Public Service Recognition Week

Dear Prince Georgians:

Last week, we were proud to join the nation in recognizing National Public Service Recognition Week, which has been celebrated since 1985 to honor those who serve our nation as federal, state, county, and local government employees. Public servants include teachers, doctors, scientists, train conductors, astronauts, laborers, childcare providers, engineers, and countless other occupations, who all serve our nation with dignity and integrity.

The Prince George’s County Government is home to more than 6,000 dedicated and talented employees who work to protect and improve the quality of life for our residents, businesses, and visitors. Each of these individuals are committed to exhibiting the highest standards of professional excellence, creativity, skill, and customer service, and we want to thank all of our employees for the work they do to support Prince Georgians.

Earlier this week, we took the opportunity to honor County Government employees who go above and beyond to serve our residents. These individuals were nominated by their respective agency leadership for the work that they do each and every day, and we were Prince George’s Proud to award each of them for their dedicated service to our County Government. Please take a moment to learn more about each of these employees below and join us in congratulating them for their outstanding service.  

Yours in service,

Angela Alsobrooks
Prince George’s County Executive

County Government Employee Spotlights

Ron Young
Office of the County Executive

Ron Young serves as the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs within the Office of the County Executive. He is responsible for coordinating and overseeing legislative affairs for the County Government. Ron plays a critical role and is one of the reasons that the County Government has been successful in advocating on behalf of residents in Annapolis. Ron is a dedicated and consummate professional, making himself available at any time to assist his team, answer questions, and provide information. He is extremely knowledgeable on legislative affairs in the County and State and is able to help guide the County Government on the decisions that should be made and the most effective strategies to ensure success. Ron is always on top of his game and always ready to jump right in to support and assist however he can. We were proud to honor Ron with an award for his service this week.

Angel Perez-Irizarry
Office of Community Relations

Angel Perez-Irizarry serves as a Community Developer/Community Liaison with the Office of Community Relations (OCR). Angel was nominated for Public Service Recognition Week due to his exceptional dedication and contributions to OCR. He plays a pivotal role in ensuring smooth operations across the board, consistently going above and beyond to support the team. He is known for his willingness to step in and assist whenever needed, never hesitating to lend a helping hand. Angel was recently promoted, which is a testament to his hard work and commitment. We were proud to present Angel with an award for his service this week.

Jose Villegas
Office of Human Rights

Jose Villegas serves within the Office of Human Rights (OHR), a small agency with a mighty mission. OHR is able to achieve its mission because there is a strong agency ethos of “team.”  Jose is one of several within OHR who go above and beyond in ensuring that the mission is fulfilled. He wears several hats to include Assistant Director, Manager of the Investigation Division, Budget Analyst, and greatly assists with fiscal responsibilities. Jose provides great leadership in the Investigation Division and even on scheduled days off, he makes himself available when issues arise. He consistently goes above and beyond and has never once said “that is not my job” and exemplifies “Prince George’s Proud” in his work ethic. We were proud to present Jose with an award for her service this week.

Bamidele “KiKi” Burton Alexander
Office of Ethics and Accountability

Bamidele “KiKi” Burton Alexander has served as Legal Counsel to the Office of Ethics and Accountability (OEA) since 2020 after having previously served as an Assistant County Attorney for the County’s Office of Law. As Legal Counsel for OEA, KiKi is responsible for reviewing and processing Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advice cases, Secondary Employment, and Executive Administrative Appointment requests. She tracks and advises on proposed State and County legislative matters that impact OEA responsibilities under the County Code. In addition, she provides legal advice to the Board of Ethics, the OEA Executive Director, and staff as needed. KiKi serves with high integrity and ethics in all matters. She is cordial and a team player who contributes to the important work of the office. We were proud to present KiKi with an award for her service this week.

David Juppe
Office of Management and Budget

David Juppe serves as the Legislative Analyst in the Office of Law and has done an extraordinary job. David has served as the principal revenue forecaster for the County while also serving as the primary financial analyst for all of the bills coming from Annapolis. In addition, he managed and significantly improved the County’s tax differential process. David has also been an exceptional recruiter of interns and talented young professionals from the University of Maryland. We were proud to present David with an award for his service this week.

