Leading the Charge Behind the Scenes

I am saddened by the early loss of Ileana in this life, but I find much personal gratitude in knowing her as co-worker, mentor and friend. I first met Ileana when she worked as an assistant to the Commissioner at Labor. Ileana was a take charge leader in the organization, and I was always happy to be part of her team, no matter what the project involved. Ileana held a variety of positions at Labor and she executed her work with precision and compassion. She cared about people and their families. I worked and learned from her on several initiatives that she led including; Confined Space Entry Hazards, Farm Worker/Migrant Safety, Chemical Right to Know law, Smoking Elimination in the Workplace, Child Labor Safety laws and regulations, Take Five 4 Safety, not to mention the abundance of administrative issues. The impact that her actions, and deferrals had upon the workers of Maryland are immeasurable, but will forever be cast in history. Some politician’s might say “they did it”, but I was there, and it would not have happened if Ileana was not coordinating and leading the charge behind the scenes. I look forward to seeing her again, on the other side.