ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Department of Agriculture today honored 48 employees for their years of dedicated service to the department and to the state. Of the 48 employees being honored – 11 have 30 or more years of service and three of those individuals have more than 40 years. All together, these 48 employees represent 1,900 years of public service and approximately 3.6 million hours worked and about 45,600 paychecks.

"Marylanders and our state's agriculture community are fortunate to have such a dedicated and knowledgeable group of public servants working to strengthen the State of Maryland and this agency," said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. "Our staff plays a major role in furthering our state's agriculture industry, helping farmers, protecting the environment, keeping consumers safe, and ensuring fairness in the marketplace. It is a true testament to the value of our work that many of the employees honored this year have been with the department since its earliest years."

The following is a list of department employees by their county of residence who were recognized with service awards.

Anne Arundel

• Donna Hill, Marketing, 30 years
• Derrick Howe, State Chemist, 25 years
• Offiah Offiah, State Chemist, 25 years
• Sheila Saffell, Fiscal Services, 25 years
• Mary Darling, Human Resources, 20 years
• Jennifer Schaafsma, Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) program, 20 years
• Karen Fedor, Marketing, 15 years
• Therese Montano, Food Quality Assurance, 10 years
• Kimberly Abramo, Animal Health, 5 years
• Alisha Mulkey, Resource Conservation, 5 years

Baltimore City

• Aaron Webb, Weights & Measures, 45 years
• Sonya Gaynor, State Chemist, 25 years
• Joseph Boako, Weights & Measures, 20 years
• Kay-Megan Washington, Marketing, 5 years

Baltimore County

• Kenneth McManus, State Chemist, 35 years
• Theresa Brophy, Marketing, 30 years
• Rona Flagle, Resource Conservation, 30 years
• Erika Nix, State Chemist, 15 years
• Russell Noratel, Pesticides, 10 years
• Joseph Bytella, State Chemist, 5 years
• Kelly Love, Pesticides, 5 years

Calvert

• Jennifer David, Resource Conservation, 20 years

Caroline

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

Dorchester

• Ronald Mitchell, Mosquito Control, 30 years

Harford

• Darren Alles, Nutrient Management, 20 years
• Cybil Preston, Plant Protection and Weed Management, 15 years
• Ellen James, Horse/Vet Board, 5 years

Howard

• Harwood Owings, State Chemist, 50 years
• Kimberly Arnold, Animal Health, 30 years
• Elizabeth Koncki, Weights & Measures, 10 years

Montgomery

• Berhanu Argaw, Pesticides, 10 years

Prince George's

• Christal Stanbrough, Animal Health, 45 years
• Roshawn Burgess, Resource Conservation, 20 years
• Christopher Hickerson, Central Services, 5 years

Queen Anne's

• Lynne Willson, Resource Conservation, 35 years
• Gwendolyn Schindler, Human Resources, 25 years
• Phyllis Riggin, Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) program, 20 years

St. Mary's

• John Lyon, Resource Conservation, 5 years

Sussex

• Paul Nuwer, Mosquito Control, 20 years

Talbot

• Levin Schwaninger, Resource Conservation, 20 years

Wicomico

• Mark Taylor, Plant Protection and Weed Management, 35 years
• Daniel Schamberger, Mosquito Control, 25 years
• Barbara Kunie, Animal Health, 20 years

Other

• Charles Hayes, Resource Conservation, 20 years, West Virginia
• Stephanie Knutsen, Resource Conservation, 20 years, Delaware
• Paul Nuwer, Mosquito Control, 20 years, Delaware
• Jorge Velasquez, Food Quality Assurance, 5 years, Delaware
• Rhonda Cagle, Food Quality Assurance, 5 years, Delaware

Photos from today's award ceremony can be found on the department's Flickr.

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