THE MARYLAND-NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK AND PLANNING COMMISSION

EMPLOYEE NEWS

A BI-COUNTY COMMISSION SERVING MONTGOMERY AND PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTIESVOLUME XXIII • ISSUE 9 WWW.MNCPPC.ORG SEPTEMBER 2014

UpdateLook InsideAmendments to Merit System Rules Chapters 1200 and 1400 ..........................page 3

ERP Update .............................................................page 4

Prince George's Parks and Recreation Participates in Guinness Record-Breaker ...................page 5

Health and Benefits Update ........................................................pages 6-7

VIP Nominations .............................................................page 9

ERS LifeTimes ...........................................................page 10

The deadline for submissions to the next issue of Update

is close of business, Friday, October 3Thank you!

See Hewlett, page 2

Elizabeth Hewlett Honored by The National Bar Association Receives Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award

Elizabeth M. Hewlett, Chairman of both the Prince George’s County Planning Board and M-NCPPC, has been honored by the National Bar Associa-tion (NBA) with the prestigious Presiden-tial Lifetime Achieve-ment Award. The award was presented at an evening recep-tion on July 29, 2014 at the NBA’s National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1925, the NBA is the oldest and largest na-tional network of African-American attorneys, judges, law professors and law students, and has almost 50,000 mem-bers and 80 affiliate chapters throughout the United States. The NBA Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award is given to “a person whose life has advanced NBA’s mis-sion to advance the science of jurisprudence, preserve the independence of the judiciary, and uphold the honor and integrity of the legal profession, and who has selflessly led the way for achievement while identifying opportunities for others.” An accomplished legal professional, Ms. Hewlett is currently serving her second tenure as M-NCPPC Chair-man, having been re-appointed to the position in 2011 by

September 2014Update 2

EMPLOYEE NEWSUpdateTHE MARYLAND-NATIONAL

CAPITAL PARK AND PLANNINGCOMMISSIONElizabeth M. Hewlett

Chairman

Casey AndersonVice-Chairman

Montgomery CountyNorman DreyfussAmy PresleyMarye Wells-Harley

Patricia Colihan BarneyExecutive Director

Joseph ZimmermanSecretary-TreasurerAdrian R. Gardner

General Counsel

UPDATEExecutive Office Building6611 Kenilworth Avenue

Riverdale, MD 20737301-454-1733

Editor: James AdamsStaff Contributors: Melissa Chotiner, Andrea Davey, Abbigail Irelan, Anika Jackson, Kira Calm Lewis,

Anita Pesses, Tricia SwannProduction/Distribution:

Nakiia Buyck, Bill Sumler, Lawana Bush

Update reserves the right to accept, reject and/or edit any materials submitted for publication.

Prince George’s CountyDorothy F. Bailey

Manuel R. GeraldoJohn P. Shoaff

A. Shuanise Washington

Contribute to Update! Do you have personal news to share? Recently married? Engaged? Had a baby? Won an award? Has anything happened in your Division/Department lately that you think is newsworthy? Let Update know and we’ll con-sider it for an upcoming edition of our monthly employee newsletter. Dead-line for submissions for the upcoming issue is always listed on the front page of the most recent issue of Update.

Please send your notice to:Update.editor@mncppc.org;301-454-1718 (fax);Update Editor, 4th floor, EOB (interof-fice mail); ORjim.adams@mncppc.org

We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Welcome to the Commission Update welcomes the following employees who joined the ranks of the M-NCPPC in August 2014:

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III. Ms. Hewlett is distinguished to be the first African-American and the first woman to chair the Planning Board, the first African-American to chair the Commission. She is among the longest-serving Chairs of this powerful independent agency of the State of Maryland – providing community planning services, regulating real estate de-velopment, and affording first class park and recreation programs for 1.8 million residents of Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties who share Maryland’s political boundary and border our Nation’s Capital. “This is a tremendous honor from a very prestigious and significant organization. The National Bar As-sociation has been on the frontline of supporting African-American lawyers and judges for almost 90 years and has lead the fight for social justice and change in this country,” said Prince George’s County Executive Baker. “Betty Hewlett has been a champion for justice and has worked tirelessly to improve the NBA and Prince George’s County. Her reach and impact is a reflection of her beautiful spirit and love for humanity. This recognition and honor epito-

mizes Betty’s extraordinary drive to go above and beyond the call of duty. Prince George’s County takes great pride in calling her one of our resi-dents and we will join her in celebrat-ing this wonderful achievement.” Ms. Hewlett has been relentless in her efforts to advance many legal and civic causes and has been a generous contributor to several legal organiza-tions and professional associations including the NBA (Life Member), the Maryland State Bar Association, the Prince George’s County Bar As-sociation , the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Associ-ation of Maryland, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, and the American Planning Association. She is a Life Member of the NAACP, and is a proud member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a public service sorority. Ms. Hewlett’s exemplary commu-nity service, dedication to mentoring young legal professionals, and remark-able professional achievements have been widely recognized throughout the region by numerous legal, civic and professional associations. Most re-cently, the Maryland Bar Foundation, of which she is a Lifetime Fellow, rec-ognized her with the prestigious 2014 “J. Joseph Curran Award for Public Service.”

