This award is being presented to Donna Clough, Administrative Secretary for the Transportation Department. Please do not let Donna's title fool you. Donna is the heart and soul of the Transportation Department!! For the past 42 years Donna has been responsible for making sure all of the students are on the correct bus route and knows every road in Queen Anne’s County like the back of her hand. Donna is the human version of Google Maps. When someone calls in and asks Donna a question about an address, she does not have to look the information up on the Transfinder Routing System. Within a split second she rambles off the bus number, bus driver and the stops the bus makes. Having someone like Donna who has the historical knowledge of all of the MSDE requirements and COMAR Regulations is very reassuring. During the first week of school, making sure the 7,500 students are on the correct bus can be stressful at times, but Donna always “Shines” above the situation and jumps in to make sure the students are picked up and dropped off successfully. Donna is the Shining Star that never dims for over 42 years of service.

This award is being presented to Julie Hickey, Sodexo Food Service Manager for Queen Anne’s County Public Schools. Julie is usually the first person to arrive at Central Office and the last person to leave late in the evening. I often have to tell Julie “it's Friday, go home and enjoy time with your family.” The pandemic threw all kinds of curve balls to Julie and she always hit a homerun adapting to the ever-changing needs of the school system. Julie organized and staffed the food distribution sites so students had the opportunity to receive breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is not uncommon to see Julie preparing the meals when employees are out and then standing out in front of the schools distributing the meals to the students. Once students returned to the buildings, she adapted the procedures to ensure a smooth transition with breakfast and lunches being served inside of the buildings. I have never met a more dedicated employee and I have no idea how she keeps her batteries always charged. This is why she is the epitome of the Energizer Bunny, she just keeps on going and going!!