News of the appointment, arrival and swearing in of Her Excellency Lisa Phillips, Governor of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

Her Excellency Lisa Phillips, Governor

of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Her Excellency Lisa Phillips was sworn in as Governor of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha on 25th April 2016
Photos and reports from Sean Burns, who was Acting Governor until 25th April
and will return to Tristan da Cunha for his second term as Administrator in September 2016

HE Lisa Phillips addressing the large crowd in Jamestown during the ceremony. Sean Burns is seated far right and UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Representative Alex Cameron, seated immediate right of the Governor.

Photos of Lisa Phillips' arrival at St Helena:
Left: stepping ashore;
Above: With Marina Burns on the Quay;
Below: Greeting Acting-Governor Sean Burns and his wife Marina (left) with Alex Cameron alongside;
Left: Arriving for the official swearing-in-ceremony.

Extracts from the official news release from the St Helena Government on 25th April:

The RMS St Helena arrived in James’ Bay this morning, bringing with her the new Governor Designate for St Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha - Ms Lisa Phillips.

Ms Phillips is the 68th Governor of St Helena and her Dependencies and the first ever female to take on the role. She was sworn in this afternoon, just after 2pm, Monday 25 April 2016.

In her reply to the Sheriff and her address to the public, Governor Phillips gave a speech which began:

Thank you so much for your warm welcome. And I would like to pay tribute to Sean Burns who has been so ably performing the Acting Governor role while I have been on my way.

I am so pleased to be here. I found out I had been successful for this job last summer and have been itching to get here ever since. I have to say it is such an Honour to assume this responsibility and swear the Oath of Allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen as Her Governor of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

I also count myself very lucky indeed to have visited Tristan da Cunha on my way to St Helena. Such a remarkable place with remarkable people. I think Tristan will hold a special place in my heart from now on and I want to thank the community there for such a fantastic welcome and for the terrific staff of the RMS for getting me there, against all the odds. Even though I am based on St Helena, I am committed to performing my Governor role well in each Territory, including Tristan and Ascension. The Island Council on Tristan da Cunha and the Ascension Island Government have a difficult job, trying to build revenues in order to provide more and better public services. I want to support them to do that.

Following Her Excellency’s remarks, an address was made by Mr Alex Cameron, Head of the Southern Oceans Department, in FCO’s Overseas Territories Directorate. Mr Cameron's speech included these extracts:

Thank you for your warm welcome to St Helena. The Governor and I have been travelling for nearly two weeks now, mingling with the passengers and crew of the magnificent RMS. I will, like many here, mourn the departure of this outstanding vessel when she’s taken out of service later this year. She’s been the lifeline to the Island for many years. I’m sure most assembled here have at one time or another travelled on her. She is your family when onboard, an extension of the Island, and a symbol of the community.

It is poignant to reflect that Lisa Phillips has become the 68th, and final, Governor to have arrived on St Helena by ship. But the past gives way to the future. Last week, an international jet landed on this Island for the first time. And so this Island is not just looking towards the future. It is living in the future.

And we shouldn't forget that Lisa is Governor not just of St Helena, but of Tristan Da Cunha, and Ascension too. These are three of the most beautiful places on earth. They represent our rich history and our shared bonds. They’re inhabited by some of the most resilient people on earth, tied to the UK in a unique way. They harbour magnificent environments, being home to one third of the UK’s endemic species. Lisa has promised to be an active Governor across all her patch. She was visibly moved by her recent visit to Tristan and has told me how much she is looking forward to visiting Ascension.

Lisa Phillips appointed as first lady Governor of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Lisa to join RMS St Helena's final visit to Tristan before arriving at St Helena

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced on 20th January 2016 that Lisa Phillips has been appointed Governor of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The Tristan da Cunha community are delighted that Lisa will join the RMS St Helena on its final passage to Tristan da Cunha, departing Cape Town on 14th April, arriving at Tristan to lead the island's bicentenary celebrations on 20th April, and departing Tristan on 22nd April to then arrive on St Helena to formally take up her post of Governor on 26th April.

Lisa is presently working for DFID (Department For International Development) as Head of the Kenya Office. She has a long and distinguished service with FCO, DFID and the ODA. Before 1984 she worked for the ODA, in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, as Programme Manager, and in the Personnel Sections. Further ODA contracts between 1988 - 1996 took Lisa to Barbados, where she was Programme Manager, to India where she was Programme Manager for the Country Team, and to South East Asia, where she was Programme manager in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Between 1996 and 2002 Lisa worked for DFID as Resources Manager, Aid Policy Department and EU & Regional Policy Manager, Eastern Europe & Central Asia Department.

There followed a two year UNICEF appointment as Commonwealth Programme Manager, UN & Commonwealth Department between 2002-2004.

Between 2004-2008 Lisa returned to work for DFID as Deputy Team Leader (Followed by Team Leader) - Fragile States, Policy Division, in the Fragile States Team and Migration Team Leader, Migration Team, Policy & Research Division.

From 2006-2009 Lisa was Returns & Reintegration Fund Manager, in the FCO Migration Directorate.

Since 2011 Lisa has worked for DFID in a range of senior posts: Head of Cabinet, Policy & Research Directorate (2009-2011); Head of Department, Governance & Fragile States Department (2011-2012); Anti corruption lead in the Policy Division (2012); Head of Director’s Cabinet, Policy Division (2012-13); Head of the Kenya Office (2013 - 2016).

On her appointment as the 65th Governor of St Helena and the first ever woman appointed to the substantive role, Lisa said:

 “I am so excited to be taking up the role of Governor of St Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha and cannot wait to be on the islands and to get going. 

 “With the opening of the Airport, 2016 will be a year of change for St Helena.  I am looking forward to working in partnership with the Island and her people to get the most benefit out of that change, while preserving the very special place that is St Helena”.

Reflecting on his four years on the Island, Governor Capes added:

“Tamara and I will leave St Helena shortly after over four tremendously busy and satisfying years.  Much has been achieved during those years on so many fronts and I am hugely grateful to Councillors and colleagues in St Helena Government for their support and for their commitment to moving the Island forward. 

 “It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to work with such a talented and enthusiastic team.  Even now it still amazes me how such a small community, with limited resources, has coped so well with the diverse and challenging demands placed on it in recent years as we have prepared to meet the changes ahead.”

 “Knowing the Island and her people as well as I do now, I have no doubt, as I hand over to my successor, that St Helena is on course for a bright and prosperous future.”

Minding the Gap

Governor Mark Capes will return to St Helena on 30th January 2016, following overseas business and leave, and will depart the Island on Friday 18 March 2016 to carry out official business in Paris and Corsica connected with the Napoleonic bicentenary celebrations. 

From 18th March, Head of the Governor’s Office, and former Tristan Administrator Sean Burns, will again become Acting Governor until Lisa Phillips arrives at St Helena on the RMS on Tuesday 26 April 2016.

Sean Burns then returns to Tristan da Cunha to serve a second term as Administrator.