Department Recognizes Employees for Years of Continued Service

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) today honored 69 employees for their years of dedicated service to the department and to the State of Maryland. Of the employees being honored, 15 have 30 or more years of service; three have 40 or more years of experience; and one has 50 years experience. All together, these 69 employees represent 1,235 years of public service and over 2.5 million hours worked.

“I have always bragged that the department’s best asset is our outstanding employees,” said Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “This year has presented us all with unprecedented challenges that have totally changed the way many of us do our jobs every day. Despite these circumstances, our department’s employees have continued to do an exemplary job serving our state’s agriculture industry and supporting its farmers. None of that would be possible without each and every one of the committed, hardworking employees being honored today.”

The following is a list of department employees by their county of residence who were recognized with service awards. Watch the virtual award ceremony on MDA’s YouTube.

List: 

Allegany

• Biff Thompson, Forest Pest Management, 30 years

Anne Arundel

• Brenda Alexander, Central Services, 35 years
• Barbara Smallman, Turf & Seed, 30 years
• Cindy White-Hicks, State Chemist, 30 years
• Donna Birdsong, Turf & Seed, 25 years
• Lynn McNally, Central Services, 25 years
• Philip Davidson, State Chemist 20 years
• Amy Eichelman, State Chemist, 20 years
• Tonya Kendrick, Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, 20 years
• Stephen Hurst, Turf & Seed, 15 years
• Jessica Koontz, Pesticide Regulation, 15 years
• Vanessa Orlando, Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, 15 years
• Genesis Parker, Turf & Seed, 15 years
• April Salisbury, Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) program, 15 years
• Willie Taylor, Central Services, 10 years
• Matthew Malinowski, State Chemist, 5 years
• Carolyn Shepke, Pesticide Regulation, 5 years
• Cassandra Shirk, Executive Direction, 5 years

Baltimore City

• Susan Payne, Resource Conservation, 15 years
• Chana Turner, Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF), 10 years

Baltimore County

• Rowland Agbede, Resource Conservation, 30 years
• Karen Wick, State Chemist, 30 years
• Venus Torbit, State Chemist, 15 years
• Amanda Massoni, Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF), 5 years
• Weida Stoecker, Marketing, 5 years

Calvert

• Greta Jones, Mosquito Control, 5 years

Carroll

• Jason Watt, Resource Conservation, 20 years
• Jaime Tsambikos, Plant Protection & Weed Management, 5 years
• Amy Vargas, Animal Health, 5 years

Caroline

• Deborah Minnich, Resource Conservation, 25 years
• Jeffrey Dean, Resource Conservation, 5 years

Dorchester

• Charles Coleman, Weights & Measures, 35 years
• Richard Colburn, Executive Direction, 5 years

Frederick

• Kenneth Favorite, Nutrient Management, 30 years
• Holly Boyer, Resource Conservation, 15 years

Garrett

• Christopher Herbert, Resource Conservation, 20 years
• Roger Kitzmiller, Resource Conservation, 20 years

Harford

• Christopher Prigge, Resource Conservation, 15 years

Howard

• John Nickerson, Fiscal Services, 25 years
• Wendy Lloyd, Resource Conservation, 15 years

Kent

• Robert Hofstetter, Pesticide Regulation, 20 years
• Robert Myers, Resource Conservation, 20 years

Montgomery

• Assefa Fitta, State Chemist, 10 years
• Zacharias Tripoulas, Weights & Measures, 10 years
• Kevin Conroy, Executive Direction, 5 years
• Jason Schellhardt, Executive Direction, 5 years

Prince George’s

• Pegeen Morgan, Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, 40 years
• Gaye Williams, Plant Protection & Weed Management, 40 years
• Daniel Davis, Food Quality Assurance, 5 years
• Elizabeth Hoffman, Resource Conservation, 5 years
• Karen Kirksey, Marketing, 5 years
• Hannah Peete, Pesticide Regulation, 5 years

Queen Anne’s

• Hans Schmidt, Executive Direction, 5 years

Somerset

• Mark Carey, Resource Conservation, 15 years

St. Mary’s

• John Heard, Mosquito Control, 50 years
• Parran Russell, Resource Conservation, 20 years
• Steven Bell, Plant Protection & Weed Management, 10 years

Talbot

• Kimberly Rice, Plant Protection & Weed Management, 20 years

Washington

• Lane Heimer, Plant Protection & Weed Management, 35 years

Wicomico

• Richard Glasgow, Resource Conservation, 35 years
• Thomas Phillips, Resource Conservation, 20 years
• Dawn Bradley,  Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) program, 20 years
• John Hughes, Resource Conservation, 15 years

Worcester

• Alicia Walsh, Mosquito Control, 5 years

Other

• Jay Duell, Resource Conservation, 35 years, Pennsylvania
• Deborah Hayes, Plant Protection & Weed Management, 35 years, Delaware
• Laura Iacona, Food Quality Assurance, 20 years, Delaware
• Bryce Miller, Food Quality Assurance, 20 years, Pennsylvania
• Tynetta Cannon, Mosquito Control, 15 years, Delaware
• William Rawlings, Resource Conservation, 15 years, West Virginia
• Andrew Thomas, Resource Conservation, 15 years, Pennsylvania

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