DOVER – Governor Jack Markell today included the very first recipients of the Delaware Award for Heroism in his annual awards ceremony recognizing state employees.

The Delaware Award for Heroism was established in 2013 to recognize state employees who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and demonstrated outstanding judgment, exceptional courage, extraordinary decisiveness, and unusual swiftness of action, sometimes regardless of their own personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect human life or property.

“I am honored to present the first Delaware Award for Heroism to these 27 state employees,” said Governor Markell. “Each of the award recipients performed incredible acts, often with no regard for their own safety, and they have my utmost respect and admiration.”

The recipients were:

• Sergeant Michael Manley, Corporal Steven Rinehart, Corporal Arlene Redmond, Senior Corporal Scott Simpson, Master Corporal Lori Templin, Senior Security Officer Darryl Smith, Senior Security Officer Maureen McGill-Jones, Senior Security Officer Yvette Miller, Dispatcher Isaac Vaughn, Lieutenant R. Marshall Martine, and the late Senior Security Officer Stephen Green – From the Department of Safety and Homeland Security for their courageous actions during the February New Castle Courthouse Shooting

• David Brezenski – From the Administrative Office of the Courts, for his bravery and calm assistance during the February New Castle Courthouse Shooting

• Penny M. Wood – From the Public Defender’s Office, for responding to a client who had a seizure in the office waiting room.

• Marianna Freilich, Christine Vennard, Mark Manno and Doug Crouse – From the Office of Management and Budget, Dept. of Agriculture, and the University of Delaware, for responding with great sensitivity to a suicidal man.

• Richard Whittington, Robin Brown, and Joseph Clymer – From the Dept. of Transportation, for freeing a coworker who became trapped in a Jersey Barrier Lift (industrial sized clamp).

• Diane Towns – From the Dept. of Transportation, for coming to the aid of a woman who was choking in a restaurant.

•Leon Caulk and Joseph Rash – From the Dept. of Transportation, for performing CPR and first aid on a driver who had suffered a seizure while driving.

• James Fish – From the Dept. of Transportation, for his response to an apparently suicidal man he feared was planning to jump off the Ross Bridge.

• Gerald Blakeslee – From the Dept. of Transportation, for his response to a fatal motorcycle accident.

• John Slensby – From the Dept. of Correction, for coming to the aid of a fellow officer who was being attacked by an inmate.

• Gail Weinberg – From the Dept. of Health & Social Services, for confronting a thief in her building.

DOVER – Governor Jack Markell today recognized and celebrated the efforts of the 2014 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 exemplify what it means to be a public servant,” said Governor Markell. “I commend them for their commitment and dedication to providing excellent service to Delawareans.”

The 2014 recipients are:

• Kevin Boyd – Kevin Boyd is a Management Analyst III who works for DHSS at the Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill. While still doing his Management Analyst duties, Kevin was asked to serve as the interim Food Service Director for the Governor Bacon Health Center in September of 2013. There were three urgent problems he faced in the Dietary Department: There was no food, no schedule, and there were not enough employees. Kevin triaged the situation and immediately sprang into action. He called the vendors and went shopping to get food into the facility for the residents. He set up an electronic ordering system to continue the flow of food coming into the facility. He revamped the schedule and created a new schedule that made sense. Once he generated the schedule, he realized that there were a number of positions that had not been filled and he set out to fill them. Meanwhile, he brought in temporary workers to alleviate the staffing shortages that had produced chaos in the department. Under his guidance, the kitchen became spacious and orderly. Kevin just stepped up to the plate and went far beyond his assigned job duties.

