BRAC One-Stop Shops Provide Employees with Resource to Learn About Maryland and the Relocation Process

An electronic kiosk has been installed in each of the lobbies of Seven Skyline Place (SSP), Headquarters Building 12 (HQ), and Columbia Pike (CPK). These kiosks — known as BRAC One-Stop Shops — will provide employees with information about Maryland and the Fort Meade region, including:

Housing Schools Child Care/Elderly Care Medical Facilities

Jobs Transportation Worship Recreational Activities

"I haven't made a decision about the BRAC move yet," said Stephanie Lagana, a management analyst in the Global Information Grid (GIG) Enterprise Services Engineering directorate (GE), while using the kiosk to find information about different neighborhoods in the area, housing options, and the commute. "I think this will certainly assist in my decision-making process."

“These One-Stop Shops will allow employees to search for information about Maryland life at their leisure,” said Dave Bullock, DISA’s BRAC executive. “Today you want to compare the cost of living in Carroll County to the cost of living in Frederick County. Three months from now, you might want to learn more about private elementary schools. Either way, you can stop by the kiosk on your way to lunch or while waiting for a meeting to start and find what you’re looking for.”

An electronic interface isn’t all you’ll see when you visit the BRAC One-Stop Shops, though. Each of the three stations will be periodically manned by a “Maryland Transition Coordinator” — a Maryland state employee from the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation — who will personally answer employees’ questions about living in Maryland.

“I’m here to introduce people to service providers in Maryland,” said Thomas Smith, a Maryland Transition Coordinator, while manning the Headquarters kiosk. “I can assist people with finding the right person to answer their questions. I also have literature I can hand out, and can print anything you’d like directly from the kiosk.”

“I’m also here to provide honest information from the perspective of a Maryland resident,” he said. “I’ve lived in Prince George’s, Montgomery, and Baltimore counties — and currently work for Howard County. I can tell you what it’s really like — what to expect, what roads are good, where to find a good meal — that kind of thing.”

“The Maryland representative helped me find information about regional employers,” said Pascale Francis, a computer scientist in the GIG Enterprise Services Program Executive Office (PEO-GES). “Part of my decision will depend on whether or not my fiancé is able to find a job opportunity that appeals to him,” she explained. “I liked being able to talk to a real person, one-on-one, to find answers to my questions.”

“Beginning in January, a representative from the Civilian Personnel Division (MPS1) will be periodically stationed at the kiosks to answer specific questions about how BRAC will affect the workforce and about the relocation process,” said Marcus Lea, a DISA human resources specialist in the division. Civilian Personnel representatives will also serve as liaisons with the rest of the Manpower, Personnel, and Security Directorate (MPS) to ensure employees receive answers to BRAC-related questions that don’t fall under the purview of MPS1.

Schedules for the Maryland Transition Coordinator and Civilian Personnel representative will be posted near the kiosks. No appointment is necessary, employees can simply stop by to ask questions and obtain information from these individuals.

Stop by a BRAC One-Stop Shop today to obtain information that will help you make informed decisions as DISA prepares to transition to our new facility in Fort Meade.