Nominations Open for Montgomery Serves Awards

Nominations are being accepted for the Montgomery Serves Awards and the Neal Potter Path of Achievement Awards that recognize some of the County�s most outstanding community leaders and dedicated volunteers. All nominations must be received by February 25 at 5 p.m.

The awards, along with the Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Award, will be presented on April 29 at Imagination Stage in Bethesda at an event organized by the Montgomery County Volunteer Center, Fund for Montgomery and the Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery County.

• Neal Potter Path of Achievement Awards � presented in partnership with the Commission on Aging and �The Beacon� newspaper to two residents, aged 60 and above, for their lifetimes of volunteer service to the County.
• 2012 Montgomery Serves Awards � given in recognition of special volunteer accomplishments during the calendar year 2012 in three categories: Youth Service (individuals 18 years and under and/or youth groups); Business Service (businesses or corporations that engage employees as community volunteers); and Community Service (exemplary volunteer service by individuals or community organizations).

Additional information and nomination forms are found at www.montgomeryserves.org or by calling the Montgomery County Volunteer Center at 240-777-2600.

The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and pre-registration is required. Pre-register at www.montgomeryserves.org.

MAKING NEWS

Eleven Businesses in County Make Inc.�s Top 500 List

The Department of Economic Development has announced that  Montgomery County has 11 local companies on the 2012 Inc.500 list, designating them as some of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

Of the 11, two are part of the County's Business Innovation Network -- E-SAC in the Rockville Innovation Center is #241 and Special Operations Solutions in the Silver Spring Innovation Center was rated #269.

See more about all the Montgomery County businesses that made the Inc.500 list this year.

Executive Receives Humane Society Award 

Photo caption: Presenting the award to Leggett at the 14th annual Love Ball were Joanne Hoffman, chair of the MCHS board of directors (left) and Cris Bombaugh, president and CEO of MCHS.

County Executive Ike Leggett has received the 2012 Humane Award from the Montgomery County Humane Society (MCHS) in recognition of his efforts to make construction of a new animal shelter a reality.

Groundbreaking for a new Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center at the intersection of Muncaster Mill and Airpark roads in Derwood, took place in January.  Expected to open in late summer 2013, the new facility will replace the current shelter built in 1975.

The new complex will expand the County�s ability to care for animals safely and hygienically, as well as serve as a public adoption center and community education resource for animal advocacy and care issues.

Leggett is a two-time winner of the award from MCHS, the first received in 1993. 

Learn more about the Montgomery County Humane Society.

Office of Human Resources Receives Honors from Local Government Personnel Association

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) was recently recognized by the Local Government Personnel Association (LGPA) of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area for its public service and delivery of quality services.  The awards were presented at the Professional Development Conference and Awards Luncheon at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in Washington, D.C.

The County�s Rewarding Excellence/Gainsharing Program received the LGPA�s �Best and Brightest� personnel award.  The bonus incentive program, launched in January 2010, is designed to encourage and promote new, innovative ideas, concepts and strategies for the cost-effective delivery of County services and products.  Employees are rewarded for implemented recommendations that improve efficiency, increase productivity, reduce costs, streamline operations and enhance customer satisfaction.

The LGPA Board of Directors also announced that Kaye Beckley, manager, Business Operations & Performance Management in OHR, has been appointed as the incoming LGPA president.

A certificate of appreciation was presented to Human Resource Specialist Laetitia Gnago for spearheading the completion of the LGPA annual Benchmark Salary and Comprehensive Benefits Survey.

For more information about the award, or about the Gainsharing Program, contact Melissa Boone-Miller at 240-777-5016.

MAKING NEWS

Six Local Business Leaders are First Inductees into Montgomery County Business Hall of Fame

Six Montgomery County business leaders, past and present, were recently honored as the first inductees into the Montgomery County Business Hall of Fame.

