February Honorees

Catherine “Cat” Mateer is nominated for “Caught DGS” this month. She is being recognized for completing several high level projects, for her commitment to team work and “can do” attitude, and finally for her recent help in volunteering for the MDH Vaccination project. Cat is a Sr. Acquisition Agent for our Land Acquisition & Disposal team. She recently completed a well easement project with Carroll County government that had been pending for over twenty years, working with multiple State agencies and County officials to finalize a project that was originally approved in 1998. Cat has also negotiated a critical sale of property to CSX which will help pave the way for the widening of the Howard Street tunnel which is a joint project between the MD Port Administration and CSX. The CSX sale has involved many months of collaboration with MDOT, CSX, and legal counsel for all parties. The completion of this project will generate long lasting benefits for the State of Maryland, with an additional 100,000 containers now capable of being shipped through the Port of Baltimore every year, resulting in the creation of an estimated 7,290 new jobs in Maryland. Cat is further recognized for her team spirit and willingness to cross units in Real Estate and help with leasing and other transactions as needed. Whenever another unit or team member is in need of assistance, Cat is always willing to lend a hand. This has been demonstrated most recently in her volunteering to help with the MDH Vaccination effort, by committing 20 hours each week to this effort. Even though she has had a full plate of projects, Cat has carved time out of her schedule each week to help review volunteer applications for the vital vaccination effort. Many thanks to Cat for being Caught Doing Great Service.

Sylvia Ferguson is responsible for contracts managements and paying the bills for the four (4) divisions that make up BPBGs. It would be difficult to focus on just one of the many attributes that Sylvia brings to the table. Sylvia works with multiple supervisors, managers and numerous vendors daily. I’ve often overheard her on the phone, resolving disputes with vendors and staff members and thought how happy I was that it wasn’t me on the other end. That’s a compliment to Sylvia’s aptitude, that she has the temperament necessary to “Get the Job Done” but the sentiment not to trample on anyone’s feelings – the willingness to get involved and resolve issues. Sylvia interacts daily with the Procurement division and the Fiscal division of DGS to ensure that all transactions are smooth. She pays our bills, but she also investigates vendor disputes to verify that payment is due in accordance with the terms of the contract. She is that employee that will do without being asked. Sylvia arrives to work on time, works her shift and is willing to stay late when necessary to complete tasks. Since the pandemic, from the time she arrives in the morning until the time she leaves in the evening, she involves herself in most office matters and will volunteer and take on the tasks that nobody else wants to do. She responds quickly to emails and phone calls and gives you an answer to the question that you have presented her with or points you in the right direction if she does not know the answer. She handles emergency and difficult situations like they were routine and like the ultimate administrative professional she is, Sylvia has a special way of handling her internal and external customers to bring them in line to her way of thinking. She gets the job done. And for that reason, plus many more, is why Sylvia Ferguson is our Caught DGSing.

Starting January 7th, 2021 Maryland Capitol Police were tasked with supporting the Maryland State Police with the distribution of the COVID19 vaccine to first responders. Sgt. Ebonie Ferguson and Officer Roderick Handy volunteered to assist with the effort and have worked each and every day that the vaccination clinic has been open. This multi-agency collaboration has successfully distributed over 4,000 vaccine doses to state and federal first responders. Sgt. Ferguson and Officer Handy have each spent over 100 hours at the site, on their feet, braving the elements, to include cold, snow, rain and wind to assist with processing those being vaccinated. These two dedicated employees have shown great dedication to their fellow first responders, the Maryland Capitol Police, The Department of General Services and the State of Maryland.