August 2024 Honorees

Ron Reichert 
Ron is retiring from DGS after 18 years of service, Ron is 91 years old and has held positions of increased leadership responsibility since coming to DGS from Bethlehem Steel. Ron and his team have provided construction oversight on several large DGS projects like the Maryland School for the Deaf Elementary, Sykesville Readiness Center for the Military Department and countless other projects totaling in the hundreds of million dollars. Ron has shared his years and wealth of experience with many of the project managers and construction administrators. 

Jeffrey Newsome
Jeff always goes above & beyond his assigned duties to further our division’s mission and impart great service to anyone and everyone. Jeff is especially recognized for his diligent work to meet mandated contract and procurement reporting deadlines for the Office of State Procurement (OSP). Jeff has done a great job with the challenging task of gathering, consolidating, analyzing, and sanitizing data from multiple sources, both systematically through FMIS, eMMA, and ANSWERS, as well as independent tracking/excel files. Also, Jeff communicates the limitations, errors, and areas of improvement for better data from these sources. He has always been a willing participant in trying to get any data issues fixed for better and faster reporting. Additionally, Jeff serves as an ADPICS Vendor Coordinator for DGS and is always willing to help others with his working knowledge of ADPICS/FMIS reporting where he can. An example of this “can-do” attitude was exemplified on April 23, 2024 when the Assistant Secretary of the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Heather Barthel, reached out to Jeff for help in correcting vendor information in ADPICS. She had originally asked the GAD (Comptroller’s office) for help with this, and they referred her to OSP for support. Jeff immediately addressed and corrected her issue within the ADPICS system, despite being just an ADPICS VC for DGS alone. Jeff is a true team player and his working knowledge of our systems and his willingness to share this knowledge has made him a “go-to” person across the State of Maryland! 

Rockelle Woodard
Ms. Rockelle ‘Rocky’ Woodard is a valued member of our Office of Real Estate (ORE) team. Rocky is an Executive Assistant to the Assistant Secretary and also supports the Director of Operations and all ORE units with day-to-day operations. Every day, the team depends on Rocky to be successful with navigating her workload. Rocky has been observed doing so with dedication and pride of “Doing Great Service”! Her personality and office demeanor is always pleasant and welcoming. In addition to Rocky’s daily duties, she recently stepped up along with other members of the team to work with ORE Youthworks Summer Intern. Rocky immediately established a relationship with our intern that allowed her to be a confidant, mentor, “supervisor”, and work friend. We collectively believe that Rocky’s chemistry with the intern and the involvement from other members of the ORE team made the internship experience with DGS exponentially better. Not only did the past month serve as a lasting memory for the intern, but it also provided Rocky with supervisory experience that will come to serve her as she continues her tenure with state service. Sometimes customer service faces internally. The customer service Rocky provided our Summer 2024 intern, was noteworthy! We see Rocky as being a future leader in state service and continue to support as well as encourage her endeavors with professional development. We are very proud to have such a wonderful team member in Rocky. Thank you, Rocky, we appreciate all your dedication and service to the State of Maryland!

Tone Hansford 
Tone is undeniably one of the best team members we have within Office of Facilities Management (OFM). She is phenomenal and a true definition of a team player. We love that she does not work in silos and tries to assist everyone with the knowledge they need. Her work ethic is paramount as she works with the Superintendents to help them manage and oversee their contracts and other processes that affect OFM. She is hard-working, as she rarely misses a day to ensure that she helps to cover her unit that has current vacancies. Tone is the type of employee that you want more of, because you know that your employees will be timely, dedicated, customer friendly and professional without ever complaining, but also realizing that the job has to get done. We value Tone and her can-do attitude, and we truly believe that she is an excellent example of someone deserving of the Doing Great Service.

Officer David Townes, Lieutenant Carlos, Sergeant Shanell Johnson, Sergeant Derrick Layton, Officer Keith Calloway and Security Officer Jamal Henderson
On June 24, 2024, at approximately 1044 hours, members of the Field Operations Bureau—PFC David Townes, Lt. Carlos Gomez, Sgt. Shanell Johnson, Sgt. Derrick Layton, K9 Officer Keith Calloway, and Security Officer Jamal Henderson—demonstrated exceptional teamwork and professionalism in response to a critical medical emergency. The incident occurred in front of SECU at 301 W. Preston Street, Baltimore, MD, when PFC Townes radioed the Maryland Capitol Police Communication Center to report an unknown medical emergency involving an unconscious male. The unit swiftly responded to the scene, with each member playing a vital role in the effort to save the victim’s life. Lt. Gomez assessed the situation and determined that the victim had no pulse and was not breathing independently. Acting quickly, Lt. Gomez began administering CPR while other members of the team provided critical support, ensuring the scene was secured and the necessary equipment was readily available. At 1053 hours, an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was applied to the victim, with Lt. Gomez leading the administration. When the first application did not produce the desired result, a second shock was delivered, successfully resuscitating the victim. The team’s coordinated efforts continued as they maintained the victim’s stability until the Baltimore City Fire Department arrived at 1056 hours and assumed control of the scene. The victim was subsequently transported to the University of Maryland Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery for a severe myocardial infarction, commonly referred to as a “widow maker” heart attack. A follow-up on June 25, 2024, confirmed that the victim was responsive and coherent—a direct result of the Field Operations Bureau’s prompt and effective intervention. Impact: The actions of the Field Operations Bureau on June 24, 2024, exemplify the highest standards of teamwork, coordination, and professionalism. Their quick, decisive actions not only saved a life but also highlighted the department’s commitment to excellence in emergency response. Each member of the unit played an integral role in ensuring the successful outcome of this critical incident, demonstrating the strength and effectiveness of their collective efforts. Conclusion: In recognition of their outstanding performance and collaboration during this life-saving event, it is recommended that the Field Operations Bureau be awarded the Unit Citation. Their exemplary teamwork and dedication to duty have greatly contributed to the attainment of departmental goals and serve as an inspiring example to all.