So what has your Senior Staff been up to?

In an effort to keep everyone informed about what Senior Staff is working on, we will be posting the meeting minutes from their monthly meetings.  Generally their monthly meeting is held the second Wednesday of the month, so we will be posting these minutes on the Wednesday following the meeting.  Please take the time to ask questions, share you comments etc. in the comment section of the blog - after all someone else may have the same question.  We will do our best to post responses so everyone may see the information.  Please note - if you do not already have a google account, consider getting one of these free email accounts.  This will allow you to post to the blog in a status other than anonymous, and soon we will be providing you access to training's google calendar - so you can see a calendar version of what is currently being offered in training.

MARYLAND PARK SERVICE

SENIOR STAFF MEETING NOTES

December 11, 2013

 

ATTENDEES: Nita Settina, Chris Bushman, Gary Burnett, Daryl Anthony, Mike Riley, Peyton Taylor, Amanda Mock, Angela Baldwin, Diane Feheley (next meeting’s manager-of-the-month – Western Region)

 

SUPERINTENDENT / DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT UPDATE

• Welcome, Amanda Mock, our new Director of Administration!
• MEMA Alerts
• State Duty Officers to sign up for direct text messages / email alerts
• Bushman checking with DNR MEMA representative and will be sending form to SDOs so they can choose the alerts they want
•  2013 MPS NRP Officer of the Year nominations
• Bushman has not received any nominations
• Please check with your Managers
• CAD System / Shift Reports
• Bushman working with Hawkins to set up meeting with NRP commanders to discuss new CAD system and look at new ways of sharing information with MPS managers
• November Managers Meeting Feedback
• Field / work day was the highlight J
• MPS Organizational Analysis
• Fresh look at organizational structure of parks (e.g. PSMI/PSS vs. PSMII/PSAM/PSS structure)
• Meeting to be set in February
• Mid-January Employee Viewpoint Survey meeting to be scheduled for senior staff, to discuss outcomes from the November Managers Meeting
• Training Division blog will now feature senior staff meeting notes
• Town Hall Meetings have been scheduled (Spring)
• Training in the morning (PEP / Disciplinary Process)
• Superintendent’s Course in the afternoon
• Applaud Park Managers on First Day Hikes that have been scheduled
• Recreation.gov has lead story
• National press release to go out this week
• All 50 states participating
• Thank you to Barb Knisely for coordinating the ENTIRE NATIONAL FIRST DAY HIKES PROGRAM
• Volunteer Summit
• Best attendance to date – very upbeat, more participatory
• It works well to have a dedicated volunteer coordinator position in some parks, and all managers should consider it
• Alternative Energy Plan
• Executive Order for 5-year energy plan to start in January 2014
• Park Advisory Commission member from energy industry?
• Historic Sites Strategic Plan
• Part of 5-year strategic plan identified in Funding Study
• Fine tune inventory of historic sites / properties
• Determine nexus of most threatened / most important sites
• Focus resources in existing capital budget (e.g. $500,000K set aside for trails each year)
• Upcoming meeting with Maryland Historical Trust
• Capital Projects / Friends Groups
• Park Managers are not to enter into partnerships with Friends Groups for funding capital projects (e.g. playgrounds)
• Friends groups should continue to assist with buying equipment or purchasing other items that the park needs
• JobAps
• May explore option of funding certain services so we have ability to extend recruitment period, etc.
• Managers or their designee(s) still expected to be able to review applications themselves (not HRS)
• Still working out details for spring / summer hiring
• Winter hires can be processed now – submit recruitments to Barb Knisely, who will forward to HRS
• Property Acquisitions
• Managers to advise Regional Managers of significant properties that they wish to acquire – especially when they become aware that those properties are on the market
• Customer Satisfaction Survey
• Review of results
• Some recurring issues – privacy, generators, water trail at Janes Island
• Goucher College Survey
• Presentation – survey regarding perceptions of Maryland State Parks (an analysis of use, activities, goals and barriers to visitation)
• Handout

MISSIONSUPPORT

·       Budget Projections (handout)

o   On P:/drive – Correlated with Webfocus numbers

·       10 light vehicles have been ordered (3 have been delivered)

·       2 dump trucks (Tuckahoe and Patapsco) have been ordered

·       1 1-ton truck ordered (Herrington Manor)

·       Tables, grills and fire rings to be ordered (in priority order)

 

 

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Pay Update!

I have reproduced some information regarding Salary adjustments for 2014.  You should have received this information by now, but just in case you missed the email here is the information once again.

You should have already received the new salary schedules effective January 1, 2014. They include a 3% COLA, which should come as very good news . We also checked on the status of increments (step increases) and received the following information.

 Everyone who is not already at the maximum step of their salary scale will receive an increment raise on April 1, 2014.

 Pending approval by the General Assembly, regular increments will then occur according to the standard schedule in FY15. 

If you are a July increment, you will receive a step increase on July 1, 2014 and if you are a January increment, you will receive a step increase on January 1, 2015.  (This still needs Legislative approval). 

 

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Now that you have read the minutes, just who makes up the Senior Staff of the Maryland Park Service?  Your Senior Staff is comprised of the following people:

 

Superintendent - Nita Settina

Deputy Superintendent - Chris Bushman

Director of Administation - Amanda Mock ( She is brand new!)

Director of Support Services - Gary Burnett ( Training falls under Gary)

Western Region Manager - Daryl Anthony

South/East Region Manager - Mike Riley

Central Region Manager - Peyton Taylor

 

 

Next Week's Blog Post will be out a day early!  Look for another installment from Scales and Tales on next Tuesday's Blog Post.

 

 

Some Holdiay photos from events at North Point and Soldiers Delight!  Enjoy.....