ABOUT US

Our Leadership

Senator the Honourable Donna Cox                                Minister of Social Development and Family Services

Minister Cox has extensive experience in the fields of communications and public service. She was the Parliamentary representative for Laventille East/Morvant from 2007 to 2010 and from 2010 to 2015. She served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs from 2007 to 2008 and Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security from 2008 to 2010.

Prior to entering the political arena Minister Cox worked both in the public and private sectors as a communications professional at the Office of the Prime Minister (Information Division) from 1990 to 1993, Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources from 1994 to 1999 and National Flour Mills as the Corporate Communications Manager from 1999 to 2007.

Most recently she served as a Consul of Public Affairs and Culture at the Consulate General in New York City under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister Cox, a former Chevening Scholar, is a former Board member of the Tourism and Industrial Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago (TIDCO). She was the first female to be appointed to the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB).

Minister Cox was also Deputy Chairman of the Entertainment Company of Trinidad and Tobago and a member of the Cabinet-appointed committee on Pricing. She served on multiple protocol teams for International Heads of Government and Diplomatic Visits.

Minister Cox holds a MBA in Leadership, Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom as well as degrees from the University of the West Indies, Arthur Lok Jack Institute of Business, Manchester Metropolitan University in communications, public relations, history/management. Additionally, she holds a Diploma in Theology from the Open Bible Institute and was recently ordained as a Minister of the Gospel.      

 

Mrs. Lenor Baptiste -Simmons                            Permanent Secretary

Prior to joining this Ministry, Mrs Baptiste-Simmons would have served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education for seven (7) years. Mrs Baptiste-Simmons brings to the Ministry a wide range of experience and training within the social and education sectors, which include educational planning and project cycle management, strategic management and scenario planning, public sector investment programming and management, policy development, change management, education statistics and indicator development. 

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus and a Master’s Degree in Educational Planning and Management from the International Institute of Educational Planning/UNESCO, Paris, France. She earned the Executive Certificate in Managing Change in a Dynamic World from the Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education in 2015 and successfully completed the Caribbean Leadership Project offered through the Cave Hill School of Business, University of the West Indies, Barbados. 

Mrs. Baptiste–Simmons dedicated 18 years of her career to the Education sector in the Educational Planning Unit before assuming the role of Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Legal Affairs and later the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources. She returned to the Ministry of Education in May 2016 and has served as Permanent Secretary until February 28, 2023.

Mr. Ryan Ramcharan                                Permanent Secretary

Senator The Honourable Donna Cox, Minister of Social Development and Family Services, joins the Executive Team, Management and Staff in welcoming Mr Ryan Ramcharan who was appointed as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry.

PS Ramcharan has  approximately 24 years of service in the public sector of Trinidad and Tobago where he held several senior leadership roles. A trained and qualified Information Communication and Technology (ICT) professional, Mr Ramcharan has spent a significant period of his career at the Ministry of Health. Prior to his appointment in this Ministry, PS Ramcharan would have served as Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Health  from 2021. PS Ramcharan holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Business Information Technology, with commensurate training and experience in Project Management, e-Governance and Digital Transformation. He is passionate about business transformation leading towards enhanced service delivery by linking corporate vision to deliver the desired results through people empowerment, and the effective use of processes, resources and enabling technologies.

The Ministry extends a warm and timely welcome to PS Ramcharan as we transition to the pre-launch phase of our Digital Transformation through the ISEMS Solution. We look forward to working with and supporting him as we transform our social services delivery system to help, empower and transform lives.

Mrs. Wendy Guy- Hernandez                          Deputy Permanent Secretary

Mrs. Wendy Guy-Hernandez brings with her thirty-seven (37) years of public service experience, having worked at various Divisions of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) in the past.  Among these include the Division of Planning, Settlements and Labour, Planning and Development, Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Sport and Youth Affairs, Finance and the Economy, Tourism, Culture and Transportation, Education, Youth Affairs and Sports and the Division of Health and Social Services.

Prior to her appointment at this Ministry, Mrs Guy-Hernandez functioned as Administrator at the Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation.

 

 

Vera Deonanan Balkaran                                                                            Deputy Permanent Secretary

Mrs Vera Deonanan Balkaran was appointed as Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services effective July 20, 2023.

Mrs. Deonanan-Balkaran is a career Public Servant with approximately 32 years of service in the Civil Services of Trinidad and Tobago. She has served at various Ministries/Departments and her last appointment prior to her appointment at this Ministry was at the Personnel Department of Trinidad and Tobago. Whilst there she served as a Director of HRM specializing in Compensation and Benefits Management. She also served as the Deputy Chief Personnel Officer for approximately 18 months. She holds a General Bachelor’s degree with a specialization in History issued by the University of the West Indies and a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management with distinction, issued by the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business.