ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced the Howard County Government 2026 Employee of the Year is Erica Carpio from the Howard County Police Department. As a victim advocate, she has led a strategic overhaul of the department’s victim services, expanding outreach and strengthening partnerships with detectives, the State's Attorney's Office, and county service providers. Erica routinely manages complex, emotionally charged cases with sound judgment and creativity. She is a source of support and comfort in a challenging and often tragic situation.
This announcement occurred during the County’s annual Employee Awards Program, through which employees nominate their fellow co-workers who go above and beyond in several categories. A selection committee comprised of employees from various County departments then selects the final award recipients. Pictures from the event can be found on the County’s Flickr website.
As my second term as County Executive comes to a close, I am so grateful for the effort and support of our county employees who provide assistance, services and programs for our residents every day. While we annually honor a select group of outstanding public servants with these awards, every employee deserves recognition for their part in an innovative, effective, and customer-focused county government. The entire team has made me very proud to lead this county.
In addition to Employee of the Year, this annual awards program also recognized outstanding employees in the following categories:
Manager of the Year
Catherine Wellman from the Department of Housing & Community Development is the County’s 2026 Manager of the Year. As a leader in our efforts to support homeless individuals, she has been a driving force in our Path Toward Zero, where everyone has stable housing.
Contingent of the Year
The 2026 Contingent of the Year award was presented to Mackenzie Fisher from the Department of Recreation & Parks.She is always at the top of her game when supporting our sport’s leagues and programs, including retrieving an AED in response to a medical emergency late last year. Her willingness to help and grace under pressure make her an example for her co-workers.
Great Idea Award
The First Place Winner for the Great Idea Award is Garshet Holmes in the Department of Housing & Community Development. As the lead of the Coordinated Entry System for homeless individuals, she developed a regional partner meeting that significantly enhanced our abilities to share resources and best practices across neighboring jurisdictions to build a more efficient regional network to support the homeless.
Receiving second place for this award is Irma Iribe in the Department of Community Resources & Services, Office on Aging & Independence. She is being honored for helping to successfully launch the community garden plot for older adults at North Laurel 50+ Center in a way that is welcoming and inclusive. She is diligently finding ways to empower and inspire our participants
Green Initiative Award
The 1st Place award goes to Malarie Burgess in the Department of Community Resources & Services, Office on Aging & Independence for a simple but environmentally friendly solution to electronic waste. She coordinated a Tech Device Donation Drive in partnership with a non-profit that refurbishes the equipment – both responsibly recycling waste and providing reuseable devices to those in need.
The Second Place Award goes to Gina Van De Walle from the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Environmental Services. She is a champion of all the county’s recycling and reuse programs and is always looking for ways to help the public be better educated about how they can participate. From phone coverage to Oops stickers for collections to event support, she is encouraging our community to be better environmental stewards.
Unsung Hero Award
The 2026 1st Place Unsung Hero faced an unexpected emergency. Jonathon Frias in the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits was conducting a routine commercial inspection when he encountered the victim of an armed robbery. Without hesitation and in heroic fashion, he supported the victim and was even able to provide information for the law enforcement investigation.
This year, the 2nd Place award goes to Erica Smith in the Department of Housing & Community Development. She is among our strongest advocates for the right to a safe and stable home in our community. In the most challenging of housing situations, the team turns to Erica for solutions to homelessness and landlord disputes based on the community relationships she has built.
Leadership Award
With four nominations, Park Ranger Tabitha Kanagie from the Department of Recreation & Parks is this year’s winner of the Leadership Award. Her team describes her as a friendly, caring individual who builds confidence and integrity in others through training opportunities, regular support and feedback, encouragement, and transparency. She invests her time and effort in her team to make our parks safe and benefit our community.
Mentoring Award
The 2026 Mentoring Award winner is Abiola Akin-Ajayi from the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Utilities. She works hard and above the call of duty to help her co-workers, especially new hires, understand the job, the rules and the processes. But as important, she wants the team to also appreciate the “why” behind the work and how all employees are connected to a larger, effective organization serving our community.
Customer Service Awards
- Christine Morris, Department of General Services (1st Place – Internal)
- Hong Chen, Department of General Services (2nd Place – Internal)
- Kami Bennett in the Department of Community Resources & Services. Office on Aging & Independence (1st Place – Public)
- Christine Ferraro, Department of Community Resources and Services, Office on Aging & Independence. (2nd Place – Public)
Customer Service Team Awards were presented for Internal service to the Department of Corrections Detention Center Morale Team and for Public Service to the Howard County Police Department’s Crossing Guard Section.
In addition to the above awards, more than 20 County employees were also recognized for 30 or more milestone years of service to Howard County Government. Service honors included Gary Miller in the Department of General Services, who has spent 50 years with the Central Fleet Division at the county’s maintenance shops.