Meet the Staff: Craig Umbel

By Diane Lee, Public Information Officer, Garrett County Health Department

Craig Umbel was promoted to director of Environmental Health in January, but he has been working for environmental health for 30 years. A Northern Garrett High School graduate, he received his Environmental Analysis and Planning degree from Frostburg State University.

“During my time at Frostburg State I worked at Metikki Coal as an Environmental Technician,” Craig said. “My time there sealed the fact that I wanted to work in the Environmental field. I graduated in May of 1993 and started working at the Health Department in August. During the first few years our office was located in the courthouse, and we did not have much interaction with other departments. When I started, we also only had one computer for a staff of 8 people, plus a summer student.”  

Craig feels his biggest accomplishment has been to convert Environmental Health’s records to digital. “It’s been a long process which began in 1998,” he said. “Although it’s still not quite complete, our staff has scanned almost 80% of the records in the office. We plan to release digital copies of those records on a GIS platform in 2024. Only one other county in Maryland has accomplished this task. This will be a huge time saver for our staff and will allow us to concentrate on public health, while the public will still have access to the information they need.”

“In my spare time I enjoy being active with Friendsville Volunteer Fire Department,” Craig said. “I am a certified EMT, Hazmat Technician, Firefighter, and Rescue Technician. I have been volunteering with the fire department since 1991 and have held the office of Treasurer for over 20 years. I also enjoy coaching youth sports. Would you believe I can still outrun my own kids?”

Craig’s favorite quote was shared with him by his grandfather and uncles and now comes in handy since he works for the government, “That’s close enough for government work.”