Six individuals receive the Delaware Award for Excellence and Commitment in State Service

Dover – Governor Jack Markell today recognized and celebrated the efforts of the 2013 recipients of the Delaware Award for Excellence and Commitment in State Service. The award winners and nominees were recognized for their exemplary efforts in service to the State of Delaware.

“These individuals truly exemplify what it means to be a public servant,” said Governor Markell. “Their commitment and dedication have driven them to provide excellent service to Delawareans.”

The 2013 recipients are:

• Efrem B. Morales, Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles – Efrem, a Motor Vehicle Technician with DelDOT’s DMV, was preparing to call a customer to his desk, when a customer who had just left him staggered and fell to the floor, losing consciousness. Without hesitation, Efrem leaped over his counter to assist her, and directed a coworker to call 911. When she regained consciousness, he let her know what was happening and continued to stay with her and assess her condition until medical help arrived. While she had been at his desk earlier, she told him she had recently had a pacemaker implanted. He shared this information with the paramedics, making sure that she received prompt and accurate medical assistance.

• Gerald Nagyiski, Jr., Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Solutions – While other families were home together celebrating the Fourth of July, Jerry, an EPS Technician with DelDOT, was working the Rehoboth Beach fireworks event. He started his work at 4 p.m., and at 1 a.m., while traffic control equipment was being cleared, Jerry noticed steam rising from under the hood of a disabled vehicle. The driver was from out of state and had a small child with her. Jerry helped her call for assistance, but calls for tow trucks were unsuccessful. He suggested that they move her vehicle over to a nearby lot and that she wait until the morning to arrange for a tow and a rental vehicle.  Jerry called the State Police to inform them that he placed the vehicle in that location and that he was to be contacted should there be any questions. He gave the driver his business card and cell phone number in case she had any questions or concerns. It was 3:15 a.m. when he finally arrived home, and he had a meeting in Fenwick Island at 7:00 a.m. that morning, however, he checked on the vehicle on the way to the meeting. There he found the driver and a friend working on the car, but they needed a funnel to add coolant. Jerry provided the funnel and in 20 minutes, the vehicle was running and Jerry went to his meeting!

• Emily Robinson, Department of Correction, Probation and Parole – Emily is a Probation and Parole Officer for the Mental Health Court Unit (MHC) of the Department of Correction, who went above and beyond her duties to work with an offender experiencing psychotic episodes. The offender had not been taking his medications, and left the state while warrants were issued for his arrest. Knowing his unstable condition, she worked tirelessly to locate him and then began devising a plan to return him to Delaware where she could get him entered into the MHC without having him incarcerated. This involved out-of-the-ordinary coordination with his family and mental health providers from out of state. She went even further and secured housing to facilitate the offender’s return to Delaware once he was stabilized. In addition to this example of her dedication, she has also authored an informational pamphlet for families and participants about MHC, she speaks publicly about MHC, and she mentors new officers. 

• John Schneider, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Watershed Stewardship – John has been a State employee for more than 20 years, and currently leads a team of planners, scientists, engineers and support staff that work at DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship. Testimony from his staff assert that it was his leadership and vision that allowed them to excel in several areas, including: the Watershed Approach to Toxics Assessment and Restoration, a new interagency initiative that takes a watershed approach and applies it to toxics; the Recreational Water Program, whose work resulted in Delaware being rated as # 1 for recreational and beach water quality in the nation, and Dewey and Rehoboth Beaches being rated as 5 star beaches; the Shellfish Program, which effected the elimination of potential pollution sources to Delaware’s shellfish waters; the Statewide Water Quality Monitoring Efforts, which assists water quality managers to accurately estimate nutrient and sediment loads that enter the Chesapeake Bay from the Nanticoke River; and Watershed Restoration, where a total of 2,700 ft. of stream channel was restored.

• Debra Stiles and Keith Wolken, Department of Correction, Special Operations – While on duty, Court & Transportation Officers Debra Stiles and Keith Wolken witnessed a severe automobile accident.  A vehicle ran a red light and collided with a panel van, which came to rest on the side of the road.  The van caught on fire and the driver was still trapped inside.  Debra immediately notified 911 while Keith ran to the aid of the trapped driver.  After calling for assistance, Debra went to assist Keith as he pulled the driver from the burning vehicle.  While Keith stayed with the driver, Debra diverted traffic away from the accident scene.  Their combined efforts prevented the driver from being seriously injured or possibly killed.  Their control of the scene until emergency personnel arrived kept the public out of harm’s way and prevented what could have been a disastrous situation.

There will be School Board Elections in the Appoquinimink, Brandywine, Christina and Red Clay Consolidated School Districts on Tuesday, May 14th from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Lists of Polling Places are at http://electionsncc.delaware.gov/pubsch.shtml#schoolelec.

