Contact: Doug Bliven, 240-777-5074
For Immediate Release: November 14, 2000

County Holds First Annual
Montgomery's Best Honor Awards Ceremony

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan and Chief Administrative Officer Bruce Romer today hosted the County's first annual Montgomery's Best Honor Awards Ceremony at Indian Spring Country Club in Silver Spring. This newly-established program was designed to recognize exceptional efforts on the part of employees, volunteers and community partners, who support the County's guiding principles and programs.

These prestigious, competitive awards recognize major accomplishments and are the County's highest level of recognition for excellence in performance and achievement. Eligibility for the awards was extended to not only County employees and volunteers, but also to County residents and private organizations that support County programs and services.

"Montgomery County enjoys a reputation as one of the most progressive local governments in the nation," said Duncan. "However, without the excellent work and dedication of our employees and our partners in the community, none of this recognition would be possible."

The program, consisting of seven different award categories, recognized a total of 126 recipients this year, including 18 individuals and members of 11 organizations or teams. The highest honor, the Award for Exceptional Service, recognized the highest level of outstanding government service and exemplary support of County or department programs and mission. The Employee of the Year Awards went to employees nominated by their department based on criteria established by each department in support of the County's guiding principles. County employees who serve as local union officials were recognized for superior contributions with the Employee Representative of the Year Award. The Customer Service Award was granted to an individual or team of County employees or volunteers who provided customer service far and above that normally required. The County Partnership Award recognized an individual or team of County employees or volunteers who developed a collaborative relationship with intergovernmental partners, or private sector individuals or organizations. Employees or volunteers whose efforts significantly promoted the County's guiding principle on diversity were awarded the County Diversity Award. And, finally, the Executive's Safety Award was presented to departments with the best percentage improvement over the previous fiscal year in their occupational injury/illness claim rates involving monetary loss.

Following is a listing of the awards and award recipients:

Award for Exceptional Service

Individual Awards:

Sandra E. Batterden, Public Works & Transportation
Yvonne Dodd, Health & Human Services
Ann Gumula, Health & Human Services

Group Awards:
Damascus Depot, Public Works & Transportation
Robert R. Beall
James C. Clay
Larry W. Emswiler
Donald L. Emswiler
Thomas F. Hipkins
John F. Melvin
Donald L. Raines
Howard Roberts
William E. Shifflett
Richard E. Shifflett
William P. Sittinger
Roy L. Stanley
Christopher T. Weddle
Roby L. Wells
Collision Reconstruction Unit, Police Department
PO III Cynthia Baliles
Sgt. Michael E. Buchan
PO III John J. Coda
PO III Christopher A. Fumagalli
PO III Gary G. Lewis
Cpl. Lawrence W. Plant
PO III Kevin E. Pugh
PO III Charles L. Simpson, Jr.
PO III Howard L. Weisman
PO III Bruce D. Werts

Employee of the Year Award

Sheila A. Dennis, Health & Human Services
Yvonne Dodd, Health & Human Services
Joan M. Purvis, Health & Human Services
Patricia M. Vorus, Health & Human Services
Nell A. Marshall, Libraries
Wung Kim, Police
Suzan J. Maher, Recreation

Employee Representative of the Year Award

John G. Kevilly, FOP
James Beecken, IAFF
Larry Dickter, MCGEO

Customer Service Award

Individual Awards:
Ronald V. Barefoot, Public Works & Transportation
Elaine E. Gordon, Health & Human Services
Dr. Guillermo Olivos, Health & Human Services
Mario C. Wawrzusin, Health & Human Services

Group Award:
Emergency Communications Center, Police
PT II Jamila H. Adamu
PT II Stanley F. Barsch
PT III Trent E. Bishop
PT II Douglas L. Browning
April M. Clay
PT II Michael J. Eanes
PT II James C. Estep
PT I Shelly L. Fisher
PT II Carol L. Gallahan
PT II Bruce M. Gibbs
PT II Tonya L. Hartwell
PT II Tara L. Jacob
PT III Michael P. Lapadula
PT I Connie A. Ludvigsen
PT II Catherine L. Maddox
PT III Tamara M. Maldonado
PT II Margo M. Maryn
PT III Ronnie M. Maxson
PT II Kathleen B. McCarthy
PT II Edna P. Mobley
PT III Susan A. Neafsey-Kratz
PT III Cassandra L. Onley
PT II Lynn Russell
PT III Robert N. Sauerhoff
PT II Dawn A. Scigliano
PT III Robert F. Williams
Kelly J. Woodward

County Partnership Award

Individual Awards:
Nancy Rea, Health & Human Services

Group Awards:
Prenatal Care Partnership, Health & Human Services
Louise Burroughs
Deborah J. Cordrey
Terry Fleming
Ray Gulhar
Richard M. Helfrich
Doreen A. Kelly
Judy Marcum
Iliana M. Ortiz
Michael A. Pierpoint
Olga Ponce-Navarrete
Susan H. Smythers
Prenatal Care Partnership, Holy Cross Hospital
Eileen Cahill
Dr. Cioffi
Wendy Frazier
Jerry Hartke
Donna Helfrich
Dr. Muffarrij
Kate Reback
Kevin Sexton
10th Grade Curriculum, Human Relations Commission/Interagency Fair Housing Group Alexandra Ashbrook
Nancy McCullough
Charlotte S. Wade
Dr. Richard Wilson
Peter Beard
Rheva Wilson
Linkages to Library Partnership, Libraries
Susan W. Cheung
Olga Diamondes
Raymond E. Edwards
Judith A. Furash
Anne M. Gerlach
Christine M. Giddings
Julia Gonzalez-Alonso
Carol C. Legarreta
Nancy P. McEntee
Sandra E. Negro
Ken R. Nero, Jr.
Elizabeth E. Rosenblum
Rebecca J. Ross
Michelle H. Schuster
Joseph L. Tucker
Germantown DHCI, Police
Amy Bransford
Lt. Kathleen E. Brown
Sgt. James. M. Daly
Sheila Fisher
Sgt. Raymond L. Hanson
Barbara Liess
PO III James J. McWilliams
James Pierce
Ralph P. Pryor, Jr.

County Diversity Award

Individual Award:
Thu-Nhut Nguyen, Health & Human Services

Group Award:
African-American Health Initiative, Health & Human Services
Carol W. Garvey
Crystal V. Green
Patricia N. Horton
Lizzie L. James
John Park

Executive's Safety Award

Gregory A. Bayor, Recreation
Albert J. Genetti, Jr.

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