A wealth of experience and exposure gained from working under Colgate Palmolive for the past 16 years has awarded Patrick Pemberton the capability of performing a “decent job” as newly appointed chairman of the Public Works Corporation Board.
Pemberton was officially assumed the post on July 1, 2010 for a three-year period following the dismissal of former chairman Gloria Tavernier.
For sometime there was an ongoing conflict between Tavernier and staff members which resulted in her dismissal by Public Works Minister Rayburn Blackmoore.
Tavernier had taken a decision on behalf of the board to terminate the services of 16 staff members of the PWC, resulting in protest action and consequently a reinstatement of the staff following discussions with the Public Service Union (PSU).
“DCP is very strong and I have been at DCP for almost my whole working life. Very strong on human resource development because it makes life much easier to manage,” he stated.
“When you’re exposed to good management processes like I’ve had the opportunity to work for the last 16 years with DCP under Colgate. Colgate Palmolive is a worldwide company and their management processes are really fantastic. So I think I have enough experience and exposure to do a decent job,” Pemberton said.
He noted that though he had not yet met with the rest of the board, he is aware that his duties as chairman would include organisation guidance from a strategic perspective.
“The chairmanship of any board from my perspective would be to guide the organisation from a strategic prospective..Look and see where the organisation wants to go, and try to develop the strategic plans that will take him in that direction. And of course oversee the governance of the organisation. Maybe give guidance to whoever is managing, in terms of making sure that the things we do are in line with the strategic plans,” he stated.
“The normal thing to do when you are joining an organisation is to understand where it’s at and start to apply the philosophies that you believe in to try to rescue it,” he said.
Pemberton said that he was not fully aware of the company’s status so would not comment without being fully informed.
In response to a question concerning Tavernier’s action to lay off of the 16 workers and her issues with the union, Pemberton stated, “I can give you a bit of my track record. I’ve been working here at DCP for continuously for 31 years and I even worked there for six years before that. And we have been unionized since around 1965/66 there about…We have ever had a problem with or union. That’s all I can tell you. As a matter of fact, DCP had a recent lay-off and we sat with our union and that was it. That’s the only way I can answer that question at this point.”
According to Pemberton, his first board meeting is due tomorrow.
Well i work at DCP under pembo and he was all for his self never giving the young people a chance. If he has u in a corner frog smoke your pipe… So for those people at PWC good luck if u all think this … man will change anything. THIS IS A POLITICAL PROMISE BY SKERITTS.
It is rather interesting to hear of Mr.Pemberton ‘s appointment as the chairman of the board. Ah give somebody else a chance nuh Pembo. You retire from DCP.Mr. Pemberton should gradually take his retirement and enjoy his golden years after all the money he has amassed during his 16 year tenure. I guess he wants to keep occupied and do a descent job as he claims. Also I have experienced his leadership style and while I must agree that he was interested in the long term sustenance of the company for his personal benefit, I felt that that he had a bias towards young people and locals with university degrees and would only allow minimum opportunities to these people. If you were not in his league and doing as he wants you to do, then you are doomed. However it is the wishes of the PM to perpetuate the culture big money man will continue getting big money by any means while the masses are left to suffer with a white stale bread making mold.
@Irie: Dominicans are hearing news of things, all kinds of things about NBD and investments overseas, questionable investments with losses adding up to millions of dollars. Some of those monies might never be retrieved. Talk of Controversial actions of the Grenadian Manager fill the airwaves. Dominicans heard about the controversial dismissal of the former acting manager. The matter is now in the courts. The affidavit in that court action makes mention of troubling revelations. DNO recently had to retract a previous news item about the firing of the Manager. BUT SOMETHING IS HAPPENING THERE. Dominicans are in the dark as to what is happening in their local NBD. In all those occurrences and news, who was the chairman of the Board of the NBD? The allegations of unprofessional behaviour and action are yet to be seriously refuted by the Chairman or the NBD. So business as usual. What Dominica needs badly is not only change of chairmen of boards, but to deal with unprofessionalism in all areas, whether it be banks, PWC, public as well as private sector institutions. Let the truth be told to the public. Dominica needs sooner rather than later people with integrity. Dominica needs accountability and transparency in all aspects, otherwise Kwapo smoke our pipe and those changes in chairpersons will be merely cosmetic and not solve the burning problems that cause PWC, for example, to be in that ditch. PWC for decades now in Dominica has been in the KOLAS business, but today PWC has to rely on Gardakhan for KOLAS and a little sub-contract from that foreign company, because of poor management. PWC brokes like hell. Serious evaluation of its operations and investigations are urgently needed and the appropriate remedial actions taken. Just changing the chairperson certainly is not enough. Dominicans must know exactly what is happening in NBD, in PWC etc. It seems the next level is in the downward or reverse direction.