Unofficial results will be available after 9 p.m. on May 14th.

School Board Elections are also being held in Kent and Sussex Counties.  

Contact: Anthony Albence or Howard Sholl. Phone: 302.577.3464.

Delaware Police Officers are ready for seat belt enforcement to begin today

Dover – The Click It or Ticket campaign will be in full effect with statewide overtime seat belt enforcement starting Monday, May 13th through 27th.  Daily enforcement traffic safety checkpoints and saturation patrols will be conducted day & night by 31 state, local, and municipal police agencies and statewide. Much of the enforcement will occur in the afternoons and evenings when the majority of unrestrained injuries and fatal crashes occur.

Currently, Delaware’s unrestrained fatal crashes are out pacing this time last year. At this time last year 29% of the fatal vehicle occupants were not wearing seat belts compared to 50% currently.

“For every death or injury on our roadways we must look for ways to reduce these tragedies.  Wearing a seat belt significantly decreases the risk of being seriously injured or killed in a crash. Remembering to buckle up for each and every trip is a simple way to prevent injuries and save lives,” said Secretary Lewis D. Schiliro, Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

Delaware law requires drivers and all passengers, including those in the back seat, to wear a seat belt.  An officer can pull over a driver if he sees any person in the vehicle not wearing a seat belt, even if there is no other violation.  Officers will be issuing citations for seat belt violations as part of a zero tolerance policy.  The ticket, which goes to the driver no matter who is unbuckled in the vehicle, totals $83.50.

Participating agencies include Blades, Bridgeville, Camden, Capitol, Clayton, Delaware City, DE River & Bay Authority, Dewey Beach, Dover, Elsmere, Felton, Fenwick Island, Georgetown, Greenwood, Harrington, Laurel, Middletown, Milford, Millsboro, Milton, New Castle City, New Castle County, Newark, Newport, Rehoboth Beach, Seaford, Smyrna, University of Delaware, Wilmington, and Wyoming police agencies along with and Delaware State Police.

Delaware law enforcement will also be participating in a one day seat belt boarder to boarder enforcement blitz on May 20^th at the Delaware & Pennsylvania line along I-95.  Law enforcement agencies that share State borders will team up to provide increased seat belt enforcement at border sites, sending a ‘zero tolerance’ message to the public: Driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket, no matter what State. Other states participating include Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

“As we kick-off  the busy summer driving season it’s important that everyone buckles up every time they go out, both day and night – no excuses,” said Jana Simpler, Director for the Office of Highway Safety. “Delaware law enforcement officers are prepared to ticket anyone who is not wearing their seat belt – Click It or Ticket.”

Click It or Ticket enforcement is being accompanied by paid media including radio, tv, print, billboards, digital & Pandora advertising. OHS will also promote seat belt safety through community outreach and public awareness activities including the Buckle Up Stencil project, seat belt checks, and race weekend activities at Dover International Speedway in the Monster Mile FanZone.  OHS is also partnering with Tommy Baldwin Racing and NASCAR driver JJ Yeley at Dover to promote seat belt safety.

Seat belt checks are being conducted at Newark, Caesar Rodney, Milford, Seaford and Indian River high schools by the student resource officers along with student groups.  They are handing out Smarties candy and dum-dum lollipops along with good and bad ‘tickets’ to occupants in the car depending on who is buckled up or not.

Newark and Milford high schools are participating in the Buckle Up stencil project. The stencil serves as a visual reminder to Buckle Up before leaving the parking lot and is an image of two hands clicking a seat belt together with the works Buckle Up underneath.

Milford High School will also be holding a seat belt event on Wednesday May 29^th for students that will include the roll over convincer, Racing Limo display, seat belt demo with high striker game, and OHS seat belt information table. Various prizes and items will be given to students participating in the seat belt activities.  Dover International Speedway has also donate tickets to the upcoming NASCAR Nationwide Series race to be given out to students who are caught buckled up during the seat belt check.

OHS will once again team up with Tommy Baldwin Racing and NASCAR driver JJ Yeley to promote seat belt safety at Dover International Speedway.  OHS will be the primary sponsor on the #36 TBR car and wrap it in Click It or Ticket messaging, and JJ Yeley will sign autographs at the OHS booth in the FanZone.

Seat belts save lives. Get the facts:

• Wearing a seat belt decreases your risk of being seriously injured or killed in a crash by approximately 50%.
• Strong seat belt laws protect families.  When parents are buckled up, 90% of the time their children are too.
• Hospital data shows that unbelted occupants in crashes are 3 times more likely to require a hospital stay. On average, hospital costs for an unbelted crash victim are 55% higher than those for a belted crash victim.

For more information on Click It or Ticket campaign and enforcement results please visit www.ohs.delaware.gov/seatbelts, Like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE or follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe .

NEWARK, Del., May 13, 2013 — Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) today celebrated 40 years of serving students and families in their pursuit of higher education.

When Sallie Mae opened on May 13, 1973 at 1750 K Street in Washington, D.C., the company was a government-sponsored start-up with just seven employees. Today, Sallie Mae is the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in education, employing more than 7,000 people nationwide.

Delaware employees celebrated the company’s 40th anniversary in Newark at a ceremony today at the corporate headquarters. They were joined by Delaware Governor Jack Markell and other leaders in government, business and education.

“For 40 years, Sallie Mae has helped students make an investment in their future,” Gov. Markell said. “We’re happy the company continues to invest in our state’s economic future as well. Its commitment to helping students obtain access to higher education is critical to preparing our workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Sallie Mae has undergone significant transformations since its creation. The company went public in 1983. It began privatization in 1997 and completed the process in 2004. The company acquired multiple loan origination franchises and receivables management companies to enhance and diversify its lines of business.

In 2009,  Sallie Mae began to service federal loans on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education. After the federal government ended the Federal Family Education Loan Program in 2010, Sallie Mae refocused its business to emphasize its consumer lending and business services segments. In the transition, its private loan originations have increased, and its emphasis on credit quality and responsible lending remain at the core of its lending philosophy.

Introduced in March 2009, Sallie Mae’s Smart Option Student Loan was the first national private education loan product to require interest-only payments during school to reduce consumers’ total borrowing costs. Later it introduced additional payment and fixed-interest-rate options, adding even more choice and flexibility to its private education loan products.

Through the years, Sallie Mae has also become a leader in helping families save for college. In 2006, Sallie Mae acquired Upromise and Upromise Investments. To date, Americans have earned nearly $750 million in Upromise rewards to boost their college savings accounts.  And, in 2011, Sallie Mae expanded its college savings initiatives with retail banking products: high‐yield savings accounts and CDs through Sallie Mae Bank.

“At the time of our creation, the media heralded Sallie Mae as an investment in America’s future that would open the way for thousands of qualified students to achieve what would otherwise have been an impossible dream,” said Albert L. Lord, vice chairman & CEO. “A lot has changed since 1973, but one thing has remained very much the same – a higher education generates undeniable value for those who complete it. My colleagues and I are quite proud of the difference we have made by helping more than 31 million students invest in themselves. As we look ahead, we remain committed to our mission of helping students and families save, plan and pay responsibly for college.”

Sara Patterson is the longest-tenured employee at Sallie Mae with 34 years of experience. She works at the Sallie Mae center in Fishers, Ind.

“Sallie Mae has experienced significant change in all those years, but it has adapted to new opportunities and continued to make a difference to millions of students,” Patterson said. “That’s a true testament to the leadership of the company, but also to all the people who work at Sallie Mae. They’re just good people who want to do a good job every day.”

Since 2001, The Sallie Mae Fund, the charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, has contributed more than $125 million to increase access to higher education and support local communities.

To mark 40 years and to commit to helping the next generation of students dream, invest and succeed, company executives presented a $40,000 check to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware. The program will support college awareness education statewide.

“Our partnership with Sallie Mae is enabling our youth to aspire beyond high school to prepare for success in college and throughout life,” said George Krupanski, president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware. “The grant builds upon a $250,000 commitment made by Sallie Mae in August 2012 to our organization and demonstrates first hand Sallie Mae’s commitment to the youth of our state.”

Governor Jack Markell, Commander and Chief of the Delaware National Guard, has declared May, 2013 National Military Appreciation Month and May 10^th as Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

“The sense of well-being, freedom and love of country that citizens of the United States enjoy today are the result of personal sacrifice, lives changed and/or lost and ongoing vigilance given by the United States Armed Forces…” said Governor Markell’s declaration.

Soldiers and Airmen in the Delaware National Guard have stepped up since the attacks on 9/11.  Deployments are ongoing, with some service members seeing multiple deployments in a short amount of time.  Because of that, spouses must step up and take care of the family and home while their loved one is out taking care of the Nation’s needs.

The Delaware National Guard has several programs and services for families of deployed Soldiers and Airmen.  “Our top priority is to make sure our Soldiers and Airmen receive the necessary training to complete the mission at hand,” said Maj. Gen. Frank Vavala, Adjutant General, Delaware National Guard.  “However, we never forget the families on the home front, especially the spouses; the Guard family is here for them.”

Saying good bye to a loved one for twelve to fifteen months is not an easy task.  “You suddenly become a single parent, who is working and also taking care of two kids,” said Donna Fields, wife of Command Sgt. Maj. Mike Fields.  “The second deployment was much easier,” said Mrs. Fields.  “We knew more of what to expect and the boys were older, so they understood more.”

For more information please contact Sgt. Wendy McDougall at 302-270-0720 or Lt. Col. Len Gratteri at 302-540-0134.