Permanent Secretaries
Mrs. Lenor Baptiste-Simmons
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 (Ag)
PS Ramcharan (Ag) 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.
Deputy Permanent Secretaries
Mrs. Wendy Guy-Hernandez
Mrs. Wendy Guy-Hernandez brings her thirty-seven years (37) of public service experience to the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services. Before her appointment at this Ministry, Mrs. Guy-Hernandez worked as Administrator of the Tobago House of Assembly from 2014. During this time, she led several divisions which included the Division of Planning and Development, Settlements and Labour, Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Sport and Youth Affairs, Finance and the Economy, and Tourism, Culture, and Transportation.
Mrs. Guy-Hernandez holds a BSC. in Management Studies from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, and an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) from the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business and has completed the Caribbean Leadership Project’s Leadership Development Programme. These all form part of the toolkit she has used in her dynamic contribution to public service over the years.
Mrs. Vera Deonanan Balkaran
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 33 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 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, a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management with distinction and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Leadership and Innovation with distinction, issued by the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business and the University of the West Indies, respectively.