October 1, 2020
Media Contact:
Mark Miller, Administrator, Office of Public Information, 410-313-2022
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Government’s 2020 Employee Awards Program honorees were named today in a virtual presentation. Employees nominated the best of their co-workers and a selection committee choose the final awardees. For the first time in County history, a 50-Year Service Award was also bestowed to George E. Martin, the County’s longest serving employee on record.
Maria Bernadzikowski, Acting Deputy Director for the Office of Emergency Management, was named the County’s “2020 Employee of the Year.” In a year of health and public crisis, Maria has been a consistent and effective leader and problem-solver through unchartered territory. She’s ensured plans and resources are in place to address rapidly changing conditions and guidelines, while inspiring her colleagues to learn to adapt quickly and further their professional development in the process.
“Our employees have shown great dedication and adaptability this year, especially through the challenges of COVID-19,” said County Executive Calvin Ball. “I am so grateful for the talent and commitment of our staff in Howard County. My sincere congratulations to Maria for her incredible work this year, she truly has gone above and beyond to allow for continued government operations and coordinate emergency relief for our residents. Additionally, we're recognizing for the first time in Howard County history a County employee who reached 50 years of service. George Martin has been working at Howard County for my entire life, and for that, we are very grateful. Thank you for your incredible public service, passion for your work, and dedication to making Howard County better for all.”
George E. Martin, Engineer and Plans Reviewer with the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits, is the County’s longest serving employee with 50 years of service. George is known as the unofficial historian of county buildings and his work helps keep all residents and visitors safe through proper building codes and regulations.
Other employee awards and recipients included:
Contingent of the Year – This year’s Contingent of the Year award went to Terese Klitenic with the Department of Community Resources and Services’ Office on Aging and Independence. An invaluable asset to the Office’s Senior Health Insurance Program, Terese was recognized for her dedication to supporting the needs of Howard County’s older adults.
Great Idea Award – This year’s 1st Place Great Idea award went to Courtney Barkley, Nicole Becerra and Cynthia Saathoff with the Department of Community Resources and Services’ Office on Aging and Independence (OAI). When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of County facilities, including OAI’s 50+ Centers, Courtney, Nicole and Cynthia led the effort to establish new partnerships and pathways to ensure Howard County’s older residents got the food they needed. To date, more than 15,000 meals have been distributed to more than 250 residents.
James Wilkerson with the Department of Planning and Zoning was honored with the 2nd Place Great Idea Award for his efforts to modernize the County’s land use database. This modernization allowed for increased efficiency and effort. James also contributed to HoCo Dash and other innovative data projects that help make County information accessible and useful.
Unsung Hero Award – This year’s 1st Place Unsung Hero award went to Greg Slack with the Department of Technology and Communication Services. Greg has been instrumental in maintaining the County’s network connections among remote locations. He has also been influential in expanding, troubleshooting and maintaining the County’s use of WebEx to allow for internal and public virtual meetings and forums during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He has made sure these important tools were available to county staff day and night.
The Unsung Hero 2nd Place award went to Margo Ward in the Office of the State’s Attorney for Howard County. In response to court closures and other pandemic challenges, Margo became the de facto tech person for the Office of the State’s Attorney. She also oversaw the Office’s databases that became critical to maintaining its remote operations.
Green Initiative Award – Anna Schrad in the Department of Recreation & Parks is the recipient of this year’s 1st Place Green Initiative Award. Anna has gone to great lengths to enhance and maintain County properties, such as the Patapsco Female Institute. Her use of native plants have helped control erosion and minimized the use of chemicals.
This year’s 2nd Place Green Initiative Award went to Jeffrey Hull from the Department of Recreation & Parks for his effort to replace the Centennial Park North pedestrian bridge with a fiberglass model that is both cost effective and good for the planet.
Mentoring Award – Ryan King, a Heavy Vehicle Operator at the Department of Fire and Rescue Services’ Station 9 – Long Reach, was nominated by his fellow firefighters for his motivating demeanor and ongoing support of others. He was also recognize for his continuous encouragement of others to advance their skills and training for higher career opportunities.
Leadership Award – Tiffany Vaira, Chief of District Court for the Office of the State’s Attorney for Howard County, is this year’s Leadership Award recipient. During COVID-19 court closures, Tiffany has been vital to continuing the function of the office through teleworking practices and spearheading other adjustments to the Office’s remote operations.
Customer Service Awards –
- Robert Hollenbeck, Department of Public Works (1st Place – Internal)
- Alexandria Bonavita, Office of the State’s Attorney for Howard County (2nd Place – Internal)
- Lisa Rhodes, Department of Community Resources and Services’ Office of Children and Families (1st Place – Public)
- Firefighter/Paramedic Christina Castro, Department of Fire and Rescue Services (2nd Place – Public)
Customer Service Team Awards –
- Internal: Comprised of Christine Bain, Theresa Buckingham, Brian Campbell, Kevin Costin, Dean Drumheller, Shavon Gordon, Kori Jones, Lakishia Major, Cynthia McIntyre, and Stephanie Wise , the Department of Recreation & Parks Emergency Child Care Team helped ensure County first responders had the necessary childcare options available to them to allow them to report to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Public: The Department of Recreation & Parks’ Emergency Food Delivery Team coordinated with the Howard County Public School to deliver more than 5,000 meals to children through County recreation programs and camps. Led by Susan Potts, the team consisted of Tracy Adkins, William Banks, Shawnte Berry, Krista Billingsley, Melissa Byrne, Scott Corning, Rachel Curry, Richard Dubois, William Dunmore, Curtis Gore, Alonzo Hall, Jr., Donna Jackson-Parker, Kori Jones, Lakishia Major, Julia Martin, Patrick McGinnis, Carson Nickell, Anastasis Pyzik, and Victoria Taylor.
In addition to the above awards, 20 county employees were also recognized for their 35 and 40 years of service to Howard County Government across several departments.