2 collect National awards

Brenda Le Ma?tre and Jacqueline Wilson received their medals from President Anthony Carmona at the Office of the President in St Ann’s, during a brief, formal ceremony. With 53 years of service in the field of nursing and 43 of those spent at the Princess Elizabeth Centre, Le Ma?tre shaped the lives of many physically challenged children throughout the country.

A retired matron, she was considered a mother to all, and ensured discipline and camaraderie existed along with respect and love for each other.

For her unstinting selflessness and loyalty to her young wards, Le Ma?tre was honoured with the Humming Bird Medal (Gold).

Le Ma?tre, a graduate of Hammer Smith Hospital also graduated from Berkshire Hospital, both of the United Kingdom, as an orthopaedic nurse.

Jacqueline Wilson took up the mantle when she established, operationalised and managed the first incarnation of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA). She also pioneered the setting up of public service networks to advance human resource management, public policy and information communication technology (ICT) functions.

Telecommunications liberalisation was first initiated in the 1980s, but no real traction took place until Wilson was appointed permanent secretary responsible for telecommunications from 2002 to 2007. Not only did she make a contribution at the national level in telecommunications, but she also helped the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) to become a more effective entity in terms of its contribution to harmonising national policies and capacity building.

For her years of dedication to this cause, Wilson received the Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold). Wilson is also vice chairman of the Police Service Manpower Audit Committee.