BALTIMORE, MD (August 28, 2002) - The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and its employees named a Perry Hall resident as Employee of the Year during a recent ceremony at the agency’s Baltimore headquarters.

Lorrie Del Pizzo, an 11-year employee with state government, has spent the last two years of her career organizing MDE’s relocation to the Montgomery Park Business Center.

“Lorrie was nominated for her outstanding work as the relocation coordinator overseeing MDE's move to the Montgomery Park Business Center. For nearly two years, Lorrie has led the efforts to plan and execute the relocation of an agency with more than 1,000 employees,” said MDE Acting Secretary Merrylin Zaw-Mon. “She has put in many long hours and tried to anticipate all aspects of the move.”

Del Pizzo joined MDE in 1991 shortly after her graduation from Loyola College in Baltimore with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering.

Although an engineer, MDE leadership considered Del Pizzo a natural for the relocation project. Both the engineering profession and coordinating a large move require exceptional attention to detail, thorough planning and a mind for logistics. Del Pizzo adds to that leadership and the ability to develop strong partnerships and teams.

Del Pizzo created relocation workgroups and conducted meetings several times a month with senior staff to ensure that information from surveys, architectural floor plans, electrical plans and other data was disseminated to everyone for input, correction, modification or acceptance. She ensured that all of the design features and construction techniques were environmentally sound and followed ‘green building’ principles. She also oversaw all aspects of the build-out of the new office spaces, including carpeting, workstation designs, telephone assignments, computer locations, lighting, signage and parking.

“Lorrie has literally made hundreds of decisions that will ultimately affect every employee as we move to Montgomery Park. Throughout, she managed to find a middle ground on which all could agree,” said Allan Jensen, director of MDE’s Administrative and Employee Services Administration.

“In addition, she made sure that all information and photos were posted on MDE’s intranet to keep staff updated, she organized employee tours of the new offices, and worked with MTA on locating bus routes -- all so that MDE employees would have an increased level of comfort with the new facility,” he said.

Although she has worked in almost all of the agency’s five administrations during her career, Del Pizzo claims she has found some of her most rewarding work coordinating the agency’s relocation.

“I was pretty lucky to see Montgomery Park go from being a vacant warehouse to what will be a thriving business center,” Del Pizzo said.

While Del Pizzo was told she had been nominated for the Employee of the Year honor, the possibility that she could actually be the winner was far from her mind.

“I was shocked because I knew the move hadn’t taken place yet,” she said. “I really appreciate the award because I really love what I am doing.”

MDE employees began moving into the new Montgomery Park Business Center on Washington Boulevard on Aug. 23.

“I hope everyone is happy with the way things turned out,” she said. “I worked really hard to make the space as useful and as nice a place to work as it can be for MDE employees.”

With the move in its final stages, Del Pizzo is looking forward to time off and planning a wedding to fiancé, Steve Toth of Abingdon.

“I have been engaged for two years because I kept saying to wait until after the move was over and I wasn’t kidding,” she noted. “I have a lot to do after this.”

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