ANNAPOLIS, MD—Maryland Governor Larry Hogan this week honored two Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency employees with his Customer Service Heroes Award.

The recipients are Digital Manager Melanie Losover and Human Resources Officer Bavan Smith. The governor presented them with citations at the start of the February 19 Board of Public Works meeting at the Maryland State House in Annapolis.

The awards, which the governor established in 2016, honor state employees in front line or other customer-facing positions who exemplify principles in the state Customer Service Promise. Nominees are initially acknowledged by a customer or the nominating state agency. Heroes Award winners go beyond customer expectations to solve a specific problem or create a new process (or alter an existing process) that significantly improves delivery of services in a manner consistent with the Customer Service Promise.

Maryland Lottery and Gaming recognized both women in 2019 as part of its monthly Round of Applause awards program.

Losover is responsible for the Lottery’s social media presence, making her the first contact with 124,476 followers/customers on a daily basis. Social media updates are required 24/7. A colleague who nominated her for the Round of Applause Award praised her for being “quick to respond and act appropriately.” Losover was commended for staying on top of social media industry trends, recommending new engagement tactics, and having “a great sense of fun and creativity.”

Smith provides excellent customer service to the agency’s employees, which positively affects all of the agency’s external customers. Working in human resources offers unique challenges regarding a wide range of employee issues. A colleague who nominated Smith for a Round of Applause Award said she always acts in a positive manner. Her co-worker wrote, “Bavan is not only a tireless worker, but she ALWAYS has a smile on her face.”

[Photo: Digital Manager Melanie Losover (center left) and Human Resources Officer Bavan Smith (center right) hold the citations they were given by Gov. Larry Hogan (center) on Feb. 19 in Annapolis]