mh/pyr.pr      96-353         Contact:  Betsy Luecking, 301-217-1256

COUNTY HONORS EMPLOYERS
AT 10TH ANNUAL PYRAMID 
AWARDS CEREMONY                    For Immediate Release:  October 15, 1996


     Fourteen public and private employers and individuals were honored today
for outstanding leadership in hiring and promoting persons with disabilities
at Montgomery County's 10th Annual Pyramid Awards ceremony.
     The ceremony, held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Rockville, included
remarks by Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, County Council
President Gail H. Ewing and Superintendent of Public Schools Paul Vance.  More
than 175 persons attended the event, which featured award presentations and a
keynote address by Peggy Mastroianni, associate legal counsel for the Federal
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
     More than 55 nominations were received for the eight individual award
categories for both public and private employers.  Presentations were made for
Employer of the Year, Supervisor of the Year and Best Integrative Employment
Project.
     In addition, four special awards -- The Virginia C. Andary Award, the
Margit Meissner Excellence in Transition Award, the Cory Moore Memorial Award,
and the Kermit Mohn Barrier-Free Design Award -- were also presented at the
ceremony.  The Virginia C. Andary Award provides financial assistance for
persons with disabilities to join or continue employment.  The Margit Meissner
Excellence in Transition Award recognizes a professional or volunteer who
contributes to the successful transition from school to work for one or more
Montgomery County Public School student with disabilities.  The Cory Moore   
                                  -more-

PYRAMID AWARDS                               2-2-2-2

Memorial Award is given to a parent who has displayed extraordinary commitment
to preparation and employment of people with disabilities. The  Kermit Mohn
Barrier-Free Design Award is awarded to a local business that has recently
completed a construction project which has improved the quality of life for
persons with disabilities.  
     Honorees for this year's awards included the following:
Employer of the Year with more than 200 employees
     Private:  Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Crystal City, VA
Employer of the Year with less than 200 employees 
     Private:  Children In The Shoe, Inc., Chevy Chase, MD
Employer of the Year with more than 100 employees
     Public:  Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD
Employer of the Year with less than 100 employees
     Public:  Montgomery County Office of Human Resources,
            On-The Job Training Program      
             
Best Integrative Employment Project
     
     Private: Taco Bell, Gaithersburg, MD

     Provider Agency: Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute, Rockville, MD

Supervisor of the Year
     
     Private: Lee Ettman, ChildKind, Inc., National Institutes of Health,
            Bethesda, MD, and

            William Woodroff, Wildcat Spring Farm, Clarksburg, MD
          
     Public:  Ann Montalbano, National Injury Information Clearinghouse,
            U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Bethesda, MD, and

            Todd Stevenson, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product 
            Safety Commission


                                  -more-

PYRAMID AWARDS                          3-3-3-3

                                     
Margit Meissner Excellence in Transition Award

     Shawn Lattanzio of Silver Spring, MD and Vanessa Redd of Gaithersburg MD

Virginia C. Andary Award

     Kemal Benyounes of Kensington, MD

Cory Moore Memorial Award
     Jane Gridley of Silver Spring

Kermit Mohn Barrier-Free Design Award
     Borders Books & Music, Gaithersburg, MD

     
     The Pyramid Awards are sponsored by the Montgomery County Executive
along with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Human
Resources, Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities and the
Commission on People with Disabilities.
                                  # # #       


    

Return to Montgomery County Press Releases Page.

---

County Home | About Your County | County Government | Services | Guest Book | Questions for the Executive
News | Phone Book | Business Development | Council | Related Resources

---