.

Mr. Whorms holds a post graduate certificate in public administration from the University of Liverpool, a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management and an Associate of Science degree in Architectural Building Engineering Technology from the New England Institute of Technology.

He has also completed studies in electrical and technology at the University College of the Cayman Islands and has a range of professional development qualifications including ILM level 3 certificate in leadership and management, facilities management professional from the International Facilities Management Association as well as certification as procurement fraud control specialist.

Mr. Whorms is a member of the Cayman Islands Public Procurement Committee, International Facilities Management Association and the Cayman Islands Facilities Management Association.

Chief Officer in the Ministry of Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure, Mr. Alan Jones has expressed immense satisfaction with the acting appointment of Mr. Whorms to the position noting, “With his experience and education, Troy is well grounded in the breadth of Public Works Department operations, and has very strong working relationships with the staff and stakeholders. Troy is a bright and outstanding Caymanian who values collaboration and is solutions oriented”.

“His appointment will serve the Government well both now and into the future, as we move forward several major capital investments to support the needs of these Islands. I have full confidence that he will be an outstanding leader at the Public Works Department, and the entire Ministry staff look forward to working with him in this important post,” Mr. Jones said.

In commenting on his new role, Mr. Whorms stated, “I started my career in the civil service at the Public Works Department as a summer intern and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity within the Cayman Islands Government. I look forward to building upon already strong relationships to support the Public Works Department, furthering staff training, professional development, providing the best outcomes, customer experience and simply to make the lives of those we serve better”.

There are some 131 employees at the Public Works Department, which comprises of operations, finance and administration, human resources, organisational development and operational support and major projects.

The Operations Division includes the Facilities Management Section which carries out maintenance on over 100 government buildings; the Consultancy Services and Project Management Sections which provide services for 30 to 50 capital projects a year ranging in value from $25,000 to $15 million; and the Recreation Parks and Cemeteries Section that maintains in excess of 100 government outdoor sites and public facilities.

The major projects section of PWD managed a capital project budget of over $750 million dollars in 2019.