Human Resources

The O'Malley administration has settled a class action lawsuit brought by critics who accused the state of failing low-income and disabled Marylanders by regularly taking nearly a year to approve medical assistance applications as part of a severe backlog. The settlement means the Maryland Department of Human Resources will process claims faster and work to eliminate a backlog of more than 9,000 delayed cases, according to the Public Justice Center, the Homeless Persons Representation Project and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, the organizations that filed suit.

The O'Malley administration has settled a class action lawsuit brought by critics who accused the state of failing low-income and disabled Marylanders by regularly taking nearly a year to approve medical assistance applications as part of a severe backlog. The settlement means the Maryland Department of Human Resources will process claims faster and work to eliminate a backlog of more than 9,000 delayed cases, according to the Public Justice Center, the Homeless Persons Representation Project and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, the organizations that filed suit.

Samuel Nathaniel Brown, a retired Maryland Department of Human Resources employee and sports enthusiast, died of complications of multiple sclerosis Nov. 9 at the FutureCare Homewood. He was 53 and lived in Northeast Baltimore. Born in Baltimore and raised on Kenhill Avenue, he was a 1976 graduate of Polytechnic Institute. He attended Morgan State University for two years before enlisting in the Air Force. About 25 years ago, he joined the Maryland Department of Human Resources and later worked at its Howard and Saratoga streets building.

Betty Jane Bivins Chase, a retired Baltimore public schools personnel worker, died of respiratory failure April 16 at the Levindale Geriatric Rehabilitation Center. The Randallstown resident was 75. Born Betty Jane Bivins in Baltimore, she was the daughter of James and Margaret Thomas Bivins. Raised in Lothian in Anne Arundel County, she was a 1956 graduate of Wiley H. Bates High School in Annapolis. She was a member of the Starlighters Drama Club and the Future Teachers of America.

Upper Chesapeake Health has promoted Toni M. Shivery to be vice president of human resources. Shivery has been director of human resources with the Harford County organization since 1995. Shivery has a bachelor of science degree in psychology and a master's degree in industrial and organizational psychology, both from Radford University in Virginia. Shivery is a resident of Rising Sun.

The county commissioners announced on Friday that Carole Hammen has been named Carroll's director of human resources.Hammen, a graduate of the University of Maryland, replaces Beverly Billingslea, who resigned in February.Hammen, of Finksburg, a lifelong Carroll County resident, brings 25 years of experience to her new job. In her former positions, Hammen was responsible for developing human resource policies and procedures, as well as a number of employee relations initiatives.PoliceWestminster: An employee of Grinnell Fire Protection Services told police Wednesday that company property was stolen.

L. Todd Allen has been named Howard County's director of human resources, County Executive Ken Ulman announced last week. Allen replaces Nan Shull, who retired last month after 32 years with the county. Most recently, Allen has served as director of human resources for Howard Community College. He will spend the next six weeks at the community college before joining the Ulman administration May 12. Allen has more than 20 years of experience as a human resource leader, consultant and trainer.

Robert Jemellaro, a retired Constellation Energy human resources director, died Friday at the Brighton Gardens nursing home of a heart attack. The Perry Hall resident was 67. Born in Baltimore and raised in Highlandtown, Mr. Jemellaro was a 1958 graduate of Patterson Park High School and was student body president. He attended the University of Baltimore and the Maryland Institute College of Art. He served in the Army. He joined Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. on a work-study program. He initially worked in customer service and remained with the company, eventually becoming director of human resources with Constellation, the parent of BGE. He retired in 1998.

Yvonne M. Stewart, retired director of human resources at the state's Spring Grove Hospital Center and a jazz enthusiast, died of cancer Saturday at her Govans home. She was 63. Born Yvonne Morganette Jackson in Birmingham, Ala., she moved to Maryland about 40 years ago and earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. She retired two years ago from Spring Grove. She formerly worked in human resources for the Maryland Hospital Association. A jazz enthusiast, she played clarinet and piano in high school and college.

Joseph Allen Hunter, a retired human resources specialist for Baltimore's public school system, died of cancer Saturday at Carroll Hospital Center. The Randallstown resident was 62. Born in Philadelphia, he earned a bachelor's degree in biology and a master's in business administration from what is now Morgan State University. In later years, he received a master's in public administration from the University of Baltimore. Mr. Hunter served in the Marine Corps as a captain during the Vietnam War and was stationed in Da Nang.

