Director of DCI To Head Washington DC Office
The Cabinet office has announced that Ms. Beverle Lottimore has been seconded to head the Bermuda Government office in Washington DC. Ms. Lottimore, Director of the Department of Communication and Information for the past eight years will undertake the responsibility of managing and developing the DC office for a period of 3-years beginning July 2011.
Ms. Lottimore, who served as Press Secretary to former Premier Alexander Scott for 4 years, is also Press Secretary to Premier Paula Cox a post which she has held since the Premier’s election in 2010.
As Director of DCI, Ms. Lottimore works under the policy direction of and is accountable to the Cabinet Secretary for the conduct of the affairs and the management of the business of the Department of Communication and Information. Ms. Lottimore’s responsibility includes the development, implementation and coordination of government wide communications including public and media relations.
Ms. Lottimore’s reporting structure will remain unchanged and under the guidance of the Premier, Secretary to the Cabinet and Assistant Secreary to the Cabinet it is anticipated that the Washington office will continue in it’s current role and will be expanded.
A spokesperson said, “The Washington DC office provides a physical presence that offers easy access to Members of Congress and their staff who wish clarification on Bermuda’s positions on legislation and its impact. It also enables Bermuda’s issues and interests to be addressed on a daily basis. Additionally, the office provides ancillary functions such as access to information on tourism and international business and appropriate support to Bermudian students within the Washington Metropolitan area.”
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This is a bizarre appointment. So she will head the DC office and DCI?
A big waste of money.
The DC Bermuda office was opened in June 2010 with great fanfare. An announcement in June 2010, curiously on the PLP website, said that Omar McIntosh was to be the Managing Director, and that he would, among other things, “be responsible for managing relationships with Washington’s decision-makers”.
This followed a meeting in May 2010 in Washington DC by a Bermuda delegation, lead by Dr Brown, with Charles Rangel, who was at that point (prior to his widely reported ethics scandals) Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee. The meeting was to discuss the new office, which Brown called a “watershed event”.
You have to wonder about a few things. What happened to Mr McIntosh….did he resign? Did he disappear? Or is he still there with Ms Lottimore now his new boss?
What successes has the DC office had in the past year, if any? What does it cost? In the context of firing teachers, aides for special needs children, etc, is the expense of this justified? Or is it another high-cost hangover from the Brown years, perpetuated by the current Premier?
Also, why was Mr McIntosh’s appointment announced on the PLP site? Was his role to represent Bermuda, or to represent the PLP? Who has been paying his salary, Bermuda or the PLP?
All very confusing; ironic, given that it’s a “Communication and Information” function.
Why do we need to provide “a physical presence that offers easy access to Members of Congress and their staff who wish clarification on Bermuda’s positions on legislation and its impact” when any inquires & replies will almost certainly be sent via email?
I can vaguely appreciate the need for a reasonable physical presence, but not at the cost we’re paying considering all the political heavy lifting is be done via lobbyists. This is a boondoggle at its best.
Amazing how some folk just want Bermuda to remain in a box. For goodness sake folk, let’s rejoice in this as we put ourselves on the international stage.