PCG’s quarterly employee recognition program, the EPIC Awards, is designed to help bring the firm’s four core tenets—Entrepreneurial Spirit, Passion, Impact, and Community—to life in a tangible way. Today, we are thrilled to announce that Helen McDermott, a Senior Consultant in Human Services, has been selected as PCG’s newest EPIC Awards winner in recognition of the Entrepreneurial Spirit she has demonstrated by innovating and improving the systems we use to deliver meaningful solutions.

Embodying the Entrepreneurial Spirit

As the country continues to grapple with the opioid epidemic, states are receiving more than $55 billion dollars from settlements with opioid manufacturers, pharmaceutical distributors, and retail pharmacies. Helen is leading efforts to position PCG as a leader in helping jurisdictions utilize settlement funds effectively and sustainably.

“Helen has been a proactive leader in developing and executing a business development plan for capturing opioid settlement fund opportunities on top of her busy project schedule. She is passionate about the work and a pragmatic problem-solver; in other words—highly effective!” said Jen MacBlane, a Manager in Human Services.

“Helen is genuinely committed to improving community health,” said Ezra Sykes, a Manager in Human Services. “She has been relentlessly working to seize the moment when it comes to the opioid settlement, and she is most deserving of this honor.”

Helen recently presented at several conferences and led a webinar highlighting PCG’s work helping states address the opioid epidemic, including work she is leading in Essex County, NJ to develop a strategic plan for their opioid settlement funds.

"Helen is an exceptional leader who can accomplish any goal with a calm but determined presence that motivates the entire team to succeed even if barriers are put in their way,” said Joel Torres, a Program Coordinator at Essex County Division of Community Health Services, Office of Alcohol, Drug Abuse & Addiction Services. “During our time together, she's always able to keep the team on task; you can always rely on her to ask questions to dig deeper, find a different perspective, and gain the most insight. She is always going above and beyond to support the needs of the team and overall project.”

Congratulations to Helen on this well-deserved recognition!