Michael Straughan
Office of Law

Michael Straughan serves as the Investigator Supervisor for the Office of Law. He was chosen to be the recipient of the Public Service Recognition award because of his tireless dedication to the County. No matter what you ask Michael, or despite not giving much notice, his answer is always "Yes, I will get it done." Michael retired from the Prince George's County Police Department after serving more than 20 years and rising through its ranks to Command staff. He came to the Office of Law in 2016 with extensive and varied investigatory experience. Not only does he handle all spectrums of investigative work for the Office of Law, which range from serving subpoenas, finding persons, interviewing witnesses, and locating crucial documents. Michael is often called upon by the Office of the County Executive, the County Attorney, and sometimes other agency directors to assist with sensitive and crucial matters. He is known for being objective, thorough, professional, and discrete. For several months, after his predecessor retired, Michael worked alone in handling his duties. Never once did he falter in getting the job done. In addition, he also serves as the COOP Coordinator for the Office of Law and often advises the County Attorney and others in the office on security issues. Michael as a quiet demeanor, but his presence and contributions to the Office of Law and the County are invaluable. He is a talented and true public servant who daily works hard for County residents. We were proud to present Michael with an award for his service this week.

Donna Brown
County Council

Donna Brown serves as the Clerk of the Prince George’s County Council. In her role, she personifies the definition of a leader, a manager, and a team member. The Legislative Branch is responsible for an extensive schedule of events that can become high-level urgency at a moment's notice. In the middle of it all is Donna, who brings a consistently calm and steady presence that can easily redirect the energy in an otherwise tense atmosphere. Her workday extends far into the evenings and includes every weekend, yet there is never any evidence that she is near the end of her rope. Donna's smile and disposition are a constant, reassuring presence. Donna is not only knowledgeable, but she is also dependable and loyal. At any given time, Donna is the one we all go to for answers and support, and she never disappoints or fails to come through. She has a wealth of historical knowledge on every aspect of Council business, and her detailed weekly and monthly schedule of Council meetings and events assists every division within the Legislative Branch in planning how best to serve the residents of Prince George's County. Donna is the consummate public servant. We were proud to present Donna with an award for her service this week.

Major Sha’von Smith
Department of Corrections

Major Sha’Von Smith has worked at the Department of Corrections (DOC) as a Correctional Officer for 24 years serving incarcerated individuals as well as internal and external customers. Major Smith currently serves as the Executive Assistant to Director Clark. She stays late and comes in early working on various projects for Director Clark and DOC and coordinates between the Office of Human Resources Management, the DOC Human Resources Division, and the DOC Recruitment, Background, and Investigations Unit, providing a smoother and more efficient onboarding process in hiring new correctional officers and civilian staff. Major Smith provides guidance to her coworkers and is a team player. The DOC acknowledges and appreciates Major Smith for her professionalism, hard work, and dedication to the Prince George’s County Government. We were proud to present Major Smith with an award for her service this week.

Caleb Young
Fire/EMS Department

Caleb Young serves as a Procurement Officer at the Fire/EMS Department. Caleb has been an invaluable asset to the Fire/EMS Department, consistently demonstrating exceptional dedication and commitment in procuring services and equipment for the department. His unwavering focus on efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness has significantly contributed to the smooth functioning of the agency. Some of Caleb’s key accomplishments include processing and approving $26.3 million in purchase orders for services and equipment for the Fire/EMS Department, processing 85 contracts/MOUs within the contract system (SPEED), ensuring that all contracts for the Fire/EMS Department have been extended, proactively identified supply chain disruptions and implemented a contingency plan, and maintaining communication with all stakeholders, fostering strong relationships. Caleb Young embodies the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and service excellence. His commitment to public service is evident in every order processed. We were proud to present Caleb with an award for his service this week.

