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In May, MDE awarded Brian Hug the prestigious Employee of the Year Award at its Annual Service and Incentive Awards Ceremony, which took place during National Public Service Recognition Week.
Mr. Hug was recognized for his outstanding effort to improve air quality including first time efforts to address climate change in Maryland.
"I want to congratulate all of the Maryland Department of Environment employees nominated for Employee of the Year," said Governor O'Malley. "Their accomplishments and work in advancing programs ensure that Marylanders can continue to enjoy the health of our environment -- the land, the air, the water that all of us depend upon, not just for ourselves but for future generations."
“The employee of the year is recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty to serve Maryland and ensure that public health and the environment is protected,” said MDE Secretary Shari T. Wilson. “As the lead staffer working with the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, Mr. Hug was instrumental in helping the Commission complete the very complex Maryland Climate Action Plan in a short time.”
Mr. Hug is responsible for the timely development of clean air plans for the Washington, Baltimore, and Hagerstown areas. These plans outline Maryland's regulations and programs that will enable Maryland to meet federal air quality standards. This work requires a unique combination of technical expertise, in-depth understanding of policy, and the ability to strategically coordinate complex regulatory efforts. In addition, Mr. Hug drafted portions of the Commission’s Climate Action Plan and led the development of a greenhouse gas emissions inventory.
"Addressing climate change and air quality requires a team effort,” said Mr. Hug. “I am proud to be part of this project making Maryland a leader in addressing climate change and protecting our air quality.”
Mr. Hug graduated from Binghamton University in New York. He lives in Perry Hall with his family.
MDE honored three other Employee of the Year Nominees.
Dorothy “Dot” Hall of the Waste Management Administration is recognized for creating a reliable way to promote and track minority business enterprises (MBE) participation in agency procurements. She worked with numerous MDE departments, the Department of Management and Budget, and the Governor's Office of Minority Affairs (GOMA) to develop new documentation and Standard Operating Procedures to implement the new procedures. These model procedures now ensure that the Waste Management Administration extends the maximum contracting opportunities to State-certified MBEs and that the performance of MBE contracting is reliably accounted for and reported to GOMA. Her work was recently recognized by GOMA and is a model for other state agencies.
Ross Oliver of the Air and Radiation Management Administration (ARMA) is recognized for his outstanding service and expertise in complex air permitting. After conducting extensive research, Mr. Ross developed guidance documents that have proven useful in helping potential biodiesel plants and ARMA permit writers better understand the permitting process and its timelines. His proactive efforts simplified the preparation and processing of permit applications both internal and external to MDE resulting in more regulatory certainty for biodiesel companies that seek to locate in Maryland. Mr. Ross routinely works with other staff within the Air Quality Permits Program and ARMA’s Regulatory Development group to improve process and procedures.
John Boris of the Water Management Administration is recoginized for his unwavering dedication and positive "can do" approach to promoting the installation of nutrient removal technology on septic systems. His unique combination of technical and regulatory expertise, consummate professionalism, and ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders including homeowners, elected officials, technical contractors, watershed advocacy organizations, and fellow colleagues make him a tremendous asset to the Department's work to upgrade septic systems and restore water quality. While Mr. Boris' work focuses on septic systems, his professionalism, approach, and combination of talents serve as an example for all of MDE.
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