Prince George’s County Department of Parks and RecreationSusanna Fields-Kuehl, Alvin Mc-Neal, Asia Gi, Erica Castellon, Melissa Davis, Noel Bassett, Robert Nicholson, Oscar Reynosa, Anthony Dubato

Prince George’s County Department of PlanningCarol Tudor Beach, Valecia Wilson Montgomery County Department of ParksJoshua Abt-Barnett, William Allen

Montgomery County Department of PlanningJay Beatty

Montgomery County Chairman's OfficeBrittany Lane

Hewlett Earns Lifetime Achievement AwardHewlett, from page 1

September 2014Update 3

As part of the agency’s continuing review and update of its policies, the Commission recently adopted amend-ments to the Merit System Rules and Regulations (MSR&R) Chapter 1200, “Employee Compensation” and Chap-ter 1400 “Employee Leave: Personal, Annual, Sick, and Compensatory Leave”. The MSR&R provides governing policy on employment actions and conditions for non-represented em-ployees hired into Merit System posi-tions. Chapter 1200 of the MSR&Rs addresses employee compensation, while Chapter 1400 addresses the earning and use of employee leave. Please note that previous changes to Chapter 1200 were made earlier in the month with respect to salary equity reviews and retention incentives. The more recent amendments to Chapter 1200 address overtime policies which were adopted by the Commission with a July 1, 2014 effective date (unless noted otherwise). Click on the chapter number be-low to download the amended Chap-ters from inSite. Highlights of key amendments are summarized below.

Chapter 1200, Employee CompensationChapter 1400, Employee Leave: Personal, Annual, Sick and Compensatory Leave

Explanation and Highlights of Key Amendments: The M-NCPPC complies with all Federal and state wage laws pertain-ing to overtime. M-NCPPC provides overtime compensation through two options: (1) overtime pay or (2) earned Compensatory Leave (which is paid leave that is earned in lieu of overtime pay). Eligibility for these options is based on the employee’s position classification (exempt or non-exempt) and grade level.

Non-exempt positions are non-su-pervisory in nature and typically have duties in trades, maintenance, clerical, and paraprofessional areas. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 1 ½ overtime is mandated for non-exempt positions when they work more than 40 hours in a workweek. Exempt positions are typically those with supervisory, managerial, and administrator duties. These positions are not covered by FLSA mandates. Employers may elect to, but are not required to, pay overtime to exempt positions. The M-NCPPC provides limited overtime compensa-tion for certain exempt positions. The M-NCPPC complies with the FLSA mandates. A number of amendments were made to provide clearer explanation of existing overtime rules and the applica-tion of laws. More significant policy amendments address the administration of overtime as it applies to exempt posi-tions.

Sections 1260, 1263; 1481 and 1483 Amendments now permit Grade “J” positions to be approved for overtime through the use of earned Compensatory Leave at straight time. Previously, Grade “J” positions were not eligible for any overtime outside of “exceptional situations.” This will promote more consistent authorization of overtime. The amendments also:• Clarify eligible exempt positions

may earn Compensatory Leave at straight time.

• Clarify that the change does not apply to positions Grades K and above (e.g., Division Chiefs, Deputies, and Department Heads). These positions can only be autho-rized for Compensatory Leave in extraordinary instances.

Sections 1263 and 1481 Amendments support the use of “flexing” out of overtime hours for exempt employees by:• Extending the period during which

overtime hours can be “flexed” out for time off. Overtime com-pensation for exempt employees has been changed so it is au-thorized only when extra work hours exceed 80 in a two-week pay period, and these extra hours cannot be flexed before the end of that bi-weekly pay period. Be-cause “flexing” of hours must be done in the same week in which overtime would otherwise be calculated, the previous standard significantly limited the exempt employee’s ability to flex the extra hours worked for time off. The amended provisions allow the flexing over a longer period. For example, if an exempt employee works 45 hours in the first week of a pay period, he/she can work 35 hours in the second week.

• Requiring employees/supervisors first to consider flexing out extra hours before overtime compensa-tion is considered.

Note: The FLSA does not apply to exempt employees, thus permitting the overtime authorization when work hours exceed the standard 80 bi-week-ly hours.

