Contact: Doug Bliven, 240-777-5074
For Immediate Release: November 29, 2001

County Holds Second Annual
Montgomery's Best Honor Awards Ceremony

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan and Chief Administrative Officer Bruce Romer today hosted the County's second annual Montgomery's Best Honor Awards Ceremony at Indian Spring Country Club in Silver Spring. The 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 partners in the community, none of this recognition would be possible."

The program, consisting of seven different award categories, recognized a total of 151 recipients this year, including 22 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

John J. O'Donnell, Public Works & Transportation
Cynthia Brenneman, Public Works & Transportation
Marc P. Hansen, Office of the County Attorney
Eric Wallmark, Human Resources
Detective Scott C. Loomis, Police
PO III William L. Bickle, Police
Kathleen Henning, Fire and Rescue Service
Lt. William H. Lanham, Police

Employee of the Year Award

Debra H. Jones, Public Works & Transportation
Carol M. Rollins, Human Resources
Viviana Azar, Health & Human Resources
Jeff Marks, Public Works & Transportation

Employee Representative of the Year Award

Amy A. Davis, IAFF Local 1664
Mary Louise Palm, MCGEO
Michael B. Willis, FOP
Montgomery's Best Awards

3-3-3-3 Customer Service Award

Individual Awards:
Nancy A. Nickerson, Police
PO III Denise Gill, Police
Diane M. Davis, Environmental Protection
Anibal "Pete" Andreallo, Fire and Rescue Service

Group Awards:
Print Shop Team, Public Works & Transportation
Joe Bovello
Janet Hardy
Gary Markwood
Greg Swartz
Rick Taylor
Gary Tillman
Tommy Tucker
Ed van den Heuvel
Elizabeth VanNort
Community Outreach Section, Police
Dave Baker
PO III George Hackey
PO III Luis Hurtado
PO III Sandy Redmon
Work Force Leader II Team, Public Works & Transportation
Angel DeJesus
Gary Edwards
Howard Foreman
Warren Graham
George Hane
Chester Haynes
Douglas Jones
James Kisner
Louis Machetto
Richard Martin
Robert Moore
Donald Noble
Sharkey Poole
Donald Raines
Robert Shifflett
Gregory Shipley
Albert Smith
Kenneth Thompson
Glen Tolson
James Webb

County Partnership Award

Condemned Home Replacement, Housing & Community Affairs
Linda Bird
Joseph Giloley
Steven Morris
Robert Parks
Frederick Titus
Lee Weston
Paratransit/HOC Outreach, Public Works & Transportation
Todd Thompson
Linda A. Whitcomb
Scotland Partnership for Excellence-Erasing the Digital Divide, Health & Human Services
Paul Barker
Dr. Joan Benz
Kay Bowman
Jeff Burton
Tony Edgehill
Patti Goldberg
Alicia Beach Halverstadt
Jonathan Jones
Bill Lynch
Emily McDonell
Gail Nachman
Charlene Nunley
Jerry Oglesby
Ervin Owens
Michelle Owens
Luther Reynolds
Rick Robinson
Patricia Saunders
Bette Thompson
Monique Ware
Anne Warner
Linda Warren
Child Passenger Safety Task Force, Housing & Community Affairs
Julia Alkire
Linda Arapian
Emilie Crown
Monty Crown
William Delaney
Jack Fitzgerald
Pam Fox
Brian Green
Jon Heiderich
Gary Jenkins
Evan Johnson
John Lehman
Debra Levine
Kenneth Matney
Anne May
Lynn McCreary
Therese Pelicano
Veronica Ramirez
Sue Rogan
Rob Smith
Margo Stanton
Jim Streight
Myriam Torrico
Mary Whalen
Kathy Wood
Mercy Clinic Team, Health & Human Services
Isabel Cassen
Elaine Hurd
Carol Jordan
Doreen Kelly
Lois Kietur
Alvina Long
Alcohol Initiatives Section, Police
Alison Ash
PO III Richard Burge
Kathie Durbin
Lt. David Falcinelli
Carol Kempner
Cristyn Krause
PO III William Morrison
Michael Nagy
PO III Linda Neudorfer
Monty Pyburn
Nancy Rea
Jeff Salisbury
Lisa Schrader
Dan Shea
Dennis Theoharis
Preserving Affordable Housing, Housing & Community Affairs
Ralph Bennett
Gary Campbell
Joseph Giloley
Robert Goldman
Mary Ann Henderson
Stephanie Killian
John Shanley
Leslie Steen

County Diversity Award

Individual Award: Master Firefighter/Paramedic Dorcus (Dee) Howard, Fire and Rescue Services

Group Award:
Adult Mental Health Multicultural Program, Health & Human Services
Viviana Azar
Peggy Bradley
Lidia Carnota-Cohen
Cecilia Del Rio
Iris Ysern-Gonzales
Diep Lee
Michael MacKenzie
Patricia Montes
Thu Nhut Nguyen
Guillermo Olivos
Amalia Salazar
My Luong Vo
Executive's Safety Award

Arthur M. Wallenstein, Correction & Rehabilitation
Charles L. Short, Health & Human Services