WESTERN BUREAU – The post of secretary/manager of the Trelawny Parish Council will become vacant on February 9, as Leonie Earle, who currently occupies that position, will go on retirement leave.

Earle, a civil servant for the last 40 years, will return from departmental leave next Friday, but only to hand over the reigns to David Gardner, the current director of finance for the Hanover Parish Council. Gardner, who has been in the civil service for a little over six years, will fill the Trelawny post temporarily.

Earle’s departure is being viewed with mixed feelings, as she has been known for her reluctance to divulge information on council matters to the media.

She is, however, well-liked by her colleagues and the general public because of her willingness to assist the less fortunate, and her firmness in dealing with the local authority’s business.

In an interview with the Observer this week, Earle said she was happy that she had been able to serve the public in a meaningful way during her 40 years as a civil servant.

“Knowing that I was able to serve the public well and was able to satisfy the needs of my staff, I am so grateful,” she said. “I am really a people person.”

Earle joined the civil service as a clerk in 1964, and after several assignments in various parishes at several levels, she was appointed secretary/manager for the Trelawny Parish Council in 1996.

She has served under administrations controlled by both the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

“There were dull moments, just like working anywhere else. There were moments when I felt like packing it in but I said ‘no, I have a duty to serve my country’,” she said.