• Richard D. Beaman and Tina M. Shockley – Rick Beaman, an arborist with DelDOT, determined that a tree in close proximity to a road was becoming unsafe and had to be removed. However, the tree had become a memorial to a 17-year-old girl, Samantha “Sam” Brown, who had been killed there several years before. Rick wanted to contact the family of the young woman so they would be aware of the tree’s removal and could collect the items at the site. He contacted DelDOT’s Public Relations section and reached Tina Shockley. Tina researched the police report associated with the name and date etched into the tree and was able to locate the family. She reached out to Sam’s father, Thomas, and personally notified him that the tree was scheduled to be removed. On the day of the tree’s removal, Rick was on site and Sam’s father happened to drive by as the crew was working. Rick took the time to talk to Thomas, and as they talked, one of the contractors removing the tree offered to remove the section of the tree that had been marked with Sam’s name and create a plaque that could be placed at the site or elsewhere. The plaque was presented to the family two days later. There are no “written rules” for removing a tree that’s associated with a roadside memorial. Rick could have simply scheduled the tree’s removal and disposed of the items. But Rick and Tina went the extra step and helped a grieving family.

• Glenn Davis – Glenn Davis works for DNREC’s Division of Water, Surface Water Section. He is the State subject matter expert in the field of wastewater, and has developed staff members, established a Health and Safety Committee for the division, and ensures the wastewater treatment facilities continue operating within the parameters of their approved DNREC permit. During Hurricane Sandy, Glenn was asked by Secretary O’Mara to be the Department’s point of contact for all the municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities throughout the state. Glenn kept in close contact with every facility in the State, both municipal and industrial; each one had its own unique set of variables that required careful pre-planning, communication, and monitoring. Because Glenn had established and maintained professional relationships with the staff at the facilities, the Lewes Wastewater Treatment Plant kept Glenn apprised of the fluctuation in water levels due to the storm surges and high wind. Glenn and the plant staff worked together to determine that it was necessary to secure the plant and remove all staff to ensure they were not trapped in the facility. As a result, the staff weathered the rest of the storm at home and the plant was properly secured until it was safe for the staff to return to duty. After Hurricane Sandy moved out of the area, Glenn spoke to a representative from each of the facilities and walked them through the damage assessment process and reporting of “offline” gaps as a result of the storm. During Hurricane Sandy, Glenn’s expertise was essential to the health and wellbeing of every Delawarean.

• Tina Leager – Tina Leager is a Senior Accountant with the Department of Finance’s State Lottery Office. Over the past year Tina has been heavily involved in the administration and development of financial reconciliation processes for the newly authorized Charitable Gaming Organizations, the reconciliation of the newly launched internet gaming websites, and the migration of Sports Lottery accounting processes to an automated system. Tina has been instrumental in the development of the monthly filing procedures and she took the lead in providing personalized customer service to each and every licensed Charitable Gaming vendor and venue, in addition to her involvement with the overall process redesign that was required. Tina played a critical role in the review and development of financial reporting for the new internet gaming system and she worked to implement in-house reconciliation procedures and administered the first poker clearinghouse in the United States. Tina is also responsible for accounting for the Sports Lottery and was instrumental in creating, implementing, and, now, overseeing all aspects of the Sports Lottery’s financial reconciliations, analysis and reporting while continuing to perform other critical assignments. Tina’s invaluable expertise, participation in system testing, and input during the development process of all of these programs were key to smooth transitions.

• John F. Snow – As an Equipment Operator for DelDOT, John Snow has a long history of assisting motorists in need of help, but recently two examples especially stood out. In January, John responded to a motorist and her father who were stranded with a flat tire on Route 1. Instead of just pulling behind the stranded vehicle and activating his safety lights so the motorist could wait for roadside assistance, John changed the tire himself. When the motorist then realized her battery was dead, John again could have made the motorist wait for roadside assistance, but instead he called another coworker for jumper cables and stayed with the vehicle to keep the occupants safe until the vehicle was running and back on the road. In March, John was traveling on Route 1 and spotted a stranded vehicle with a trailer attached. John learned from the elderly couple that a tire on the trailer blew out. The couple had contacted their roadside assistance company but was refused help because while the car was covered by the insurance, the trailer was not. John immediately went into action to help the couple out. The driver stated that John “. . . never once expressed his displeasure or frustration at the job at hand. He is a credit and a fine representative for DelDOT.” John doesn’t have to get out of his truck and help stranded motorists – he just has to maintain the safety of the scene, which he could provide from the comfort of his truck. But he chooses to go out of his way and help with a pleasant and gracious attitude.