Section 1484 The amendment of Section 1484.1 (effective December 31, 2014) reduces the transfer/rollover amount of earned compensatory leave for exempt posi-tions from 160 hours to 120 hours. It is also supports greater use of “flex-ing." Current policy (Section 1482.3) requires employees to use their earned Compensatory Leave balance to cover absences prior to the use other forms

Overview of Recent Adopted Amendments to the Merit System Rules and Regulations: Overtime Program Policies

See MSRR, page 4

September 2014Update 4

of leave, such as annual or personal leave. This standard has not been consistently observed when approv-ing employee leave. The requirement was discussed with Department Heads, who will ensure better compliance with the requirement. With the more consistent use of Compensatory Leave before other forms of paid leave, it is likely that Compensatory Leave bal-ances will be reduced, thus minimiz-ing the need for larger balances. Policy amendments encourage supervisors to consider the use of “flexing” out of extra hours worked by exempt employees before overtime compensation is needed. This also

reduces earned Compensatory Leave balances.

Section 1485 Amendment permits the full payout of all accrued Compensatory Leave in the event of death regardless of whether an employee's position has exempt or non-exempt status.

Other minor amendments have been made to Sections 1260, 1261, 1262 and 1480, which clarify existing overtime policies. Questions regard-ing these amendments may be referred to the Corporate Policy and Manage-ment Operations Division at 301-454-1740 or by emailing policyreview@mncppc.org.

Amendments to MSRR Chapters 1200 and 1400

Being Candid about Our Challenges: The two+ year effort to introduce a new bundle of software technologies that will replace aging administra-tive tools and manual paper processes (finance, budget, procurement, human resources) has gained greater atten-tion (good and bad) with the rollout of finance and procurement modules this past spring. The ERP Teams want sin-cerely to acknowledge the many chal-lenges experienced from the customer (end-user) perspective – delays, prob-lems with training and/or coordination, short timeframe for initial training, feel-ings of confusion, miscommunications (both internal and external), occasional terse responses to requests for help, the lack of both additional and refresher training and the general frustrations as-sociated with these complex technology roll-outs. The ERP Project Teams acknowl-edge that the rollout was rapid after numerous delays and the timing not ideal due to the ramping up for sum-mer programs and fiscal year end. Our agency is always busy and there is no ideal time to interrupt the business cycle, but due to many factors, cost be-ing a big one, it was necessary to push

through the mid-April implementation for the EFM (financials) and SCM (pur-chasing) modules. In the turmoil, what is not as obvi-ous is that dozens of people in CAS have been doing double duty – their “regular-job” and this “bonus” job of implementing the new technology (who saw that in their job description?), creating and/or testing workflows, responding to customer frustration and complaints because the new technol-ogy is not working as expected and the training did not provide end-users the ability to become accustomed to the software. The degree of complexity in this project has been greater than anyone expected.

Learning From Our Experiences: In May, the Commission’s Enter-prise Steering Committee took two important steps to address the past challenges as it prepares to rollout both the budget and human resources modules. The feedback from the spring rollout raised the need for two special-ized skills sets that were not involved in the project earlier: external training and change management. The agency brought in experts in these fields with

extensive experience in large-scale government technology implementa-tions. Our approach to the Budget and Human Resources Modules is different than with the previous modules, and this fall we are revisiting the Finance and Procurement modules.

Moving Forward in New Ways: In late June, the ERP Steering Committee adopted three new struc-tures based on recommendations of a two-month independent change man-agement assessment of the project. Be-cause of challenges with communica-tions, they adopted a recommendation to realign the communication strategy by shifting the focus of control to the Departments, and in late July, a new team was identified representing the 5 major Departments. Those individu-als are: Anita Pesses, Andrea Davey, Bridget Schwiesow, Tiffany Celey, Abbigail Irelan, Stephanie Knox and Bill Zybach. Currently, the Steering Committee is finalizing appointment of a Change Agent team which will focus on the impact of these new technologies on the work people do and the various roles they play in each Department. Additionally, the Enterprise Steer-ing Committee committed to raising Change Management issues (the impact of the technology deployment on people and operations) as a part of their accountability. As we look to the Budget deploy-ment in early September, and the HCM deployment in the first quarter of 2015, as well as improving the Finance and Procurement modules with direct Department involvement, we are com-mitted to creating a better experience by more fully engaging end-users, managers, and leaders. You can help by providing the ERP teams with construc-tive criticism, kudos, suggestions, and assistance whenever possible. This is truly a “One-Commission” project that can only serve the business needs of the Departments by listening to and engag-ing with everyone impacted by this new system.

