(CNS): Gloria McField-Nixon will become the Cayman Islands’ first female deputy governor in July when Franz Manderson retires from the top public-sector job, a post he has held for the last 14 years and after 44 years as a civil servant. The news leaked earlier this week that the veteran civil servant and chief officer in the Portfolio of the Civil Service had been appointed, but the governor’s office finally made it official Thursday morning with a press release.
Not unlike her current boss, McField-Nixon is a career civil servant with nearly 30 years of senior public-sector experience, including 20 years as a chief officer. The release said she had proven strategic leadership, extensive institutional knowledge and a strong commitment to strengthening the Cayman Islands Government.
She secured the post following “a rigorous and open recruitment process”, with a final interview panel chaired by Governor Jane Owen. The other panel members were Lemuel Hurlston, a former head of the civil service and current chair of the Constitutional Committee, and Woody Foster, the current chair of the Commission for Standards in Public Life.
The governor said she was delighted to welcome McField-Nixon to the role, and looked forward to working with her to ensure that the civil service continues to deliver the CIG’s agenda. “She brings exceptional experience and a deep commitment to public service, and I am confident that she will serve the people of the Cayman Islands extraordinarily well,” Owen stated in the release.
Manderson offered his wholehearted support for his successor, expressing his confidence that she will lead the civil service with distinction. “She inherits a strong foundation, and I know she will take it to even greater heights. I will be cheering from the sidelines with great pride, and I wish her and every member of the civil service family all the very best for the future,” he said.
McField-Nixon said she was honoured by the role, which she was approaching with humility, enthusiasm and a profound sense of responsibility. She said she was looking forward to working closely with the governor, the premier, ministers, other members of Cabinet, and MPs in the years ahead.
“I want to acknowledge the remarkable legacy of the Honourable Franz Manderson, who has set an outstanding example of servant leadership. I am committed to building on the solid foundation he has established,” she said.
“To my fellow civil servants, across every ministry, portfolio, department and independent office, I look forward to working alongside you. Together, we will continue to deliver the outstanding public services that the people of the Cayman Islands deserve.
“I am excited about what we can achieve together, and I am deeply committed to supporting, empowering and championing each of you as we make continuous strides towards becoming a world-class civil service,” she added.
Officials said the timing of the appointment has been carefully planned to ensure continuity. In the coming months, McField-Nixon will work closely with the governor, the government and the current deputy governor to support a smooth handover.
This time will also allow her to undertake customary preparations for the role, such as a visit to key UK departments and familiarisation meetings with international counterparts, including attendance at the upcoming Heads of Public Services meeting.
The release noted that the civil service employs approximately 5,000 civil servants across 14 ministries and portfolios, delivering essential public services to the people of the Cayman Islands on behalf of the Government.
About Gloria McField-Nixon
McField-Nixon rose to the position of chief officer within nine years of returning home as a university graduate. Her most recent post as CO was in the Portfolio of the Civil Service, where she leads government-wide human resource policy, public sector reform and corporate governance.
She has accumulated deep experience across multiple ministries, including those responsible for finance and tourism, and has regularly acted as the DG. She holds a degree in Communications and Law and is a non-practising lawyer, having been admitted to the Cayman Islands Bar in 2012 and having completed her articles at Walkers.
Since 2018, she has led two successive Civil Service Strategic Plans, collecting more than 1.7 million customer feedback responses and achieving an average satisfaction rate of 91%, while 90% of staff report pride in being civil servants — clear indicators of sustained service excellence and employee engagement.
In 2020, she played a key leadership role during the COVID-19 response, helping to ensure the continuity of essential public services. This effort earned her the Certificate and Badge of Honour, who her team at the PoCS earned the UK-based Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) “People Team of the Year (Public Sector) Award”.
McField-Nixon’s contributions to leadership and people development was recognised in 2025 by the Cayman Islands Society for Human Resource Professionals (CISHRP) Pinnacle Award for HR Leadership.
Gloria McField-Nixon is married to Michael Nixon and has one child.