Tiatte Day
Office of Homeland Security

Tiatte Day serves as the Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Homeland Security (OHS). She is directly responsible for managing and overseeing the day-to-day operations within the Director’s Office. Tiatte’s knowledge of OHS and Public Safety is unparalleled. In the past year, there have been several County and agency policy changes that affect our employees. Tiatte stepped up and took the initiative to take on additional roles such as the agency’s Record’s Retention representative, AWA Coordinator, Co-ADA Coordinator, Labor Negotiations representative, and the OHS Language Access Compliance Coordinator. Furthermore, she volunteered to co-lead the committee reviewing all agency policies and general orders and serves as my liaison for both Cyber Preparedness and Critical Infrastructure Protection. Even with numerous projects, Tiatte has consistently met established project deadlines and milestones. Her skills do not end with her committee, project, and program leadership. She also projects a warm, positive attitude with our internal and external partners and leads by example. She does not shy away from the tough challenges. With a number of the committees, projects, and workgroups, she has work tirelessly to both raise her level of knowledge of complex problems but has taken the time to bring some of her colleagues with her in the journey so that all will benefit. She is able to resolve conflicts and handle other difficult situations with remarkable grace, patience and admirable tact. We were proud to present Tiatte with an award for her service this week.

Brian Fischer
Police Department

Brian Fischer has served as the Manager of the Media Relations Division (MRD) within the Prince George’s Police Department (PGPD) since August 2022. Working directly with the traditional media and social media is an essential function of MRD and Brian manages and leads a team of twelve people that have very diverse roles. This includes six Public Information Officers who are assigned to an event or a crime scene and write blogs seen by the public and often used by the media on the newscasts. He works with and approves MRD’s Special Projects which produces the Valor Awards, Toys for Tots, and many other high-profile events. He also manages the Crime Solvers Department. In addition, Brian was integral in producing the Chief’s video series and created, wrote, and produced PGPD recruiting commercials. He has also produced numerous news conferences and local news “Speak to the Chief” segments and was integral in the creation of great media events like Go-Go Day at Spirit Park with DJ Rico.    Brian also takes great pride in fundraising to support PGPD’s in-house youth programs. He maintains a very positive relationships with the media and is always prepared to represent PGPD. Brian is a major contributor to the success of PGPD. He is “First to Serve” and “Prince George's Proud.” We were proud to present Brian with an award for his service this week.

Security Officer II Ronald Jones
Office of the Sheriff

Security Officer II Ronald Jones has served Prince George’s County for more than 30 years. As a member of our Bureau of Court Services, Security Officer II Jones works tirelessly to ensure the safety at the Upper Marlboro Courthouse complex. Security Officer II Jones is among a cast of unsung heroes at the Office of the Sheriff who go about their business with the utmost professionalism and dedication. The goal is to have visitors of the Courthouse complex enter the building, resolve their business, and exit the building without incident, and Security Officer II Jones helps us to accomplish this every day. We were proud to present Security Officer II with an award for his service this week.

*Security Officer II Ronald Jones colleagues accepted his award on his behalf.

Pamela Wilson
Department of Housing and Community Development

Pamela Wilson has been in public service in Prince George’s County for over 30 years. Pamela currently serves as the Chief Housing Development Manager for the Department of Housing and Community Development. In this capacity, Pamela and her team have deployed new resources, created new programs, built productive relationships with the development community, and set an example of collaboration with other public agencies. Prince George’s County’s new and robust production, preservation, and pipeline of affordable housing projects are a testament of Pamela’s exemplary public service. We were proud to honor Pamela with an award for her service this week.

Tonette Simmons
Housing Authority

Ms. Tonette Simmons serves as the Accounts Payable Manager at the Housing Authority of Prince George’s County (HAPGC). Tonette organizes the Christmas in April volunteer effort for HAPGC employees. This effort assists homeowners in Prince George’s County with maintaining their homes that have fallen into disrepair. Tonette served as the House Captain for this year’s volunteer effort, where she worked with the selected homeowner to determine what work needed to be done on the house and coordinated gathering the necessary resources (materials and volunteer labor) to complete the upgrade to the resident’s home. This year’s recipient was a 73-year-old Hyattsville resident who is partially blind and a caregiver to her disabled son. The repairs on the home included approximately $5,000 in landscaping work and the rebuilding of the homeowner’s deck steps. Tonette is a shining example of what a Housing Authority of Prince George’s County employee should be. We were proud to present Tonette with an award for her service this week.