Businesses owned by individuals with disabilities and certain small businesses will now be included in the state’s supplier diversity efforts thanks to an executive order signed by Governor Jack Markell on March 26.

Present to celebrate the new Executive Order and the good work that will follow from it were members of the Governor’s Supplier Diversity Council; two Cabinet Secretaries, Housing and Management and Budget, with their staff; supplier diversity liaisons from various state agencies; and iNovo Applications Inc., which is a start-up business that is eligible for both new programs created under the order.

Executive Order 44 expands the scope of the Governor’s Supplier Diversity Council to include the study and consideration of how the State of Delaware does business with enterprises owned by individuals with disabilities as well as certain small businesses. The order also creates the new Small Business Focus (SBF) Program. Businesses are eligible for the SBF Program based upon their size, which is measured by the number of employees (between 25 and 250 FTEs) and gross sales averaged over a three year period (up to $7 million). Any business in the SBF program must operate free from the control of a business larger than the eligibility size caps.

“We are committed to ensuring business owners with disabilities and small businesses are afforded the same opportunities as others,” said Governor Markell. “This executive order goes a step further in assisting these businesses in procurement with the State.”

The goal of the Supplier Diversity Council is to advocate for supplier diversity initiatives, and because of the contribution business owners with disabilities and small businesses of varying sizes make to the economic strength of the state, members of the council felt it was time to recognize and assist them.

“Our mission is to assist the entire supplier diversity community in competing for the provision of public works, goods and services to state government. With the signing of this executive order by Governor Markell, we can now make a difference by including businesses owned by individuals with disabilities and small businesses eligible for the program,” said Michelle Morin, Executive Director of the Office of Supplier Diversity in the Office of Management and Budget.

The SBF Program will increase opportunity for small businesses to participate in state procurement by:

• Creating a registry of small businesses eligible for the program;
• Measuring and analyzing spend on current and future procurement with the businesses eligible for the program; and
• Revising agency Supplier Diversity Plans to direct state agencies to access the SBF Program Registry when making under-threshold procurements.

“The new Small Business Focus Program will increase the opportunities for the smaller small businesses to compete for under-threshold opportunities in state procurements,” said Ken Anderson, Chair of the Governor’s Supplier Diversity Council.

As part of Executive Order 44, all state executive agencies will be asked in the coming months to modify their supplier diversity plans to include SBF Program companies in their under-threshold purchase outreach. Currently, for purchases under the threshold, procurement officers need to seek three quotes, and one of the three quotes must be from a business listed in the Directory of Diverse Suppliers, which will now include businesses owned by individuals with disabilities. Agencies are also being asked to add that the second of three quotes is sought from a business listed in the SBF Program.

For more information on the efforts of the Office of Supplier Diversity visit http://gss.omb.delaware.gov/osd/index.shtml.

DOVER – With the passing of former State Representative William “Bill” Vernon Sr. on Monday, March 10, Governor Markell has ordered the American and Delaware flags at state buildings and facilities be flown at half-staff beginning immediately until the close of business on Tuesday, March 25 as a mark of respect for Representative Vernon and his service to Delaware.

Representative Vernon served in the Delaware House from 1977-1981. He was also a former president of the Rehoboth Beach Chamber of Commerce and remained active in Sussex County community affairs throughout his life, serving four years as chairman of the building committee for New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Lewes.

A memorial service for Representative Vernon will be held Tuesday, March 25 in Lewes.

DOVER – State of Delaware offices in Kent and Sussex counties are closed during regular business hours 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Non-essential employees who live or work in Kent or Sussex County are not to report to work for this period. Essential employees are to report as scheduled.

State of Delaware offices in New Castle County will open at 10 a.m. Non-essential employees who live or work in New Castle County do not report until 10 a.m. Essential employees are to report as scheduled.