BALTIMORE, MARYLAND November 2, 2015 – The Department of General Services celebrated the 2015 Class’ completion of the DGS Future Leaders program on Thursday, October 29, 2015, in the Baltimore War Memorial. Prior to the completion ceremony the class, in three groups, presented the results of their collaboration on respective capstone projects: Improving Proactive Communication to Customers, Making Full-Cycle Non-Civil Service Recruitment a Leaner Process, and Reducing the Internal Service Procurement Process.

“My group’s project was to establish a standard process for the recruitment of non-civil service employees,” Erica Gee, a HR Assistant II with the Department of General Services’ Human Resources Office said. “We had to investigate the current (non-standard) procedure, establish where there was waste in terms of time, paper, and people resources. With our improvements, the entire process can be shortened from 60-90 days to approximately 45 days. This can save a lot of time for the Department, enhance productivity for our divisions, and provide a smoother process for applicants.”

The capstone projects address real problems that arise at DGS, providing the Future Leaders with hands-on, real world experience, considering an issue, researching processes, deliberating solutions, and providing specific recommendations to DGS leadership. The findings were presented to DGS leadership at the completion ceremony and the groups will continue to work together to implement their recommendations over the next year.

“We have a strong commitment to providing training to the DGS staff; the Future Leaders program is one key way we ensure all staff have the skills to step into a higher role when needed,” DGS Director Steve Sharkey said.
Thirteen DGS staff members were chosen to participate in the DGS Future Leaders program which was conceived to identify, train, and retain potential managers and supervisors by developing and advancing participants’ strategic decision-making capabilities and deepening their understanding of the City of Baltimore’s operations and organizational dynamics. During the course of the ten-week program, participants were exposed to the machinations of City government, including review of the Mayor’s 10-year Plan, an abbreviated exposure to the DHR “Boot Camp” regimen, and information on the mission and vision of the Department of General Services.

The Department of General Services is committed to providing healthy work environments and safe reliable vehicles for City employees by delivering high quality and cost-effective support services to City agencies who serve Baltimore’s citizens and stakeholders.