02-26-2023 Harford Magazine - Flipbook - Page 86
3 THINGS
BY MIKE KLINGAMAN Harford Magazine
PHOTO BY KENNETH K. LAM
Marcy Austin
Harford County health officer
“It has been a journey,” Marcy Austin said
of her 20-year trek to the top of the Harford
County Health Department. Named the Harford County health officer in October, Austin,
65, had no aspirations for the role two decades
ago when she joined the department as an
underling sculpting health programs for the
public.
“I was happy to stay under the radar,” said
Austin, a native of Easton and a graduate of the
College of Notre Dame (now Notre Dame of
Maryland University). But her positive efforts
led to the administrative post. “The beauty
is that I know this place from the ground up.
Rather than judge the staff, I know what they
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are going through.”
Here are three things you might not know
about Austin:
She raised a family before joining the
workforce.
“Being a stay-at-home mom for 10 years was
the hardest job I’ve ever done. It more than
prepared me for the world of work. Raising
my children taught me unbelievable patience,
the art of negotiation, resiliency and time
management — all traits that serve me well in
my current job.”
Writing poetry helps her through tough
times.
“I was inspired to write when my niece,
Megan, was born with a terminal neurological
disorder in 1995. I documented each milestone
in her life, in poetry, until she died at 18 months;
that was my therapy. I bound the poems in a
book, which is one of my prized possessions.
“I’m now writing a children’s book, in rhyme,
with my grandson, Silas, and his bunny as the
main characters.”
She’s the macaroon maven of Harford
County.
“Twenty years ago, I began making coconut
macaroons for a neighborhood luau, where
even the caterers asked for the recipe. Now, I
can’t get away with making anything else for
parties because the macaroons are in such demand. For the holidays, I take platters of them
to the staff at each of our five health sites; the
[sweets] are pretty much gone before I leave.”