ERP September UpdateRealigning Our Efforts based on Lessons Learned from the Commission Users and Sponsors

MSRR, from page 3

September 2014Update 5

A New System for Managing Our Assets EAM is coming in October – Try it now

Known as ParkStat in Prince George’s County and SmartParks in Montgomery County, our new enter-prise asset management (EAM) system will give us better features for tracking our assets and expenses. Instructor-led training courses began September 8. These classes are designed to provide hands-on dem-onstrations and exercises that allow learners to immediately apply their knowledge. Find more information on the EAM inSite page. Take the self-paced EAM Overview and Navigation eLearning Course to get a look and feel of the system, and then try a few transactions using the system simula-tor. Read the “EAM and Other M-NCPPC Systems” document to learn about the benefits of EAM and how it will work with other systems to benefit the Commission. Our EAM Project Managers are available to answer your questions: Michael.Snyder@pgparks.com – Prince George’s County John.Schlee@montgomeryparks.org – Montgomery County

It’s official - the M-NCPPC's Department of Parks and Recreation joined forces with the nation’s top water safety and training organiza-tions to present The World’s Larg-est Swimming Lesson™ (WLSL), to build awareness about the vital importance of teaching children to swim to help prevent drowning. This June, waterparks, pools and aquatic facilities around the globe hosted local WLSL lessons simultaneously in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record. Children participated in the event at our Allentown Splash Park, Fairland Aquatics Complex,

Rollingcrest-Chillum Splash Pool, Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex, and Theresa Banks Memo-rial Aquatics Center. After all the tallies were complete, the 2014 Guinness World Record (GWR) for the World’s Largest Swim-ming Lesson was 36,564 participants from 22 countries around the globe. That’s AMAZING – five years – five Guinness World Records and spread-ing the word that Swimming Lessons Save Lives™! Swimming is a life-saving skill for children and a vital tool to prevent drowning, the second leading cause of unintended, injury-related death for children ages 1-14. The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ was created to serve as a platform to help local community aquatic facilities and many different national, regional and state-wide water safety and drowning prevention organizations work togeth-er to tell this important story on a local and national level. Since the first record attempt in 2010, more than 120,000 individuals have participated in WLSL events and millions and millions of individuals have learned about the vital impor-tance of teaching children to swim to help prevent drowning. Mark your calendars, next year’s WLSL date is June 18, 2015!

M-NCPPC Department of Parks and Recreation are World Record Breakers

September 2014Update 6

How to Contact Us

Benefits ManagerJennifer McDonald 301-454-1726jennifer.mcdonald@mncppc.org

Paul Brown 301-454-1683paul.brown@mncppc.orgGertie Johnson 301-454-1684gertie.johnson@mncppc.orgLinda Thomas 301-454-1694 linda.thomas@mncppc.org Tikeetha Thomas 301-454-1685 tikeetha.thomas@mncppc.org

email benefits@mncppc.orgFax 301-454-1687

Health & Benefits: News You Can UseOur mission to our customers is to design, develop and administer quality, cost-effective benefit programs responsively, consistently and fairly.

Open Enrollment: Our Paper Reduction Initia-tive Open enrollment for calendar year 2015 is scheduled to take place from Monday, October 20, 2014 to Friday, November 7, 2014. In an effort to re-duce paper consumption, the Health & Benefits office will not mail the typical individual packets to employees’ work addresses or to retirees’ home address-es. All open enrollment instructions, materials and forms will be placed on our website at www.mncppc.org. We are giving everyone -- retirees and ac-tive employees -- the option to request either a hard copy of the entire open enrollment packet or only the specific form needed. More information and instructions will be provided in a letter from the Executive Director to be distributed the week prior to open enrollment. We hope that you will “Think Green” and refrain from printing all the materials included with your Open Enrollment packet.

Free Onsite Flu Shot Clinics

Date Location Time10/7/2014 Tuesday Meadowbrook Maintenance Facility 7 am - 11 am

10/7/2014 Tuesday County Administration Building (CAB) 9 am - 1 pm

10/8/2014 Wednesday Executive Office Building (EOB) 9 am - 1 pm

10/8/2014 Wednesday Shady Grove Maintenance 10 am - 2 pm

10/14/2014 Tuesday Randall Farm Maintenance 7 am - 11 am

10/14/2014 Tuesday

Montgomery County Regional Office (MRO)

9 am - 1 pm

10/15/2014 Wednesday Parks & Recreation (PRA) 9 am - 1 pm

10/15/2014 Wednesday Northern Area Maintenance 7 am - 11 am

What to Know:What sort of flu season is expected this year? According to a 2014-15 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) article, it’s difficult to deter-mine what this flu season will be like. Flu seasons are volatile in many ways. Although the flu spreads every year, the timing, severity, and length of the season varies from one year to another.

Will new flu viruses circulate this season? Since the flu virus constantly changes, it’s not unusual for new flu viruses to appear each year and it is difficult to determine the timing. The flu is very unpredictable and can vary from season to season. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the U.S. in January or February. However, sea-sonal flu activity can begin as early as October and continue to occur as late as May.

What should I do to prepare for this flu season? Get your flu shot! CDC recom-mends a yearly flu vaccine for ev-eryone 6 months of age and older as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease. M-NCPPC is making it convenient for all employees (career and seasonal) to get their flu shot again this year by offering free onsite flu shots adminis-tered by Safeway Pharmacy. Stop by one of the locations below to get your free flu shot. Employees who partici-pate will be given up to two hours of administrative leave.