Carole Barth
Department of the Environment

Carole Barth serves as the Manager of the Tree Conservation and Conservation Landscaping Programs at the Department of the Environment. Carole has a passion for educating people on how to protect, preserve, and foster environmental health. She has been applauded by the Prince George’s County Public School System’s (PGCPS) Environmental Education staff for her development and delivery of engaging presentations for their professional development workshops. Carole’s Green Housekeeping Workshops are one of the most often requested workshops by residents and she never fails to amaze workshop participants with demonstrations of the cleaning power of vinegar and other non-toxic materials. She is also a longtime member of the Prince George’s County Beautification Committee, and as a testament to her support of the Committee’s efforts to encourage municipal coordination with County endeavors and to facilitate residents’ participation in Arbor Day activities and Annual Beautification Awards, community members know her by name and frequently reach out to her directly when in need of information and assistance. Carole goes above and beyond to assist residents in their efforts to increase tree canopy in their communities. She works with communities to plan and design planting projects in non-County right-of-ways and makes the extra effort to connect community representatives with the Department of Public Works and Transportation for opportunities to have street trees planted along the County right-of-way through the Right Tree Right Place Program. We were proud to present Carole with an award for her service this week.

Dinesh Kumar
Office of Information Technology

Dinesh Kumar serves as a Lead Application Developer in the Digital Government Division in OIT, performing exceptional work far exceeding expectations on a regular basis. Over the years and continuing today, there has been a dynamic acceleration of new apps and data needs from agencies and County initiatives as we move to automate and go digital in today’s world. Dinesh has been extremely dedicated in making himself available to deliver on new grants, new services, and legislative requirements with the work spanning requirement scoping, research, design and delivery of very specialized software applications projects and unplanned ad-hoc needs for new automation in a dime. Dinesh often worked far beyond normal worktime, often on evenings, weekends, and holidays, and on very short notice. These efforts are in addition to his normal planned assignments and goals. He has been operating at this pace for several years, wearing multiple hats as Project Lead, Analyst, and Senior Programing Engineer. While the work he does is “behind the scenes,” it is instrumental to the County meeting its mission and goals and commitment to service. Dinesh is well-deserving for this recognition for his dedication and personal sacrifice in public service. We were proud to present Dinesh with an award for his service this week.

Ramon Hulsey
Department of Public Works and Transportation

Ramon Hulsey has been with the Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T) for over 30 years. Ramon has served in multiple positions including Chief Crew Supervisor in the Office of Storm Drain Maintenance and was recently promoted to serve as PGC311 Manager in the Office of the Director. During this transition, Ramon successfully served in a dual role as Chief Crew Supervisor supporting the training of supervisors and front line employees for over a year. In his new role, Ramon has excelled in providing programmatic oversight and management of the PGC311 Program, assigning incoming inquiries, complaints and requests to Resolution Agents, ensuring all requests are investigated and resolved within the appropriate timeframes provided by leadership, interfacing with various key partners of the agency and the County to ensure appropriate resolution of all inquiries and reported issues, dispatching appropriate tickets to ticket investigators for further resolution of requests, ensuring all open tickets are processed and resolved accurately; program development and oversight of PGC311 ticketing system to include ticket resolution from open to close status, and providing guidance for resolving diverse technically complex, difficult, and sensitive tickets and complaints. Ramon is an invaluable asset to the department and has helped to advance goals in significantly reducing all Motorola tickets as well as addressing PGC311 backlog requests. He continues to exceed expectations in his new role and provide support across multiple offices in DPW&T. We were proud to present Ramon with an award for his service this week.

George Moore
Office of Central Services

George Moore serves as the Mail Services Operator Lead with the Office of Central Services’ General Services Division. George is someone who works hard and goes above and beyond to retrieve and deliver U.S. mail and interoffice mail throughout the County Government. As a mail courier, George has a daily public-facing job within the County Government. George works tirelessly with only two other couriers to ensure that approximately 2 million pieces of County mail is processed annually by keeping abreast of changes in County staff and any relocation of agencies. George routinely prepares these mailings for County agencies and serves as a liaison between the agencies and the USPS to manage the County’s permit mail accounts. Mr. George Moore has become a routine presence in our agencies, and he is always willing to help anyone needing assistance. We were proud to present George with an award for his service this week.

Jennifer Black
Office of Human Resources Management

Jennifer Black serves as the Associate Director of Operations at the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM). Jennifer is the consummate professional who consistently goes above and beyond her duties to ensure that the agency and leadership can stay focused on its mission and daily goals. Jennifer has been a supportive asset to the County since 2011, utilizing her knowledge, skills, and experience to provide exemplary service to agency leadership and staff in the realm of fiscal management. In the past year, Jennifer has taken on significant and various duties to include overseeing, facilitating, and actively participating in the agency’s office relocation of over 50 people. Additionally, utilizing her knowledge and foresight around agency needs, Jennifer developed and implemented a Strategic Planning Unit for OHRM that will help guide and steer the agency towards cutting edge and innovative HR practices. We were proud to present Jennifer with an award for her service this week.

