June Honorees

FOM Baltimore Public Buildings and Grounds & FPDCE

An inspection in mid-May of the State Center power plant revealed that large pipes carrying chilled water and steam to the State Center buildings faced imminent and catastrophic failure.  DGS staff from Facilities Operations & Maintenance (FOM) and Facilities Planning, Design, Construction & Energy (FPDCE) sprang into action. They quickly formulated a plan to replace the pipes and lined up contractors to do the work.

The initial estimate was that the work would take seven days and require the State Center buildings to go without air conditioning for as much as four of those days. But the team aimed to do better than that. Once everything was in place, they gave up their Memorial Day weekend and began the work early on the evening of Thursday, May 23. They labored steadily through Sunday, May 26.  Thanks to their concerted efforts and some creative scheduling, they completed a week’s worth of work in only 3½ days. The result? The buildings were cooled and fully functional when everyone returned to work the day after Memorial Day. For this, the DGS staff involved were Caught Doing Great Service.

Jimmie “JB” Brown is the Statewide Vehicle Disposal Specialist for the Inventory Standards and Support Services Division (ISSSD). He has over 26 years of state service, and came to ISSSD in 2007 when the state surplus warehouse closed.

JB is responsible for determining the disposition of all surplus state vehicles. He attends all auctions to ensure that paperwork is properly completed and to make arrangements for any vehicles that need to be towed.  He is also responsible for the financial documents, including reconciliation of the sales.

In FY 2019, JB managed the disposition of over 1,300 state-owned surplus vehicles with an original acquisition cost of over $40 million. This program is revenue-producing and JB is the sole manager. Under his management, the Vehicle Disposal Program brought over $150,000 in revenue to DGS, as well over $4 million that went back to the using agencies.

JB is dependable and willing to help whenever needed.  We are thankful to have him on our ISSSD team.

Lew Shapiro is a Sr. Lease Compliance Agent for the Office of Real Estate. He has worked in the lease compliance unit for his entire 20-year career with DGS. He is known as the “go-to guy” for problems that arise in leased facilities.

In his capacity as Lease Compliance Agent, Lew handles problems that arise in leased facilities which can range from HVAC and mold issues, plumbing problems, rodent sightings, and snow and ice removal, to name a few. He is on call 24/7 to respond to facility issues and ensure that our leased facilities remain secure and open for business.

An example of Lew’s dedication to his job occurred in January this year.  Lew had left the office and was headed out of town for the weekend. He received a call at 5 pm from one of our social service agencies advising that a vehicle had lost control and crashed into a leased facility. Pedestrians were injured and possible fatalities.  Lew immediately changed his plans and drove back into the City to provide support to the agency.  He spent the next 4 hours of the evening on site working with the emergency responders, property managers and agency representatives to secure the facility.  Lew reached out to the Deputy Secretary and Asst. Secretary to brief them throughout the event.  The next morning, he returned again to make sure security was on site and the entrance the social services office was safeguarded.

Lew is a highly dedicated and valued employee.   DGS is fortunate to have his expertise and devotion to his job.

Mahmood Yahyai is the sole structural engineer in the Public Schools and Community Colleges Construction Unit. Often, he comes across designs that do not comply with structural standards, codes, or just reasonableness. When this happens, he informs the client of the design issues, providing recommendations for changes. It’s a subtle way of noting a design’s flaws without ruffling feathers. However, when Mahmood makes a professional determination that a design does not comply with basic sustainability and safety standards, he boldly informs the designer – in no uncertain terms – of the requirements that must be met. Imagine how ruffled those feathers are now!

Mahmood recently found himself in this situation. Here is what a satisfied customer said about the meeting’s outcome:

“I just wanted to reach out and thank you again for your time this morning. I do want to apologize if any rude comments by the consultant were said during our meeting. I believe that they were initially frustrated, but as the meeting went along, I believe they saw your viewpoints and understood what was necessary. We will plan to have a new, updated structural package to you over the next few days. FCPS appreciates your diligence in review and looks forward to working with you on this and future projects. Should you need anything or have any questions or concerns, please contact me directly.”

Daryl Moore of Procurement & Logistics nominated Christine Stenhouse, an administrative assistant in the Facilities Engineering Division, because she is always going above and beyond in her job, and she does it with a smile on her face.

“I don’t work with her directly, but she does work closely with us in procurement, so we all know her and her work ethic. Everyone – from supervisors to employees – is always complimenting her on how well she does her job, to the point of trying to steal her away! Plus, I notice that she participated in the Kid’s Day a couple of months ago, was involved with the pie fundraiser, and helped with Employee Appreciation Day. She’s probably done some other things I can’t remember.”

Security Officer Mechiko Moulden is with the MCP Annapolis Detachment. While on afternoon bike patrol in late April this year, she noticed a white ford van sitting in the middle of Calvert and Saint John’s streets. She approached the van and noticed that the driver was dazed and confused. Security Officer Moulden also saw that the van was in gear. She immediately put it in park and removed to keys to prevent a possible collision. Her experience and training lead her to immediately recognize that the driver was having a medical emergency, whereupon she called dispatch for medical services.

Security Officer Moulden’s quick thinking and fast action averted a more serious outcome, perhaps even the driver’s death. During the entire incident, she remained calm and assisted officers in making sure the driver received the proper medical attention. She demonstrated that she can remain level-headed in a stressful situation.

Security Officer Moulden has proven time and again that she is a role model for MCP by performing her job with dedication, integrity and attention to detail.