The 2012 honorees are: Norm Augustine, formerly of Lockheed Martin; Cliff Kendall, formerly of Computer Data Systems, Inc.; Sid Kramer of Kramer Enterprises; Aris Mardirossian of Technology Patents LLC; J. Willard Marriott Jr. of Marriott International;  and Carol Trawick of the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation.
Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and William E. �Brit� Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, were among the 300 in attendance at the event held in mid-October at the Universities of Maryland Shady Grove.

The net proceeds for the first year exceeded $250,000 and will benefit the scholarship programs at The Universities at Shady Grove, one of the regional educational centers of the University System of Maryland.

County Named a Citizen Engaged Community 

Montgomery County has been designated as a 2012-2014 Citizen Engaged Community (CEC) by Public Technology Institute (PTI) for its MC311 online and phone information system.

The annual designation program recognizes excellence in multi-channel contact centers and best practices for the use of Citizen Relationship/Records Management (CRM) systems, 311 services, web portal technology, telephone systems and mobile communications infrastructure.

Montgomery County was one of nine jurisdictions with populations of more than 300,000 to be selected for this distinction.
Read more.

We Like Bikes:  Bethesda, Rockville Honored for Being Bicycle Friendly

Bethesda and Rockville have been named bicycle-friendly communities by the League of American Bicyclists for their commitment to biking as an alternate form of transportation, particularly for commuters. In the Bicycle Friendly Community Program, each was named a bronze-level award winner, the highest award given to any communities in Maryland.

According to the League�s website, �The Bicycle Friendly Community Program (BFC) provides incentives, hands-on assistance, and award recognition for communities that actively support bicycling. A Bicycle Friendly Community welcomes cyclists by providing safe accommodation for cycling and encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation.�

�World of Montgomery� Festival Brought Worlds of People Together

Against the backdrop of a perfect fall day, several thousand people took advantage of the weather to taste their way around the globe in downtown Wheaton at the 2012 "World of Montgomery Festival."

If you didn�t get there this year, check out the link below and see what you missed. Read The Post article.

Arts and Humanities Award Winners to be Honored; Free Tickets Now Available

Free tickets to the 11th Annual Montgomery County Executive�s Awards for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities, to be held Monday, October 22 at the Cultural Arts Center, Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring, are now available at www.creativemoco.com/executives-awards.

The 2012 honorees will receive their awards from County Executive Ike Leggett and Mrs. Catherine Leggett at the ceremony that begins at 7 p.m. The center is located at 7995 Georgia Ave.

The program will feature performances from arts and humanities organizations and recognition of individuals and organizations that have received grants for FY12 and FY13 from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County.

The attire is business casual, and a desert reception will follow the ceremony.

See more about the ceremony.

NOTEWORTHY NOTES

Vehicle Donations Needed for Automotive Education Program

The Automotive Trades Foundation (ATF), also known as The Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation, Inc., is a non-profit foundation established by Montgomery County Public Schools and the local business community to promote automotive education through a student-run licensed used car dealership.

This method of training high school students for skilled positions in the automotive field offers hands-on instruction. Students also are introduced to potential employers with available automotive positions in technical service, customer service, sales and management. They receive valuable on-the-job training that prepares them for higher educational opportunities or direct entry into the automotive job market.

The automotive education program currently is in need of vehicle donations so the program, begun in 1978, can continue.

Donated vehicles allow students to learn through the "Mini-Dealership" model, a student- run business that evaluates and refurbishes donated vehicles to be marketed by students and resold back to the public.

The donated vehicles should meet the following criteria:

• Runs under its own power (unless the customer is willing to tow in)
• No major accidents (such as a bent frame)
• Has a clean unmarked title and lien release (if the vehicle had a loan)

Donors must also complete a Donation Authorization Form.

For more details visit http://www.atfcareers.org/ and go to Donate Your Car at the top of the website.

A Green Move: Council Passes Bill to Prohibit Use, Sale of Certain Coal Tar Products

The Montgomery County Council has unanimously approved Bill 21-12 that will prohibit the use and sale of certain coal-tar products that are generally used as sealants on driveways.

With passage of the legislation, Montgomery is the first county in Maryland, and one of the largest counties in the nation, to prohibit the sale of the sealants, which have been recognized to contaminate soils, lakes and homes as they disintegrate and run off after application.

