Lieutenant General Rocky Meade has been appointed as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Public Service.

The Office of the Prime Minister says Lieutenant General Meade will succeed ambassador Douglas Saunders who will be stepping down on October 1.

Ambassador Saunders has been cabinet secretary and head of the public service since June 2008.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says Lieutenant General Meade’s years of experience will be an asset to the public service and a crucial part of the continued thrust toward efficiency and service excellence.

He thanked the outgoing Cabinet Secretary, Ambassador Saunders for his decades of committed service to the Jamaican people culminating in his work as cabinet secretary.

Meantime, in responding to his appointment, Lieutenant General Meade expressed optimism about his new role.

He pledged to further the positive evolution of the public service for the benefit of the wider society.

Lieutenant General Meade will assume his role as Cabinet Secretary on October 1, 2022.