JUNE 2017 HONOREES

John Roche joined the Inner Harbor team from the private sector in March of 2016. He was a locksmith who just wasn’t comfortable charging people for helping them get into their cars or homes. His boss found out about a service call where John didn’t charge the customer; he was not pleased. John left the job and joined the Inner Harbor team several months later; he immediately took control of the Lock Shop, organized it and brought it up to date.

It was obvious that John loved his job. He was the person you turned to for the tough assignments, because you knew he would get them done. You could count on John to help with all sorts of jobs. If a light needed changing or a toilet needed plunging you could rely on John.

John was in the middle of coordinating the rekeying of Saratoga State Center, a 10-story high rise with 587 passageways, when he passed. Truly, he exemplified the phrase “DGS Delivers,” and he was posthumously recognized for his unwavering commitment to courteous customer service. Gary Gray, his supervisor, received his certificate.

Jim Keel (2nd left), Christine’s supervisor, was on hand for presentation of her certificate.

Christine Stenhouse  has 19 years of service with the State. She joined DGS in January this year providing administrative support to the Facilities Engineering Division, which had been without support for over three years. In this role Christine, is responsible for every aspect of all small procurement actions the division executes in the scores of construction projects it processes. Although she came to DGS with no procurement experience, Christine has quickly learned the process and keeps the division operating at its full potential.

She has developed programs to track many of the actions performed by the division’s members. She worked with the project managers and the Management Information Division to close out a backlog of older projects. Christine tracks the status of the division’s critical operating projects in real time, which requires coordination with other DGS divisions, including Procurement and Finance. She also formats, types and processes correspondence and takes calls for the project managers when they are not available.

Christine has mastered tracking the hundreds of invoices that the division generates. She has managed to ensure that every invoice is processed in a timely manner so no contractor payments are delayed unnecessarily.

Christine approaches every task with a positive attitude and performs each in a professional manner. She has earned praise from her co-workers, employees in other divisions and the public.

Security Officer Ben McNair has provided excellent service to employees and visitors at the State Center complex in Baltimore for 16 ½ years. He is always on time for his shift and doesn’t hesitate to agree to work overtime when asked.

“I have observed Security Officer Ben McNair’s interaction with employees and the public, and he is always courteous and helpful,” said MCP Chief Michael Wilson. “His friendly demeanor makes everyone he greets feel welcomed.”