Today, the Head of the Public Service, Cherie Whitter announced the appointments of two Director posts within the Government.
Mr. Richard Lau has been appointed to the role of Chief Information Officer and Ms. Melonie McDermott has been appointed to the post of Land Registrar.
Mr. Lau will work under the policy direction of the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry for the Cabinet Office & Digital Innovation. He will oversee the Information and Digital Technologies (IDT) office, implementing IT strategy, infrastructure modernization, and cybersecurity.
Mr. Lau is an accomplished technology executive who brings over 25 years of experience to the Government of Bermuda. His career spans information technology, cybersecurity, and the modernization of critical infrastructure, having held senior leadership roles at Ascendant Group and One Communications Ltd. Committed to the community, he is a member of the National Youth Triathlon coaching team, serves as a Director for the Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Foundation, and previously sat on the Bermuda E-commerce Advisory Board. Mr. Lau holds an MBA in Leadership and Sustainability and a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors.
As Land Registrar, Melonie McDermott will work under the policy direction of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
She will be responsible for managing and overseeing all operations of the Land Title Registry Office, including adjudicating land title disputes and ensuring compliance with the Land Title Registration Act 2011. Ms. McDermott will assess complex legal decisions regarding land registration, title certification, and maintaining the accuracy of property record
Melonie McDermott has a decade of experience in Land Law, practice and procedure. She is a qualified Attorney-at-Law in both Jamaica and Bermuda.
She was previously employed at the National Land Agency, Jamaica where she served in the posts of Legal Officer 2, Legal Officer 3 and Supervisor of the Caveat Department. Ms. McDermott joined Bermuda’s Land Title and Registration Department on the 1st of December 2022 as the Land Title Legal Officer. As a goal oriented and determined person she is confident that she will make positive contribution to the Public Service of Bermuda. Ms. McDermott expressed her excitement at being able to serve in her new capacity as Land Registrar.
Ms. McDermott holds a BSc in Sociology with a minor in Psychology, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), a Legal Education Certificate and an MSc in Surveying (Real Estate).
Both posts are currently effective.