Clarence Moseley
Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement

Clarence Moseley serves as the Permit Center Manager with the Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement (DPIE). Clarence is a highly responsible and effective manager that ensures the permit center is kept open and operating daily. He always maintains self-control and presents a courteous and cooperative attitude to the DPIE customers. Clarence is a consummate public servant and demonstrates professionalism during interactions with all entities conducting business with the department and the County. Mr. Moseley fully supports the mission and values of this department and is acknowledged for his hard work and dedication. We were proud to present Clarence with an award for his service this week.

Karen Gainey
Office of Finance

Karen Gainey has been with the County Government for almost 18 years and currently serves as the Treasury Customer Service Team Lead with the Office of Finance (OOF). Karen’s team handles calls from residents on all matters related to property taxes and credits. The volume can become overwhelming during peak periods and especially with the implementation of the Elderly Property Tax Credit in the last year. Karen is knowledgeable, professional, and compassionate. As a leader on the front line, she sets the tone for other staff and advises on communications to ensure they are clear for constituents. Karen has also taken on the role of Language Access Coordinator (LAC), and under her leadership, the OOF is consistently ranked as a top agency in the utilization of the program and meeting required deadlines. She also assists in other areas of Treasury beyond her primary role in Customer Service including participating and assisting with the annual tax billing and mailing activities, which requires working additional weekend hours. Karen has received numerous accolades from County residents who have requested to speak with her manager to express their gratitude for providing excellent customer service. She is described as a knowledgeable, patient, and engaging professional who often goes above and beyond to assist the public. It is her nature to serve, it is who she is as a person. We were proud to present Karen with an award for her service this week.

Victoria Frazier
Department of Social Services

Victoria Frazier has served the residents of Prince George’s County for more than 30 years. Victoria currently serves as the Program Manager and SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) Lead with the Department of Social Services. In her role as SOAR Lead, Victoria has successfully secured approvals for 174 claimants with complex histories of homelessness and behavioral health challenges resulting in the award of over $11M in cumulative monthly SSI/SSDI benefits and retroactive payments to residents in Prince George’s County. In her current capacity, Victoria works to expedite the application and approval process for Social Security Disability Benefits for people experiencing homelessness. We were proud to present Victoria with an award for her service this week.

Cathy Stasny
Department of Family Services

Ms. Cathy Stasny has been with the Prince George’s County Government for over 36 years.  Over those years, Cathy has served in management as the Department of Family Services’ resident dietician and Nutrition Manager. Additionally, she has twice served as the Acting Division Manager of the Aging and Disabilities Services Division. Cathy’s commitment to the senior population is evidenced by the many activities she has planned over the years including the Senior Picnic and the Red and Gold Gala. She enjoys serving our older adult population and led our activities as we strived to feed seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in over 1,000,000 meals being served. Cathy’s can-do attitude is also exemplified by her work around emergency preparedness. Whenever there is an event involving our older population in the county, Cathy can be found at the scene, no matter the time of day or night. Cathy is one of those employees who does not say no and can be found wherever an extra hand is needed.  She is supportive of the department and the people it serves. Many of our seniors know her by name and face and appreciate her friendliness and willingness to help them whenever it is possible to do so. Cathy demonstrates what a true public servant looks like. We were proud to present Cathy with an award for her service this week.

Evelyn Hoban
Health Department

Evelyn Hoban has been working for the Prince George’s County Government for over 30 years. Most of Evelyn’s career has been dedicated to the environment health and safety of County residents. Several years ago, she became the Associate Director of Environmental Health and helped lead her team through the COVID pandemic, working on the frontlines to ensure that we were able to provide reliable contact tracing for cases to keep people safe. Evelyn has been a tremendous team player and has some of the highest employee satisfaction scores in the Health Department. She truly exemplifies a Public Health professional. We were proud to present Evelyn with an award for her service this week.

Wayne K. Curry County Administration Building

1301 McCormick Drive, Suite 4000
Largo, Maryland 20774