Special Thanks to our 2020 event sponsors PRESENTING PLATINUM GOLD SILVER Dear Friends: Welcome to the 2020 Spirit of Community Awards Virtual Celebration. We are delighted to have you join us as the Central Maryland Chamber salutes the accomplishments of outstanding civil servants in our community. We appreciate your patience and are happy to finally be able to celebrate with you. Since 1962, at a variety of events and venues, we have honored noteworthy individuals in our community. We are lucky to have a strong history of people serving in our community with distinction and dedication, and we take great pride in recognizing them today. We appreciate your support of the Spirit of Community Awards and the Chamber’s other programs. We are committed to continuing our efforts to make this region the best place to live and work! Sonja Gladwin Kristi Simon Chair, Board of Directors President & CEO Anne Arundel Community College Central Maryland Chamber Thanks to our 2020 Virtual Event Hosts: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Bormel, Grice & Huyett, P.A. Epoch, Inc. Eric Harris of Marathon Financial Fort Meade Alliance Revere Bank Stone Circle Associates Tax and Accounting These companies help underwrite the cost for our nominees and their guests to attend, so we can hold a first class event. Awards Public Safety Military Elementary School Educator Middle School Educator High School Educator Administrative Support Staff School Administrator 2020 Award Nominees Public Safety Corporal Richard Brookman – Anne Arundel County Police Department Corporal Brookman is a standout employee and thirteen year veteran of the Anne Arundel County Police Department and is currently assigned as a “Police and Community Together” (PACT) officer. In the past two years, Corporal Brookman has become an intricate part of the creation and development of Southern District PACT. He is the lead liaison between the communities and the Southern District Police Station of Anne Arundel County and works closely with members of the community to mediate community complaints, assists with their needs and provides educational support. Corporal Brookman has strengthened his relationship with the community by becoming a DARE Officer and provides drug prevention education to the youth of the community and provides formal in- school training to students with the DARE curriculum. Corporal Brookman has created several programs to assist with building bonds inside the community with law enforcement and children – “Lunch Buddies” and “Ice Cream Socials”. “Lunch Buddies” are pre-arranged dates and times with local elementary schools where officers can attend lunch and create positive interactions and build positive relationships with the children in a low stress environment. “Ice Cream Socials” are community events where PACT and uniformed officers have positive interactions with the children and provide free ice cream to the community. Corporal Brookman’s latest endeavor is serving as a Law Enforcement Representative with a new non-profit organization– South County Bridges, whose mission is to improve life pathways or help the community prevent youth substance abuse and to increase awareness and educate the community. Sergeant Charles Boswell – Laurel Police Department As a member of the Laurel Police Department since 2007, Sergeant Boswell was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2013 and runs the Community Policing Division. This division is responsible for organizing events for the public, is well known in the city, and is almost always in attendance at every city and public event. Sgt. Boswell and his officers often assist and visit local businesses, home owner’s association meetings, and apartment complexes meetings in order to listen to concerns and help resolve issues. In addition to his duties as the community policing supervisor, Sgt. Boswell is also the supervisor of the Crash Reconstruction Team and the Evidence Technician Team. He serves in an on call capacity for both teams and responds for serious crimes and serious and/or fatal accidents. Sgt. Boswell oversees and manages the agency’s State Highway Association grants which include DUI Checkpoints, aggressive driving and seatbelt enforcement. Sgt. Boswell is also the agency’s administrator of the Automated Speed Enforcement Program and oversees the agency’s fleet. He is also a Firearms Instructor and an Armorer for the agency. One of the most successful community events Sergeant Boswell created for the citizens of Laurel and the Laurel Police Department is “Skate with a Cop”. Citizens young and old join officers and skate on the basketball courts and are eagerly awaiting the return of such events to the calendar. Corporal Michele Goodman – Office of the Sheriff, Anne Arundel County Corporal Michele Goodman has dedicated nineteen years of service to the Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office and is a K-9 handler assigned to the Security Operation Bureau and a member of the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team. Along K-9 Chase, Corporal Goodman ensures the safety of all employees and visitors of the