Senior Immigration Officer (Enforcement) Darwin Elvis Cook Bodden takes pride in providing consistently excellent service at his job – where he is also relied upon for being polite, courteous and well-knowledged.

So it was no surprise to any of his colleagues and superiors, who simply call his efforts “excellent”, that he was chosen by the Deputy Governor as the top employee for government in June.

Assisting wherever and whenever called upon, Mr. Bodden was commended by the RCIPS on his performance at a joint international operation in Mexico. It became apparent there that, even in the face of imminent danger, Officer Bodden could be relied upon to follow his commitment and dedication to duty.

For instance, he successfully led a tactical operation to remove a large group of illegal persons from a vessel in Cayman waters. Also, while overseeing a multi-agency unit’s seizure of weapons from illegal persons, his keen observation and timely warnings of potential danger prevented untoward incidents.

Committed to improving government’s efficiency, effectiveness and return for money spent, Mr. Bodden helped cut the department’s operational costs and minimized staff fatigue levels by staggering staff work hours. This ensured that important operations could be conducted outside of the normal working day.

Both his external clients and his staff find him a trustworthy go-to officer. He keeps staff morale high by regularly appreciating and praising good effort, thereby spurring his team to constantly improve their performance. They also appreciate his approach to hold regular meetings and one-on-one sessions with his subordinates to seek their opinion and input in decisions that might affect them.

Praising Officer Bodden’s exemplary efforts and his ability to coax the best individual and collective performance at work, Deputy Governor Hon. Franz Manderson, Cert. Hon., JP, recognised his passion and drive in executing his duties regularly to a high standard, regardless of the conditions.

“It has been said that as a result of your actions, the civil service as a whole should be looking towards creating the type of environment which is being created in the Enforcement Division of the Cayman Islands Department of Immigration,” the Deputy Governor noted.

For his part, Mr. Bodden credits his team for helping him win the award. “Without my team at Enforcement, my progress and work will not be as they are today. It is with all humility that I accept this award,” he said. “My dedication is self-motivated; however a little recognition is always good and this has done more than recognise my work. I am proud of my job and I also love what I do,” he added.

 

Photo Captions Photos by Bina Mani:

1. Deputy Governor Hon. Franz Manderson presents the June Employee of the Month award to Senior Information Officer (Enforcement) Darwin Elvis Cook Bodden (centre). L-r: Home Ministry Deputy Chief Officer Wesley Howell, Acting Chief Immigration Officer Bruce Smith, Mr. Bodden; the Deputy Governor and Deputy Chief Immigration Officer Gary Wong
2. The Deputy Governor congratulates Officer Darwin Elvis Cook Bodden on his accomplishment.
3. Senior Information Officer (Enforcement) Darwin Elvis Cook Bodden is government’s best employee for June.