The state contractor that collects child support payments in Baltimore continues to have trouble meeting the terms of its agreement, according to a report released Wednesday by the Office of Legislative Audits calling for better oversight by the Department of Human Resources. In a follow-up review after blasting the agency last year for not doing enough to collect payments, the auditors said the state had completed or begun to address nearly all issues, but noted that the department had made only "minimal progress" addressing contracting issues in Baltimore.

Ted Capshaw, of White Marsh, has been appointed executive director of The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Baltimore Affiliate. Mr. Capshaw was most recently chief operating officer at the Baltimore Urban Debate League. In that role, he oversaw operations, budgeting and human resources. Prior to the Baltimore Urban Debate League, Mr. Capshaw served as virtual chief learning officer/fitness director at the Maryland Athletic Club; chief learning officer at Benelogic; senior consultant/facilitator with EntreQuest; counselor for Treatment Resources for Youth; and director, mentoring services, for Right Step Inc. He holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Minnesota and has completed coursework toward a master's in human development at St. Mary's University in Rochester, Minn.

Maryland's new labor secretary will be Leonard Howie, an official at the state Department of Human Resources, the state said Monday. Gov. Martin O'Malley said in a statement that he was "confident in Leonard's ability to connect Marylanders with the jobs and skills they need to compete. " Howie steps into his new job Oct. 8. Former Labor Secretary Alexander M. Sanchez left in May to work for Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, with Scott R. Jensen filling in as interim secretary since then.

With baby boomers hitting retirement age, federal agencies expect challenging years ahead in grooming the next crop of leaders, managing heavier workloads, and attracting skilled professionals to work for the government, according to a recent survey of federal executives. Fifty-five federal executives told the Partnership for Public Service that their main challenges were declining budgets, high turnover due in part to retirements, inadequate leadership and succession planning and competency gaps in human resources and agency leadership skills.

Shalita O'Neale approached her 21st birthday with more dread than enthusiasm. Reaching the milestone meant she would officially age out of the state's foster care system. "To say I was terrified would be an understatement," she said. "I knew I had to find my own housing, health insurance and employment. I was coming from a system that had done all of that for me. At 21, you need help more than ever. " Nine years later, she is a college graduate established in a career with a home and family of her own. But she understands the desperation that comes with severing ties to a system that has filled in for absentee parents.

When a state agency tried to hire a new contractor to run a call center that fields inquiries about child support payments, an appeals panel intervened and called the process "deeply flawed" and "unreasonable, illogical and improper. " The move would have replaced the current company with a less-experienced firm that proposed running the center with about half as many live operators despite a projected increase in call volume. But in a rare move, the panel overturned the decision to award the new contract.

Defense giant Tracor Inc. may be headquartered in Austin, Texas, but more than half its employees report to subsidiaries based in Maryland. And now all Tracor employees will look to Maryland for human resources services with the announcement that local executive Kathleen Thompson has been promoted to corporate vice president.Thompson will oversee corporate policies for equal employment programs, health and welfare benefits, staffing, labor relations and employee compensation for Tracor's more than 10,400 workers nationwide.

Donzel Clayton "Clay" Wildey, a former human resources director who became a co-owner of The Nut Farm and Creamery at Green Spring Station in Brooklandville, died June 13 of pneumonia at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. The longtime Rodgers Forge resident was 64. The son of a Methodist minister and a homemaker, Mr. Wildey — who never used his first name, according to his wife of 43 years, the former Marjorie Cole — was born in Lewes, Del. Eventually, his family settled in Timonium, and Mr. Wildey graduated in 1965 from Dulaney High School.

Seasoned human resources professional Megan Shupe recently joined the staff at Beacon Staffing Alternatives in Aberdeen as a business development specialist. She is bilingual and has already used her Spanish language skills to help match prospective employees with potential employers. Shupe, 40, graduated from Edgewood High School in 1989 and from Harford Community College in 1991. She received a bachelor of arts in international relations, with a minor in Spanish, from Towson University in 1993.