The U.S. Geolological Survey and the American Chemical Society have explained that sealcoat does not stay on a pavement permanently. Sealcoat manufacturers generally recommend re-applications between one and five years, depending upon the product used. The particles can be washed off the roadway by rain and carried through storm drains into streams, ponds and stormwater management devices. Other particles can be blown away by wind or tracked indoors on the soles of shoes.

The Department of Environmental Protection will oversee enforcement of the law.

Read more.

Transportation�s 2012 Annual Report Online

Past accomplishments and future initiatives are among the topics found in the Department of Transportation�s new 2012 Annual Report now available online.  The report also contains a special supplement on the County�s Pedestrian Safety Initiative.

New �Community Cornerstones�� Brochure from Heritage Montgomery

The stories of 24 unique, historic African American churches and their Montgomery County communities are highlighted in a new brochure �Community Cornerstones: A Selection of Historic African American Churches in Montgomery County, Maryland� produced by The Heritage Tourism Alliance of Montgomery County (Heritage Montgomery).

The 34-page booklet can be used as a guide to draw attention to sites that residents may have passed on a daily basis, unaware of their meaningful history, or it can serve as a handy reference for anyone interested in seeing the churches.

View Community Cornerstones online.  Paper copies are available from the Heritage Montgomery office, 12515 Milestone Manor La., Germantown MD 20876 or at heritage sites around the County.

Read more about the brochure.

Take a Look at� Other Sources of News about the County

Montgomery County Volunteer Center
Any time of the year is the right time to get involved, give back to your community and volunteer.  �Montgomery Volunteer,� the Volunteer Center�s online newsletter, keeps readers up on the latest opportunities for all ages and interests.

See the newsletter.

Consumer Protection Wants You to Know about� Scholarship Scams

Need money for college? Doesn't everybody. Unfortunately, in their efforts to pay the bills, many students and their families are falling prey to scholarship scams.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, unscrupulous companies guarantee or promise scholarships, grants or fantastic financial aid packages. Many use high pressure sales pitches at seminars where you are required to pay immediately or risk losing out on the "opportunity.�  For advice on what to look out for, visit the FTC online.

MAKING NEWS

Word Gets Around: Housing Counselor Interview Cited in Congressional Record and State Housing Blog

The good word about the work of Carmen Castro-Conroy, a senior counselor with the Housing Initiative Partnership in the County, is spreading.

It started with the Washington Post Magazine�s �First Person Sungular� column about the dedication she brings to her job.  Then came an insertion, by Eighth District Congressman Chris Van Hollen, of the article into the Congressional Record. That was followed by a reference to both previous pieces in �Community Review,� the official blog of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.

In the column, Carmen said, �Losing a home is devastating; just thinking about losing a home is very stressful. It�s my responsibility to encourage them [clients] and to lift them up. I tell them, �This is a house; you�re bigger than this, and you�re going to come out of this stronger.��        

Simply put, �I love what I do.�

County Honored as Leader in Application of Web and Social Media Tools

Montgomery County has been recognized by the Public Technology Institute (PTI) as a leader in the innovative application of Web 2.0 technologies and civic/social media tools. Montgomery County was one of only 10 jurisdictions and one of two County governments in the U.S. to be honored.

More and more, Web 2.0 technologies and social media tools for government affect how public institutions function and deliver services. They encourage cross-agency information sharing for improved communications and service delivery, engaging the public in government decision-making and empowering staff through data access and streamlined processes.

Read more about the recognition.

Montgomery Named High-Ranking Digital County�Again

Montgomery County has been named the sixth ranked digital government in the United States by The Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties (NACo). Montgomery County was honored in the category for jurisdictions with populations of 500,000 or greater. This marks the 10th year in a row that Montgomery County has placed in the top 10 in this highly competitive ranking.

The Digital Counties Survey recognizes leading examples of counties using information and communications technology and evaluates entrants on their ability to demonstrate successful outcomes through the strategic use of technology.

 Read more.