More information, including a link to register for a free flu shot, will be provided later. Walk-ins will be welcomed but pre-registration is strongly recommended as spots are limited. Employees must present their M-NCPPC ID badge before receiving their flu shot.

September 2014Update 7

CVS Caremark Name Change CVS Caremark has changed their name to CVS Health to reflect a broader health care commitment and its expertise in driving the in-novations needed to shape the future of health. The new name reflects the work they are doing to change how health care is delivered by increasing access, lowering costs and improving quality. CVS Health includes the com-pany’s retail business, which continues to be called CVS/pharmacy; its phar-macy benefit management business, which is known as CVS/caremark; its walk-in medical clinics, CVS/minuteclinic; and its growing specialty pharmacy services, CVS/specialty. As a further demonstration of its commitment to health, CVS Health also announced the end of tobacco sales at CVS/pharmacy as of Septem-ber 3, nearly a month ahead of the previously targeted date of October 1.

Get Moving: Make Physical Activity a Part of a Child’s Life September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Many physi-cal activities fall under more than one type of activity. This makes it possible for your child to do two or even three types of physical activity in one day!

How is it possible for my child to meet the Guidelines? For example, if your daughter is on a basketball team and practices with her teammates every day, she is not only doing vigorous-intensity aerobic activity but also bone-strength-ening. Or, if your daughter takes gym-nastics lessons, she is not only doing vigorous-intensity aerobic activity but also muscle- and bone-strengthening! It’s easy to fit each type of activity into your child’s schedule – all it takes is being familiar with the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and finding activities that your child enjoys.

What can I do to get – and keep – my child active? As a parent, you can help shape your child’s attitudes and behaviors toward physical activity, and know-ing these guidelines is a great place to start. Throughout their lives, encour-age young people to be physically active for one hour or more each day, with activities ranging from informal, active play to organized sports. Here are some ways you can do this:• Set a positive example by leading

an active lifestyle yourself.• Make physical activity part of

your family’s daily routine by tak-ing family walks or playing active games together.

• Give your children equipment that encourages physical activity.

• Take young people to places where they can be active, such as public parks, community baseball fields or basketball courts.

• Be positive about the physical activities in which your child par-ticipates and encourage them to be interested in new activities.

• Make physical activity fun. Fun activities can be anything your child enjoys, either structured or non-structured. Activities can range from team sports or individ-ual sports to recreational activities such as walking, running, skating, bicycling, swimming, playground activities or free-time play.

• Instead of watching television after dinner, encourage your child to find fun activities to do on their own or with friends and family, such as walking, playing chase or riding bikes.

• Be safe! Always provide protec-tive equipment such as helmets, wrist pads or knee pads and ensure that activity is age-appropriate.

This article was provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/children.html

New Retiree Drug Plan: SilverScript® Insurance Company As mentioned last month, the M-NCPPC is making an important change to the retiree prescription coverage under the pharmacy program administered by CVS Caremark. All retirees, survivors and employees who are on Long-term Disability and their dependents who are Medicare eligible will move to this plan. We will be hosting both in-person sessions and webinars for those who will move to this plan, effective Janu-ary 1, 2015. If you are interested in attending one of the sessions, please go to the Health & Benefits page here: http://www.mncppc.org/Our_Depart-ments/Central_Administrative_Ser-vices/Human_Resources/Benefits.html and look under “Benefit News” for the flyer listing dates/times.

Condolences Sincere sympathy is extended to the family and friends of former M-NCPPC Commissioner Ruth Scott Brown, who passed away on August 29, 2014. A statistician and educator by profession, Ruth was deeply involved in local causes and organiza-tions, including the National Associa-tion of Colored People (NAACP), and served as Mayor of the Town of Fairmount Heights. She broke the color barrier in the suburban Washing-ton banks in 1964, becoming the first African American bank teller as part of a local protest. In 1974, a gubernatorial appoint-ment made her the first African Ameri-can to serve on the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commis-sion. Services will be held at a later date.

September 2014Update 8

Update recognizes and con-gratulates three Montgomery County Planning Department staff members who were recently honored by having their photographic work selected for publication. Artist and graphic design guru Sam Dixon and photographers Brian Kent and Kevin Leonard were selected for inclusion in the 2014 annual “ART of Seeing, Creative Pho-tography” publication, sponsored and juried by Alcove Books of Berkeley, California. “ART of Seeing” has jury-select-ed, from 200 entries, the photographic images: “La Vue (The End), Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris” by Sam Dixon, “Cherry King, Washington, D.C.” by Kevin Leonard, “Allium Gladiator, Brookside Gardens, Mary-land and Supermoon, Washington. D.C.” by Brian Kent. These evocative photos were captured by the artists during Summer 2013.

