When Finance Minister Dean Barrow asked Krem Radio’s Mose Hyde to be on Social Security’s Board of Directors, it made big news. But the news tonight is that, in a meeting with Barrow this morning, Hyde told him that he was declining the offer. With that Barrow moved on to name the government appointees to the new board of what should be the most jealously guarded public fund.
The Chairman is Lois Young Barrow, with Ariel Mitchell and government appointees Dennis Jones, Paul Jones and Natalie Gough. They will form the board along with existing members Dylan Reneau, Elena Smith, Mark Lizarraga and Mel Auil Jr.
And as for the CEO, while we have reported that Merlene Bailey Martinez would be given the nod for the job – in the era of transparency, it’s not that simple. While we can report that she is the Prime Minister’s favorite, ultimately the law says that the board must make the choice. So, Social Security today announced that the post has been advertised already and will be re-advertised. Applications from all qualified persons will be open until March 14th.
In other high profile nominations, not appointments. Rosendo Chendo Urbina, who ran for the UDP in Orange Walk Central has been nominated to be Belize’s Ambassador to Mexico and former UDP mayor in Benque Viejo, Said ‘Badi’ Guerra has been nominated to be Belize’s Ambassador to Cuba. They are both nominees, because they have to get Senate approval to confirm their appointments. Nestor Mendez, who is presently the First Secretary in Washington, had already been approved by the Senate, and will be the new Ambassador to the OAS and the United States.
According to acting CEO Diana Locke, government has not yet decided who will be the new Permanent Representative to the United Nations, or the Ambassador to the European Union.
