Cook County Honored with Nine National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards

The National Association of Counties (NACo) recently announced that Cook County has been recognized with nine Achievement Awards. The awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents.

“I am proud that Cook County’s excellence and innovation has been recognized on a national level,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “These achievement awards a testament to our hardworking County employees and strong management of public programs. I am grateful for the collaboration and opportunity that NACo provides and thank them for the honor.”

“I am excited that the departments in the Bureau of Administration are so strongly represented in the NACo Achievement Awards,” said Tanya Anthony, Chief Administrative Officer. “These awards reflect our team’s commitment to collaboration, data driven decisions and fiscal responsibility.”

The Bureau of Administration was recognized for the Lincoln Highway Industrial Corridor project, completed in August 2018. The strategic plan analyzed how industrially zoned sites in suburban Cook County could be developed for businesses dependent on rail or truck service for shipping inputs or finished products.

"The entire Department of Revenue is incredibly proud of receiving this Achievement Award," said Department of Revenue Director Zahra Ali. "We are thrilled to have our hard work modernizing Wheel Tax collection and enforcement recognized by the National Association of Counties."

The Department of Revenue won an achievement award for its work to modernize Wheel Tax collection and enforcement.

“The Bureau of Economic Development is proud to receive this award,” said Xochitl Flores, Bureau Chief of Economic Development.  “We hope our work to advance resiliency of the Chicago region’s defense manufacturing supply chain continues and serves as a model for other regions hoping to do the same.”

The Cook County Land Bank Authority’s Homebuyer Direct Program was recognized for breaking down barriers to homeownership and helping to transform neighborhoods by offering homes at below-market prices and allowing them to be more easily rehabbed and sold.

“We are honored to be recognized for our Police Station Representation Unit,” said Amy Campanelli, Cook County Public Defender. “I am proud to be a pioneer in having a Public Defender’s Office that provides 24/7 police station representation. My hope for the future is that every person arrested have counsel available immediately at the station, serving the twofold purpose of eliminating the coercive environment of the stationhouse while regaining the trust of the community in the criminal justice process.”

Awards are given in 18 categories that reflect the vast, comprehensive services counties provide.

The winning programs and categories are as follows:  

• Chicago Defense Resiliency Program (Community and Economic Development)
• Homebuyer Direct Program (Community and Economic Development)
• Energy Efficiency Through Behavior Change Program (County Resiliency: Infrastructure, Energy & Sustain)
• Public Defender Police Station Representation (Criminal Justice and Public Safety)
• Modernizing Wheel Tax Collection and Enforcement (Financial Management)
• Regional Drug Overdose Data Collaboration (Health)
• First Responders Education Series (Animal and Rabies Control)
• Leveraging Invest in Cook Program (Transportation)
• Lincoln Highway Industrial Corridor (Transportation)

For more information on the 2020 NACo Achievement Awards please visit: https://www.naco.org/