The Montgomery Parks Founda-tion, Montgomery Parks, and the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail are honoring John Dugger, one of the visionaries behind the Capital Cres-cent Trail, an 11-mile, hiker-biker trail. A dedication plaque to Mr. Dugger will be installed on the trail just south of the rest plaza by the Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant, near the D.C. line in Montgomery County. A special dedication event will take place there on September 12, 2014, at 4:30 p.m. Media, elected officials, business and community leaders, and the public are welcome to attend. Mr. Dugger has contributed years of tireless work and dedication to help establish the Capital Crescent Trail as a first-class hiker-biker trail. A collaborative effort between the M-NCPPC, the Coalition for the

Capital Crescent Trail Visionary John Dugger Honored

Capital Crescent Trail, and the Mont-gomery Parks Foundation was key to making this dedication a reality. “We are delighted that the relationship be-tween our three organizations resulted in this important opportunity to honor John Dugger, our friend and champion of the Capital Crescent Trail,” said Ron Tripp, Chair of the Coalition. “The Montgomery Parks Foundation and Montgomery Parks were not only supportive of this effort, but were our partners in assuring this was done -- and done well.” Mr. Dugger saw the abandoned B&O Rail line from Georgetown to Silver Spring as an opportunity to cre-ate a multipurpose trail for the resi-dents of the greater Washington, D.C. area. In 1991, encouraged by friends, including avid cyclist Henri Bartholo-mot, Mr. Dugger was instrumental in

securing Intermodal Surface Transpor-tation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) funds to develop the trail, and was personally involved in acquiring and developing additional right-of-way to form the trail that bikers, joggers, and walkers enjoy today. Dugger, a retired naval officer and specialist in international law, was chairman of the group that inspired the project for many years. He led the coalition of volunteers that worked to create the recreational trail, now known as The Capital Crescent Trail. With origins in the Civil War, the Capital Crescent Trail is now the most heavily used of the many trails in the Washington, D.C. region. Mr. Dugger took great pride in his efforts to make the Capital Crescent a USA Rails to Trails Success.

Photographs by M-NCPPC Staff Selected for Publication

Clockwise from above, Cherry King, Washington D.C.; Allium Gladiator, Brookside Gardens, Maryland; and La Vue (The End), Père Lachaise Cem-etary, Paris

September 2014Update 9

Credit Union News Effective August 18, 2014, the Montgomery County branch of the M-NCPPC FCU is closed until further notice. During this time, please call the Prince George’s County branch at 301-277-8630 for any assistance. The Prince George’s County Branch is located at 5211-A Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740 Phone lines are open 8:30 am to 2:00 pm. Business hours are 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. Check pick up until 4:00 pm.

You are cordially invited to formally recognize your outstanding coworker(s) by nominating an individ-ual or a group for a VIP (Valued Im-pressive by your Peers) award. Think about your colleagues throughout the Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince Georges County, who have done something truly exceptional this year. VIP awards will be given out at the Director’s annual meeting in Janu-ary 2015.

• Nominees must be career em-ployees of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Com-mission’s Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George’s County.

• Nominations should describe events that occurred since the last nominations (October 2013 through September 2014).

• Only one nominator per nomina-tion. (Two or more people may be nominated for a group/unit award, but again, only one person should nominate an individual or a group/unit.)

• Nominations must be submitted on a nomination form (see links at the end of the article). Just provide a BRIEF, handwritten explanation (no more than 250 words) about your reasons for nominating the candidate(s), addressing any one (not all) of the criteria below.

• Nomination submissions must clearly delineate how the nominee(s) met any one (not all) of the following criteria:- developed and/or implemented an especially innovative plan, design, program or procedure;- developed and/or implemented a change which increased efficiency, productivity and/or safety;- developed and/or implemented a unique cost savings idea or procedure;- demonstrated an action that led to significantly improved service to county residents/customers;- demonstrated job performance that went well beyond the expect-ed duties of the job description, or- made an outstanding contribution to public service.

• Nominations may include In-novative Program Initiative (IPI) projects.

• VIP Selection Committee mem-bers will review all nomination forms submitted.

• Finalists will be selected from among all nominees. Those selected as finalists, along with those who nominated them, will be invited to a brief interview with the VIP Selection Committee, and to an awards ceremony/luncheon.

• During finalists’ interviews, sup-port materials including letters, fli-ers, photos, etc., may be presented to the VIP Selection Committee.

Completed nomination forms are due to Shawna Fachet at the Central Area Office, 301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD by 12 noon, Friday, October 31, 2014. No applications will be accepted after that date and time for any reason (even closure due to weather).* NOTE: Employees in the “Officials and Administrators” EEOC job cat-egory (Division Chiefs and above) are not eligible for nomination. They may, however, nominate employees for a VIP award. If you have any questions about the VIP program this year, please call Shawna Fachet (301) 218-6700 or Jill Lee at 301 627-7755 or send an e-mail to shawna.fachet@pgparks.com or jill.lee@pgparks.com.

Click here to access the Individual VIPNomination Form

Click here to access the Group VIPNomination Form

VIP Nominations Now Being Accepted for Prince Georges County Parks & Recreation Employees!

