- 2023 Awardees
- Born: 29/12/1967 Marital Status: Married Years Served: 1987 to Current Positions Held: Assistant Director Immigration 28/08/1987 to 01/10/2007 Director of Immigration and Nationality 01/10/2007 to 31/12/2010 Commissioner of Transport 01/01/2011 to 15/01/2012 Registrar of Cooperatives 16/01/2012 to 29/12/2023 Inductee 2023
GARETH ANSELM MURILLO
- Gareth Anselm Murillo entered the Belize public service on 28 August, 1987, as an Immigration Officer 2. Nineteen years old at the time, and having attended Holy Redeemer Primary School, St. John’s College, and Belize Technical College Sixth Form, it was not his intent to make the employment into a career, but rather, he was seeking occupation with a view to fund and further his education. The older of the two sons of doting parents, Gareth, growing up, was a tall and slim young man. It was in the exercise magazines he read avidly, trying to put on weight, that he found his favourite quote: ” Strive for excellence, exceed yourself, love your friend, speak the truth, practice fidelity and honour your father and mother. These principles will help you to master yourself, make you strong, give you hope and put you on the path to greatness.” (Attributed to Joe Weider) Taking that mantra to the workplace, he was a dedicated and hard worker always with new ideas and innovative methodologies. After having postings in Belize City, the old Belize International Airport, and Belmopan, he was transferred to the Belize-Mexico border station at Corozal in 1989. It was there that he flourished; and after a temporary stint in Orange Walk, with his abilities now recognized, he got his first promotion to Immigration Officer 1 with supervisory responsibilities at the border station. It was also during his time in Corozal that he met his wife of now more than twenty-eight years. Her unwavering love and support have been contributing factors in every success that he has achieved. In 1999, after furthering his education by completing the then Certificate in Public Administration through UWI’s outreach program and attending other courses on information technology, legal writing, and even foreign relations, he was promoted to the post of Senior Immigration Officer with supervisory responsibility for the then Passport Office in Belize City. Another transfer to Belmopan in 2002 followed. There, he was given the opportunity, between 2004 and 2005, to act as Director of Immigration before substantively holding the position at the beginning of 2007. After almost four years in that capacity though, he was laterally transferred to the post of Chief Transport Officer in November, 2010. Less than a year later he was again transferred to become Registrar of Co-operatives. Despite these unforeseen, and in his mind, unwarranted events, he maintained his motivation and passion for public service. He retired as Registrar of Co-operatives in December, 2022. During his thirty-five years of service, he undertook extensive travels globally representing Belize: from presenting at workshops in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library of the United Nations and in Nairobi, Kenya to meetings and fora across the Caribbean. But he documents his most commendable achievement as that back between 2004 and 2005 with the deployment of the first machine readable passport system. It was, at the time, new technology for Belize and even though there was project support from the system provider, it was his almost single-handed efforts that lead to timely and successful completion. He insists that his proudest moment as public officer came back in 2014 while attending a ceremony in Sand Hill, Belize District. After the ceremony, he was approached by a gentleman who asked if he was “the Mr. Murillo who used to be at Passport Office.” On saying yes, the gentleman gave a firm handshake and expressed his gratitude. Some years before his wife was ill and needed to travel urgently; the gentleman indicated that he went to the Passport Office without much hope for expedient service but that he was able to receive the passport in time for his wife to receive lifesaving treatment abroad. Mr. Murillo concludes with this advice to current and future public officers. “Be humble, always be mindful of the fact that we are servants to the public. The Public Service is the implementing arm of government. Everything that must be done to develop our country and to deliver services to the people, depends on the work we do. Be positive role models to our children and younger people in general; share our experiences and guide and counsel them to be productive citizens. And lastly, exercise your intellectual curiosity; never, ever stop learning.”