Kendra McLaughlin Chosen as Health Department Employee of the Quarter

Kendra McLaughlin, MPH has been selected as Employee of the Quarter at the Garrett County Health Department!

Kendra is the Director of the Garrett County Health Department’s Health Education and Outreach Unit and was nominated because of her years of dedication to promoting public health and countless contributions to Garrett County.

Kendra’s coworkers provided glowing recommendations of her service and character:

“Kendra is such a humble boss and leader. Any compliment she receives, she is quick to give credit to her staff. In the employee spotlight she said ‘…the people I work with are another reason I like my job. When you spend as much time with your coworkers as you do with your family, it’s a big bonus when you like them. They’ve really shaped who I am over the years – teaching me persistence, discernment, patience, resilience, and humility.'”

“Kendra has dedicated many years to working at the health department.  She is coming up on retirement in a few months and is still dedicating herself to bettering her staff, the department’s vision, and the service to the public by not only preparing a strategic plan for her departure but writing two federal grants whose implementation won’t even take place until well after she has retired.”

“Her sense of humor, and kind and humble nature make her staff feel appreciated and cared for on a level way beyond that of a supervisor/employee. She is a role model to her staff and promotes productivity.”

In addition to Kendra’s duties as the Director of Health Education, she has been a constant figure across public health services in Garrett County, contributing to Garrett County’s COVID-19 response, volunteering her time for numerous committees and accreditation efforts, and forming the baseline for many of the programs and services that have been developed to advance public health in Garrett County in Health Education and Outreach, and across the Garrett County Health Department.