Please join the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (O&P) in welcoming Gregory J. Morgan as our new commissioner. Greg stepped into his role on September 9, 2020, and immediately made himself accessible to our entire staff while quickly learning the many facets of his challenging role.

Greg is highly regarded for his leadership in the commercial and residential construction industry, as well as his lifelong dedication to public service. Over the past 33 years, he has established several successful businesses of his own and lent his expertise to others in the industry. He comes to our agency after spending four years with Delbert Adams Construction Group in Baltimore, Maryland, and six years at Brothers Services Company in Hampstead, Maryland.

He has a passion for serving his community, as evidenced by his leadership roles in multiple civic, athletic and trade organizations. He recently received a Baltimore County Executive Citation and a Council Resolution for his efforts to help flood victims recover from Catonsville’s 2018 flood. He and his family are involved in many of Catonsville’s well-loved institutions, including the Taste of Catonsville, the Fourth of July parade and the annual tree lighting event. He has served on the Judicial Nominating Committee for Baltimore County, the Community College of Baltimore County Catonsville Foundation Board, and a home improvement trade organization created in the 1980s to encourage and teach ethical business practices to business owners and their teams. He was also the first paid executive director of the Catonsville Chamber of Commerce.

Greg is a Baltimore native and a graduate of Mount Saint Joseph High School. He went on to complete his bachelor’s degree at the University of Baltimore. He lives in Baltimore County with his wife of 31 years and has two sons and one daughter-in-law.

Greg’s focus with O&P will be on expanding our ongoing commitment to outstanding customer service for the benefit of protecting the citizens of Maryland, as well as the licensees that we oversee and serve. Even with most of his staff working remotely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he has made an early point of showing his support for O&P’s mission and the employees working to fulfill it. “My first impression is that everyone is a passionate and dedicated team member, and I am excited to take my experience working in the private sector into the public sphere,” he said.

Please join us in congratulating Greg on his new, well-deserved appointment as commissioner. We are fortunate to have him leading the O&P team.

Have you ever gone to a cemetery and seen coins like pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters placed on some of the memorials? Please don’t remove them! The coins have been placed by servicemen and women out of respect for their departed military colleagues. Each type of coin has a significant meaning to the military colleague that placed it on the memorial and to visiting family members that see it there. So the next time you go to a cemetery to pay respect to your loved ones, please take a moment to honor the men and women who have served.

The meaning of each coin on a headstone:
Penny - You have stopped and paid respect
Nickel - You attended boot camp with the deceased soldier
Dime - You served with the soldier
Quarter - You were with the soldier when he or she was killed

The Office of Cemetery Oversight (OCO) employees recently attended a virtual conference for the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) on August 5-6, 2020. Having attended several conferences over the years, I could not imagine how the excitement of the in-person trade show could be replicated virtually. However, I have to say that it was a very engaging and efficient event!

There were numerous cremation industry vendors available to converse, provide information about their services, and present live demonstrations. The typical crowds at in-person trade shows would have challenged an attendee trying to visit all of the vendors. However, that was eliminated by the nature of the virtual event.

Some of the newest creations made from cremains included jewelry, vases and paperweights. It was also interesting to learn that due to the increased popularity of cremation, some crematory establishments are remodeling their facilities to include special family viewing areas similar to those of funeral establishment facilities.