Classified CornerSurplus Bid 35-01 Monitors: (50) 19 inch HP Monitors. Please contact Bri-an Moore of the ITCD with any ques-tions at 301-454-1515. All surplus items are sold in as-is condition, and are free for use in any Commission Office upon request. All bids must be sealed, marked with the bid number, and be received in the Purchasing Division Office/EOB/Suite #300 by close of business September 30, 2014.

September 2014Update 10

ERS LifeTimesNews from the Employees’ Retirement System

Effective August 1, 1982, Disabil-ity Retirement Benefits were prospec-tively discontinued under the ERS in favor of a Commission sponsored Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance Plan. The ERS receives notification that a member has qualified for LTD from the Health & Benefits Office.• You may receive free credited ser-

vice towards your retirement until your Normal Retirement Date.

• Your eligibility for LTD benefits must be certified each year by the Health & Benefits Office.

• Upon reaching eligibility for a Normal Retirement benefit, you will no longer be eligible for free credited service in the ERS.

• Should you return to work after your Normal Retirement Date, you would start to accrue additional credited service from the time you returned to work.

September 2014 Retirees Congratulations to the follow-ing ERS members on their retirement effective September 1, 2014: Ronald E. Cashion, Paul R. Hawkins, Michael A. Horrigan, Dale C. Hutchison, Carrye E. Massey and Lawrence E. Newman.

October BOT Meeting The next ERS Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for October 7, 2014, 10 a.m., in the ERS/Merit Board Conference Room. For more information, please contact the Retirement Office at 301-454-1415 or visit the ERS website at http://ers.mncppc.org.

National Save For Retire-ment Week: Oct. 19-25 But don’t wait until then to get started planning and saving for retire-ment. Remember, planning and saving for retirement is important year-round! Check out this resource which offers information about Social Security, Medicare, and other retirement related topics, as well as links to other retire-ment planning resources: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/retirementtoolkit.pdf.

ERS Condolences The ERS Board of Trustees and staff would like to extend their deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the following retirees who recently passed away:

Edward Swindell passed away on July 25, 2014. He retired from the Commission on January 1, 2001, with 35 years of service. He worked for the Montgomery County Planning Depart-ment.

Dolores F. Wilson passed away on July 25, 2014. She retired from Mont-gomery County Parks on August 1, 1994, with nearly 33 years of service.

Madia F. Snyder passed away on August 16, 2014. She worked for Montgomery County Parks before re-tiring on November 1, 1987. She had nearly 13 years of service.

Leon Gilmore passed away on Au-gust 23, 2014. He retired from Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation on January 1, 2009, with 25 years of service.

• Prior to your Normal Retirement Date, your entitlement to free credited service will end once the Health &Benefits Office notifies the ERS that your LTD benefit terminated.

• Your accrual of credited service will commence upon your return to work or reinstatement of LTD benefits.

• ERS Members who want to retire once their LTD eligibility ends must notify the Retirement Office of their intent to retire as well as the effective date of their retire-ment.

The Retirement Office does not initiate the retirement process unless they receive a request from the retiring member. (Note: Notifying the ERS approximately 30 days prior to your intended retirement date, if possible, is strongly suggested.)

ERS Facts – LTD at a Glance

September 2014Update 11

Employees’ Job Opportunity Bulletin

See JOB, page 12

The Commission is seeking highly qualified applicants to fill the follow-ing positions. This bulletin provides information about available positions on 9/1/14. For updated and more detailed infor-mation, such as work locations, job requirements, etc., please visit our website at www.mncppc.org/jobs or call (301) 454-1411. Please note the closing date and time on the posted announcement. Typing Test: Applicants for the Park Police Communications Techni-cian positions are required to pass the Criticall assessment which includes a typing test. For specific locations and qualifi-cations of advertised positions, please visit www.mncppc.org/jobs/

Unique Positions

ADA Project Manager - Continuous$55,450 - $95,069(14554, Grade I/H)

Assistant Box Office Manager - Closes 10/8/2014$43,190 - $73,903(12160, Grade G)

Capital Procurement Manager - Continuous$55,450 - $95,069(10748, Grade I)

Engineer/ Engineering Designer II/ Engineering Designer I - Continuous$55,450 - $95,069(13707, Grade I/H/G)

Enterprise Coordinator – Closes 9/18/2014$55,450 - $95,069(10263, Grade I)

Enterprise Resources Planning ERP Business Systems Manager - Con-tinuous$70,347 - $122,599(10000, Grade J-IT)

Housing Research Planner Coordi-nator - Continuous$55,450 - $95,069(10396, Grade I)

Information Counter Supervisor - Continuous$55,450 - $95,069(13055, Grade I)

Lead Mechanic – Closes 9/24/2014$43,190 - $73,903(11016, Grade G)