Circuit Courthouse located on Church Circle in Annapolis. Corporal Goodman and K-9 Chase sweep each section of the courthouse and surrounding area on a daily basis. Her skills and knowledge are continually called upon to assist with high risk trials and major events. She renders immediate assistance to secure events within the courthouse to include assisting citizens in need, responding to fights, and making arrests for subjects with active warrants. In addition to her regular duties, Corporal Goodman assists in training new K-9 handlers. As part of the office K-9 unit, Corporal Goodman and Chase are well known to the citizens of Anne Arundel County for their community service. In 2019, Corporal Goodman performed seven K-9 demonstrations; many of which were for local schools during Career Day. She volunteered to provide security for the 2019 Military Bowl and for several Navy football games, participates in National Night Out which promotes healthy relationships between first responders and community members and has volunteered to assist in the annual Annapolis Santa Run. Corporal Goodman exemplifies what it means to be a public servant. Michelle Claycomb and Tonia Beaty – Anne Arundel County Crossing Guards Michelle Claycomb and Tonia Beaty are the Arundel High School Crossing Guard team stationed on Route 175 at the school’s main entrance at morning arrival and afternoon dismissal. Michelle and Tonia keep traffic moving in and out of Arundel High School each and every day. Some mornings, they utilize illuminated flares so that they can be seen. Michelle and Tonia are responsible for controlling vehicular and pedestrian traffic at the entrance to Arundel High and they do a fabulous job. Traffic flow is critical. If the crossing guards are not effectively managing vehicular traffic, the whole school is gridlocked. They ensure that parents are able to drop off/pick up students, buses are able to access the school to make their drop offs and pick-ups and student drivers with parking permits are able to access their parking spot and arrive to school in a timely manner. They work in all types of inclement weather-extreme cold and brutal heat, rain, sleet, and snow. Once they are finished with arrivals and dismissals at Arundel High, they depart for their next assignment at a local middle school and then elementary school. Michelle and Tonia are truly unsung heroes who impact hundreds of people each and every day. Captain Paul Supko – Anne Arundel County Fire Department Captain Paul Supko is a twenty-eight year veteran on the Anne Arundel County Fire Department and is currently assigned as the company commander of the Jones Station Fire Station in the Severna Park area. Captain Supko is in charge of the physical upkeep of the fire station, multiple pieces of apparatus, supervising four shifts of personnel as well as the additional responsibilities that come with the designation as a Special Operations fire station. Captain Supko has played an integral role in adding two important pieces of equipment to the Department – a 21 foot rigid hull inflatable rescue boat, stationed at Jones Station but used throughout the county for boating emergencies and searching for victims; and a new rescue engine that will serve as a Technical Rescue Unit county-wide as well as a standard rescue unit for the Severna Park area. His management, vision and inclusiveness with personnel assigned to his station, resulted in acquiring a piece of appa- ratus that is multi-functional, adaptable to future tool/equipment developments and will serve the Department and community very well for many years. Captain Supko is committed to Special Operations (hazardous materials response, confined space rescue, marine operations) and pursues the multiple disciplines with Special Operations with equal passion and enthusiasm continually searching for the newest method, tool, or widget to keep the Special Operations Team moving forward and at the forefront of the latest tech- nology, standards and training. His team is highly trained, skilled and effective in managing the most complex and challenging incidents in Anne Arundel County and his enthusiasm, passion and devotion to public service set the tone for the Special Operations Division. Zachary Zwicker – Odenton Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. Zach Zwicker hails from Warrington, Pennsylvania and joined Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (OVFC) in 2017. Zach completed over 300 hours of training to obtain his certification as an Emergency Medical Technician and Firefighter II in Anne Arundel County and continues to pursue new training opportunities. Zach is a very active member of the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company, riding two 12 hour shifts each week and responding on 158 emergency calls in 2019. He is an active member of the honor guard and serves as a Member at Large on the Board of Directors. Zach is a supporter of the Stephen Sillers Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which provides handicap accessible homes for our nation’s wounded veterans and pays the mortgages of fallen first responders.