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GECOM Commissioner, Sandra Jones AA, passes away
…Remembered as patriotic and committed service
Sandra Valerie Jones AA
Guyana has lost a stalwart in Commissioner of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Sandra Valerie Jones, who is being remembered for her sterling service to the nation.
Jones, who was awarded the Golden Arrow of Achievement in 2016 in recognition of her long and effective service in the field of management consultancy, passed away at the age of 71 on Sunday evening following a period of illness.
President David Granger said he was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jones who was also a Commissioner on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the Public Service.
The Head of State recognised Jones as a patriotic Guyanese who lived a life committed to service to her country.
In her distinguished career, Jones served as an outstanding Consultant in Human Resources Management.
Upon the death of Mr. Robert Williams in 2012, President Granger, who was then Leader of the Opposition, appointed Jones as Commissioner to GECOM, representing the interests of the Peoples’ National Congress.
People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Commissioner on GECOM, Robeson Benn, told Kaieteur News that his party is deeply saddened by the passing of Jones and he reflected that “We have had vigorous discussion and debate and some differences at a time, but I think the intention was that at the end of the day that all would have worked out well so that everyone would have been happy with the results.
“Even though we have been on opposite sides we have tried to work together and to find a way that everyone would be satisfied with the results of the work of GECOM. Her passing has come as a great shock. I knew she was ill, but we all thought that she would have come out of it. We are very shocked and we will continue to keep her family and friends in thought.”
Benn joined the Commission in September 2015 as one of the two most recent appointees.
“The relationship was a work in progress at the Commission, but I know Ms. Jones from the bauxite industry where I worked too and we have worked very well together there. She was a very valued professional person and a very personable one too,” Benn stated.
Jones’ passing means that the President will now have to name a replacement to join other Commissioners Benn, Bibi Shadick, Sase Gunraj, Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and the Commission’s Chairman, Justice James Patterson (ret’d).
In 2015, upon the establishment of the COI into the Public Service by the President, Jones was appointed as a Commissioner given her skillset and long standing experience in the field. As recent as October, she served on the Government’s negotiation team for talks between Government and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) for wages and salary increases for 2017.
Jones leaves to mourn her siblings, Myrtle Jones-Carter, Friedel Jones-Glasgow, Errol, Orrin, Paul, Ronald and Andrew Jones; her nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends.
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