President Danny Faure has expressed his deepest condolences to the family of Former Minister and Ambassador Noellie Alexander who passed away in hospital early this morning, at the age of 71.

Minister Alexander had started her career as a sales representative of British Airways, but later joined the public service where she developed a special interest in human resource development.  She was appointed Director of the Seychelles Institute of Management in 1979, and in 1989 she became the Director General for Manpower Development.

In 1993 she was appointed Principal Secretary for Health.

Miss Alexander served as Minister of Administration, and later as Minister of Administration & Manpower Development, between 1998 and 2005.

She served briefly as CEO of the newly restructured Seychelles Institute of Management from 2005 until her appointment as Ambassador in 2006.  She retired from full-time public service in November 2009.

Miss Alexander had been President Faure's neighbour and close friend for many years.  She and President Faure first joined the Cabinet of Ministers together in 1998.  The President described her a determined and hardworking civil servant, always frank and outspoken.  She had made an enormous contribution to the development of Seychelles, and would be greatly missed.