BALTIMORE, MD (October 11, 2010) – Jack Bowen, a veteran administrator who is playing a key role in the Maryland Department of the Environment’s efforts to make its compliance program more consistent and effective, has been named the agency’s Employee of the Year.

Bowen, Manager of Regulatory Programs in MDE’s Water Management Administration, was honored as the agency’s Employee of the Year for helping to develop and implement standard, Department-wide procedures for compliance, among other accomplishments. He worked with staff in MDE's Water Supply and Dam Safety programs to implement inspection procedures, and he provided crucial guidance in the Department's move to better utilize electronic data.

“This was a wonderful surprise and great honor for me and is certainly the highlight of my 36-year career with the State in environmental regulatory programs,” Bowen said. “Any success I may have is due in large part to the support of my family and coworkers, which has enabled me to do the work that was needed during all the years on the job.”

In presenting the award at a ceremony Oct. 6 at MDE’s Baltimore headquarters, Secretary Shari T. Wilson said Bowen is recognized throughout the Department as a knowledgeable professional and team player.

“Jack is continually sought out for his thoughtful and insightful advice on a wide variety of water pollution control matters,” Secretary Wilson added. “He is always interested in getting the job done in the most efficient and practical fashion possible, but he never loses sight of the need to engage the opinions and advice of those around him.”

Bowen received a Bachelor’s degree in forestry from the University of Tennessee. He began his career with the Department of Natural Resources, where he performed inspection and compliance activities in the areas of oil control, erosion and sediment control, stormwater management, and waterway construction. He joined MDE when the agency was created in 1987 and was Administrator of the Compliance Program from 1988 to 2006. He was then tapped to use his experience and knowledge more broadly in the Water Management Administration.

He has worked closely with both the water-related compliance programs and the land and the air and radiation administrations in the implementation of new compliance procedures. He also has played a critical role in the development of a new electronic record-keeping system that will significantly improve efficiency and increase the amount of data collected during inspections.

MDE has made a consistent baseline of enforcement activity a priority, in order to ensure a level playing field for Maryland's regulated community.

Bowen, 59, lives in the Street area of Harford County with his wife, Joanne. They have one grown son.

Bowen was one of four finalists for the Employee of the Year award. The others were:

• Yen-Der Cheng, an engineer and Division Chief in the Water Management Administration whose expertise has significantly contributed to addressing permit issues relating to the waterway pollution diets known as Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs).
• Donald (Lee) Currey, an engineer and Program Manager in the Science Services Administration who provides watershed modeling expertise and has played a key role in developing Maryland’s plan to restore the Chesapeake Bay by 2020.
• Roger Thunell, an engineer and Division Chief in the Air & Radiation Management Administration, who is widely recognized as an expert in air pollution emissions inventories.

More than 250 other MDE employees were recognized for reaching milestone years of service with state government. Topping this list was Carolyn Kuciara, an administrative assistant in the Department’s fiscal services office, who was honored for her 45 years of service.

Digital images are available. Please contact MDE's Office of Communications.

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