Lyneth Monteith appointed to Senior Education position

(CMR) Lyneth Monteith has been appointed as the Deputy Chief Officer with responsibility for Education Policy and Planning within the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, Agriculture & Lands (MEYSAL).

In her capacity as the Deputy Chief Officer,  Monteith has the responsibility to support MEYSAL’s Chief Officer towards delivering the ministerial mandate. She assumes overall management responsibility for matters related to education policy and planning by serving as the ministry’s principal policy advisor and coordinator of strategy, policy, and strategic planning for the education sector.

Monteith, who has over 30 years experience in education, is excited to take up this new position which will allow her to continue contributing to the community.

“It is with tremendous honor that I accept and proudly serve in this role that is integral to delivering the government’s mandate to develop and sustain a world-class education system and which ensures that every child in the system succeeds in such a time as this.  A time of great challenge, innovation, reform, accountability and change,” Monteith said.

She noted that she was a firm believer in remaining current with developments and trends in her profession. She explained:

“I therefore continuously seek opportunities to learn and to improve my qualifications and my thinking, so that I am equipped to contribute at a high level towards making my community, and further, the global community, a better place. This ethos is driven by my passion for education, rooted in strong family values and a belief in the empowerment of our youth.”

The new Deputy Chief Officer launched her education career in September of 1981 as a Middle School teacher. Since then, her career portfolio has spanned a cross-section of education-related roles, with thirty-one of these years served in leadership positions. These positions included; middle management in a junior high school, leadership of a small school serving Key Stage 3 students, oversight as Acting Campus Manager of four small schools, Headship of the largest high school, Chair of the Principal’s Consultative Council (PCC), Director of the Department of Education Services (DES), Acting Deputy Chief Officer (MEYSAL) responsible for Early Childhood & Compulsory Education.

MEYSAL’s Chief Officer, Cetonya Cacho, expressed delight in having  Monteith as part of her senior management.

She said, “With over thirty-eight years of relevant and subject-area-specific experience, Ms. Monteith has many proven accomplishments. Above all, she has provided and coordinated high-level policy advice and development services to inform and support the achievement of ministerial goals and objectives. She has maintained effective national educational planning processes for pre-school and compulsory levels, providing a range of high-level administrative support services. Ms. Monteith brings with her a wealth of knowledge that is undeniably invaluable. I officially welcome her to our team.”

Monteith holds a Masters of Arts in Education, with a concentration in Education Management from the University of Bath and a Bachelor of Education, with a concentration in Geography from the University of Leeds. She also possesses further qualifications in Better Business Case Foundation, Change Management Foundation and Practitioner, ILM Leadership and Management Level 5 qualification (ILM5), Rapid Response in Policy Development and delivery for Policy Practitioners, Mental Health First Aid Training, and Cyber Awareness Training.

She is a proud mother of two children and has been heavily involved in sports for most of her life, representing the Cayman Islands as both athlete and coach. She is the current coach for the Cayman Islands National Netball Team and the All-Stars Netball Club. Monteith is also a member of the Kings Seventh Day Adventist Church, where she especially enjoys working within the Youth Ministry.

Deputy Governor and Head of the Civil Service, Hon. Franz Manderson further added, “I wish to congratulate Ms. Monteith on her promotion to the post of Deputy Chief Officer.  I am very proud of Ms. Monteith and her accomplishments and what her appointment represents for the civil service in relation to progression and good succession planning.”