July Honorees

Jennifer Edwards is Director of Emergency Management. As the DGS representative to MEMA, Jenn was the first to respond to the agency’s call for the COVID-19 emergency. She was at MEMA practically 24/7 for the first months of the crisis, and was in the forefront of procuring PPE and other materials necessary for the state’s response to the pandemic. Jenn exhibited true dedication to her job and to fellow Marylanders.

Larry Stinson, Maintenance Supervisor at the Towson District Court, has been with DGS since September 2019. Prior to coming onboard, he worked at Skookum Contract Services as a quality control /safety manager. He was responsible for overseeing maintenance contracts for the U.S. Coast Guard in Curtis Bay totaling $5M for 65 buildings. In December 2019, Larry began overseeing a major HVAC and building renovation project at Towson District Court. The project involves replacing 53 VAVs, the chiller, ductwork and the roof. He works in conjunction with the Construction Division, attends all progress meetings, and keeps the regional manager informed of all crucial information.  Larry has mastered multi-tasking. Not only is he overseeing the HVAC project, he is juggling two other projects at the same time – limestone capstone and landscaping.

As we all learn to adjust to a new normal resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, our security officers have remained steadfast and diligent throughout. They have been on the front lines securing our buildings in Annapolis and Baltimore constantly greeting and directing and monitoring staff, vendors and visitors. These men and women exemplify the characteristics and attributes of the finest security officers. Importantly, they have continued to report for duty during these trying times and have shown strength and tenacity on a daily basis. They have proven that what they do is more than just a job; it is a critical service. While you might not know all their names you know their face; you remember their good morning’s or hello’s, their friendly waves, their have a good evening’s or see you tomorrow’s. You remember brief chats or helpful demeanor. While you reflect on all of this, remember that these are the men and women who have continually secured our front lines, long before COVID-19.

Mike Valenzia is a project manager with the Facilities Engineering Division. A few months after Mike joined the DGS team eight months ago, he was asked to participate in the Governor’s surge capacity effort to combat the ongoing covid-19 health crisis. His first assignment was working with his DGS coworkers to complete the construction and stand up of the Baltimore Convention Center medical field hospital.

Once that task was completed, Mike moved on to a larger project, the renovation of the Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park. This hospital had been closed since August 2019. Mike and the construction team worked 7 days a week, 10-plus hours a day for the majority of this project to meet the completion date of mid-June. The work involved to bring this facility back on line included replacing much of the HVAC system’s coils and valves, bringing all the electrical, plumbing and medical gases back on line and to code, installing nurses call stations, and the overall cleaning of the entire facility. In all, the work spanned five floors and 220,000 square feet.  Upon completion, over 200 medical beds were brought on line to help with the Governor’s mandate to create additional patient beds. Along with the daily onsite management of the project, Mike coordinated all the logistics with the medical staff of Washington Adventist to make this a successful project. This project was completed ahead of schedule and under the assigned budget!

For his unwavering commitment to supporting Governor Hogan’s directive to increase hospital bed capacity, Mike Valenzia was CAUGHT DOING GREAT SERVICE!