B. Parker Hamilton Library Professional of the Year Award

B. Parker Hamilton Library Professional of the Year Award

Retired Montgomery County Library Director B. Parker Hamilton

Award Description:

This annual award is given in honor of retired Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) Director B. Parker Hamilton to recognize the excellent work that is carried out in MCPL everyday, and to highlight the best practices of those whose work is especially outstanding.

FOLMC presents the award at the Annual Library After Dark Gala.

Nominees are selected from the previous year’s recipients of the MCPL Awards of Excellence.

Awards Committee

An Awards Committee is appointed to review the nominations and recommend a recipient to the FOLMC Board of Trustees. The Awards Committee consists of representatives from Montgomery County Public Libraries, the Montgomery County Library Board (MCLB), FOLMC Board, Library Advisory Committees (LACs), and past award recipients.

Questions? Call 240-776-6001 or email office@folmc.org.

Past Awardees

	2022 Recipients are MCPL Staff for their outstanding efforts during the pandemic.
Marketing & Communications Team: Regina Holyfield-Jewett & Vincent Mui Digital Strategies Team: Maddie Hines, Laurie White, Ray Bryson, & Jason Turner Technology Management Team: Scott Kegley, Daniel Heng, Bill Carey, Kenrick Hine, Raul Mena, & Byon Tark	2021 Recipients are a team of MCPL leaders whose collective, tireless efforts have been critical to rebranding and modernizing library services and helped make the library’s shift to a virtual format possible.
	2020  Recipient Eric Carzon, has worked across many aspects of MCPL, from his start in the Business Office to his move to Twinbrook Library while earning a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science. As Branch Manager, Mr. Carzon created the Library of Things: Music, produced the Make Music Montgomery Competition, worked diligently on the Just for the Record – A Vinyl Day committee, and has proven himself an exemplary leader to his peers.
	2019 Recipient Mark Santoro unexpectedly became a one-person team of the Digital Strategies office when his supervisor and co-workers moved into different roles. Despite this seemingly challenging situation, Mark consistently provided high quality customer service while managing multiple social media platforms seamlessly to the public eye. His work on the Library Matters Podcast and time spent developing the Library of Things: Music website and social media strategy were particular high notes of his nominations.
	2018 Recipient Susan Cohen, who serves as head of adult services at Gaithersburg Library, was instrumental in the creation of the Deaf Culture Digital Library (DCDL), a statewide initiative that provides an online “first stop” for resources, information and programs for Maryland residents, local libraries and college and university libraries . Her leadership and expertise have brought recognition to the program both locally and regionally. An innovative and creative thinker, Ms. Cohen also developed an LAC and an FOL Chapter for the DCDL further expanding the reach of MCPL.
Committee Members: Lennea Bowers, Bill Carey, David Delgado, Barbara Giese-Chomycia, Robin Hein, Regina Holyfield-Jewett, Febe Huezo, Mary Ellen Icaza, Carol Legarreta, Sarah Mecklenburg, Susan Merewitz, Adrienne Miles Holderbaum, Susan Moritz, LaKrista Prather, Clotilde Puertolas, Angelica Rengifo, Tamar Sarnoff, Mark Santoro, Kate Tavakolian, and Judith Taylor	2017 Recipient County Executive’s Library of the Future Summit Committee’s demonstrated innovative leadership that engaged the entire community using multiple formats and inspired new thinking about the direction of library services. The Committee’s dedication and commitment to this incredible effort, undoubtedly demonstrates the qualities recognized by the Library Professional of the Year Award.
	2016 Recipient Regina Regina Holyfield-Jewett is the Senior Executive Administrative Assistant to MCPL Library Director Parker Hamilton. She was peer nominated and awarded through MCPL’s Awards of Excellence for her exemplary leadership, customer service, and dedication to the county library system.
	2015 Recipient Amy Alapati impressed with the programs she developed and implemented, including the STEM Mini-Maker program at the Damascus Library and “Women Scientists of NASA” workshops.