Lead Park Police Communications Technician - Continuous$43,190 - $73,903(14337, Grade G)

Management Analyst III - Continu-ous$55,450 - $95,069(14342, Grade I)

Management Services Division Chief - Continuous$77,287 - $132,251(13336, Grade K)

Multimedia Production Specialist - Continuous$48,962 - $83,782(14188, Grade H)

Park/General Maintenance Worker II Part-Time - Closes 9/15/2014$30,643 - $52,435(14549, Grade L02)

Park/General Maintenance Worker III/Irrigation Systems Assistant – Closes 9/25/2014$33,904 - $58,015(10878, Grade L05)

Parks Division Chief - Continuous$77,287 - $132,251(13573, Grade K)

Planner Coordinator - Continuous$55,450 - $95,069(10527, Grade I)

Planning Division Chief - Continuous$77,287 - $132,251(11625, Grade K)

Planning Supervisor – Closes 9/30/2014$64,538 - $112,476(14029, Grade J)

Procurement and Special Projects Manager - Continuous$55,450 - $95,069(10228, Grade I)

Project Manager-Watershed Im-provement Plan (WIP II) Coordina-tor-Term Contract - Continuous$55,450 - $95,069(14580, Grade I)

Senior Budget/Corporate Program Administrator - Continuous$55,450 - $95,069(13640, Grade I)

Senior Construction Inspector/Con-struction Inspector-Term Contract - Continuous$48,962 - $83,782(14537, Grade H/G)

Senior Graphic Designer (Term-Contract) - Continuous$23.54 - $40.28(14582, Grade H)

Senior Planner – Continuous$48,962 - $83,782 (11091, Grade H)

Senior Planner - Continuous $48,962 - $83,782(13955, Grade H)

September 2014Update 12

Employees’ Job Opportunity BulletinJOB, from page 11

Senior Planner/ Planner – Closes 10/29/14$48,962 - $83,782(10395, Grade H)

Senior Safety Specialist- Continuous $48,962 - $83,782(14541, Grade H)

Technical Writer / Editor – Closes 9/22/2014$43,190 - $73,903(10417, Grade G)

Therapeutic Recreation Coordina-tor – Closes 9/23/2014$55,450.00 - $95,069.00 annually(14562, Grade I)

Transportation Mobility Analyst - Continuous $55,450 - $95,069(11989, Grade I)

Tree Climber II/ Maintenance Worker (Term Contract) - Continu-ous$18.29 - $31.30 hourly14555, 14556, 14557

Seasonal/Intermittent Positions

Area Operations Seasonal (2013-2014) – ContinuousDepends on Qualifications44444Y

Arts Seasonal/Intermittent Positions - Continuous Depends on QualificationsPG55555S

Customer Service Representative Seasonal/Intermittent – ContinuousDepends on QualificationsPGCSR

Greenhouse Aide, Seasonal/Inter-mittent – Continuous$7.53 - $11.04 hourlyPG33434

Historic Rental Seasonal/Intermit-tent Positions - Continuous Depends on Qualifications (55555HR)

Inclusion/Therapeutic Recreation/Kid’s Care Year-Round Intermittent – ContinuousDepends on Qualifications22222Y

Lifeguard (PG12222 Seasonal/Inter-mittent) – Closes 12/31/14$9.58 - $11.21 hourlyPG12222

Montgomery County Seasonal Maintenance/Data Entry (Fall 2011/2012) – ContinuousDepends on QualificationsMC222M

Montgomery County Seasonal Posi-tions - Fall 2014 – Closes 12/31/14Depends on QualificationsMC111FE

Montgomery County Seasonal/Intermittent Position Spring-2013 - ContinuousDepends on QualificationsMC55556G

Nature Centers and Gardens Sea-sonal/Intermittent Positions - Spring 2014 - ContinuousDepends on QualificationsMC99999

Park Maintenance Seasonal/Inter-mittent Positions-2014 - ContinuousDepends on QualificationsPG33333 (2014)

PG88557 Southern Area Seasonal/Intermittent Positions – ContinuousDepends on QualificationsPG88557

Prince George’s County Regional Technology & Recreation Center/Intermittent Positions - PG77777S – ContinuousDepends on QualificationsPG77777S

Seasonal/Intermittent Part-Time Administrative Assistant – Continu-ousDepends on QualificationsPG121212

Senior Services Intermittent Posi-tions (Year Round) – ContinuousDepends on Qualifications2011SY

Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Complex Summer Camp Positions – ContinuousDepends on QualificationsPGSRT11

Sports, Health, and Wellness Divi-sion – Seasonal/Intermittent Positions 77777Y – ContinuousDepends on Qualifications77777Y

Stormwater Management Program Facility Aide III Seasonal/Intermittent MC696969 – Continuous$7.53 - $11.04 hourly MC696969

The Show Place Arena/Prince George’s Equestrian Center (Part-time Positions) – ContinuousDepends on Qualifications99999