Reflecting on 2015

(Originally posted February 1, 2016)

On the first anniversary of my appointment as Secretary of General Services, I want to reflect on the past year. It was both challenging and exciting. As I think about what we accomplished in my first year, I recall the hard work and good deeds from DGS employees.

With Governor Hogan calling on state agencies to help him change Maryland for the better, DGS employees stepped up and identified ways that we could work better, faster, smarter. DGS Delivers became our new tag line, and the employees delivered on a commitment to improve DGS at every level.

Employees in every division started finding ways to work more efficiently and effectively. They identified and eliminated redundancies. Silos started coming down, and divisions started communicating more regularly with each other, determining how to work together for better results. New systems and processes were implemented to make the delivery of services more responsive. There is more to be done, but we got off to a good start.

It was also my good fortune to observe a personal quality DGS employees share – a spirit of volunteerism and giving. When Governor Hogan announced a new volunteer program for state employees last June, called “Maryland Unites,” DGS employees responded. A group organized by the Office of Personnel volunteered at Moveable Feast in Baltimore, where they helped to prepare nutritious meals for adults and children living with life-threatening illnesses. Members of the Maryland Capitol Police, including Chief Wilson, helped sort, pack and assemble food donations at the Maryland Food Bank.

DGS employees stepped up again during the Maryland Combined Charities Campaign donating their time and talents and making generous contributions to their favorite charities. Bake sales, with treats baked by DGS employees, and a Fall Fun Fest, featuring games and contests, contributed to the campaign’s tremendous success. We raised nearly $33,000, representing 98% of our goal.

To close out the year and in the true spirit of giving, employees brought donations of children’s clothes and toys to the DGS holiday party. Distributing their gifts to the children of struggling families was a rewarding experience. I could see on the smiling faces of those children that the generosity of DGS employees made a positive difference in their young lives.

I look forward to working with employees to build on the successes of 2015. I will continue to seek innovative ideas for delivering services better, smarter and faster. And we will build on the tremendous success and momentum of last November’s Business Opportunities & Entrepreneurial Training Summit by reaching out to small, local, woman, minority and veteran-owned businesses and providing them with information about doing business with the State and the training to compete for and win contracts.