St. Mary's Co. Gov. News Briefs



Commissioners Name New Director of Human Resources

The Commissioners of St. Mary's County have appointed Catherine Pratson as Director of Human Resources. She will assume her duties on February 8, 2016.

Pratson comes to St. Mary's County Government with extensive experience in Human Resources. Currently she serves as the Human Resources Director for St. Mary's College of Maryland where she is responsible for all Human Resources programs, including recruitment, compensation, staff planning and development and employee relations. She is also responsible for the administration of health benefit programs, workers compensation and new employee orientation.

Previously as Director of Operations and Human Resources for Asbury Solomons Island, she was a key member of the senior leadership team which was recognized by the College of Southern Maryland as the 2010 Leading Edge Award recipient for Calvert County Business of the Year.

Ms. Pratson holds a BA in Politics and English from Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut and is a certified Senior Professional of Human Resources.

"Human Resources is a key component of St. Mary's County Government," said Commissioner President Randy Guy. "Ms. Pratson has a diverse background that brings the expertise needed to ensure our Human Resources department continues to play a strategic part of our overall mission."

Pratson will earn an annual salary of $117,000.

Economic Development Commission Cancels December Meeting

The Economic Development Commission's (EDC) regularly scheduled monthly meeting, set for December 16, has been canceled.

The Commission will reconvene at on Wednesday, January 20 at 6 p.m. in the conference room of the Chesapeake Building.

For more information about the EDC, contact Robin Finnacom, deputy director, Department of Economic Development at 301-475-4200, ext. 1407.

Convenience Centers to Offer Additional Early Opening Days

As a convenience to citizens, the six convenience centers will open early for operations on Monday and Tuesday, December 28 and 29 at 8 a.m. each day. The centers will close at their usual time of 5 p.m. The convenience centers will also open early the week of December 21 - 24.

The early openings allow convenience center workers to accommodate the increased usage of the facilities by residents during the busy holiday season.

As a reminder, Christmas trees will be collected at the St. Andrew's Landfill and convenience centers free of charge. Undecorated trees may be placed in designated areas between December 26 and January 31. Last year, the County collected nearly 5 tons of Christmas trees, which were mixed with the collected yard waste and ground into mulch. Almost 5,000 tons of mulch is produced annually at the St. Andrews Landfill site and provided to county citizens free of charge while supplies last.

Fly Safe with Your Drone

On December 7, 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration's Safety Team issued the following reminder:

If you fly a drone anywhere in the nation's airspace, you automatically become part of the U.S. aviation system. Under the law, your drone is an aircraft. So while the rules for drones may be different, you have the responsibility to operate safely, just as a Cessna or 747 pilot does.

The FAA has developed a safety checklist that you, as a pilot, should use whenever you send a drone into the sky. We want you to fly safe, fly smart - and have fun.

Great Mills Swimming Pool Rates to Increase

The Recreation and Parks Great Mills Pool will increase admission prices as follows:

• Youth Open Swim - from $4 to $5

• Adult Open Swim - from $5 to $6

• Lap Swim - from $3 to $4

The new rates are effective January 15, 2016.

For more information or questions please contact the Great Mills Swimming Pool at 301-866-6560.

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