@treasonous pm: Exactly so. Planning Division refused PWC to build an asphalt plant close to the Layou village because the project was not feasible, but the same Planning Division gave Gardakhan license to build the asphalt plant in the same area. Govt. agreed to Planning Division’s decision to give Gardakhan license although Planning Division itself told Dominicans Gardakhan had initially done something illegal by setting the base and ordering equipment even before permission was given and before an EIA was submitted. All of them displaying double standards. No license for the local PWC company, but license for the Big Business French man. Those actions Dominicans must condemn. It is not fair. Neither Planning Division nor GOVT. care two hoots about the negative impacts to the health of the Layou villagers. The villagers cried, blocked road, pleaded to Planning Division and GOVT. to stop the project. Their hearts are so hard they rejected the pleas of the villagers. The Minister for Environment, a medical doctor supported the building of the asphalt plant close to our most beautiful Layou river. What wickedness when the doctor refuse to accept the fact that the asphalt plant is belching tons of cancer-causing pollutants that will destroy the health of an entire community. They do not care about the poor people. They have shown by their actions that poor people do not matter. Poor people’s rights must be trampled upon in favour of the BIG MAN because he has MONEY, ASSETS, wealth and influence. Is that the kind of GOVT. Dominicans are supporting and shouting for? Dominica is in serious trouble. Trust me.
I on de board, you on de board, he on de board, we on de board! Is board all around de place Oh Lord! Dominica for a little country with 70 000 people or less we de tax payers paying for endless board! If you board a bus with 16 people maybe 8 of them on a board somewhere.
Patrick well come aboard, I hope you are a solid 4 legged arm CHAIR, cause that PWC board has a little pouwi (maybe a lot?)…I hope you deal with all ‘KOOLBWA’ in de corporation, because you know how koolbwa can destroy any kind of board treated or untreated…….and I hear de PWC have a special kind of Koolbwa called de GM.
Simple.
Tender the road contracts.
Allow public works to be competitive. by:
Take back the quarries given to his fellow french agents
That way PWc won’t have to buy the material rom the fremch.
And PWC can do the exporting of the material
Stop the colas plant at layou and allow PWC to run one.
Problem solved.
Hundreds of millions saved and gained by the treasury.
A friend and I were in dialouge re: Pemberton’s new appointment. My friend asked:How many boards can he be on”?Aren’t there other capable(more) persons on island to offer this new position? Pemberton is on more boards than he has fingers on both hands stated my friend. I said :”maybe one strand of grey beard represents on e board.” I had to drive to my friends home to see if he was okay he could not contain himself withthe laughter this produced. My friend was okay when I got there. We are waiting patiently to see his ignorance manifest itself like it did at DCP/Colgate palmolive were eager await his COLGATE translation in english “to hang yourself” his former friend now foe did so many moons ago.Seeing the TIA did not do it earlier.
@Anonymous: that it what i also want to know…the man is already being evaluated…fair…DNO and their writing styles!!
@Anonymous: If you know Pembo as I do, you would know that he has a knack for the understated…he does not promise the world but does his best to deliver it
This sounds like another gift from Santa. What I have difficulty understanding is when a position is being offered what kind of due deligence in terms of people skills/conflict negotiation is being considered. While there is no doubt Patrick has the working MEP experience, I wonder whether the majority of current DCP employees will concur with him being a good choice. I will leave it up to current and former DCP workers to ponder on this selection to chair PWC.
Welcome mr Pemberton we know you are a serious man and well qualify and we are ready to work hard and smart with you to take the corporation to the next level.The reason for the fireing of Gloria Tavanier is not only for laying off workers … Gloria must tell the nation the truth and stop saying she could not agree with Blackmore’s style … that is what to explain to the nation Mr. pemberton get an audit and investagion and make sure CID there to for there is plenty comess at the PWC your first task is to fire the general manager if u dont we will drive him out…Cie e pa nie soutewea e pa nie volla.
SUPERB CHOICE PEMBO IS IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN, ONE OF MY MENTORS ANOTHER ONE BEING JOEY ASTAPHAN BECAUSE OF THEM I HAVE EXCELLENT SKILLS, EXPIRIENCE TO THE MAX I WISH HIM ALL THE BEST
WELL GOOD LUCK TO MR PEMBO….WARM GENTLE MAN…I DO HOPE HE LISTENS AND DEAL WITH THE HUMAN ASPECT OF THE DEPARTMENTS….THE WORKERS ARE NOT A HEARD OF DUMB ANIMALS YOU SLAUGHTER WHEN YOUR GOOD AND READY…THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS.
I AM NOW AWAITING A CHANGE AT THE HELM OF THE PORT ATHOURITY….IM NOT SURE WHAT BLACKMAILING TATIC THE PRESENT “GM” HAS ON THE GOVERMENT BUT EVEN THE GREATEST OF TITANS FALL IN DUE TIME.BLESSINGS
“performing a decent job” what does that mean?