Item:
Title
Durham County Earns Six NACo Achievement Awards and One Digital Counties Survey Award for 2026 (10min)
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: August 10, 2026
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to recognize six National Association of Counties Achievement Awards and one Digital Counties Award for 2026.
Since 1970, the NACo Achievement Awards have recognized innovation and outstanding county government programs and services. The Achievement Awards program is a non-competitive awards program recognizing innovative county government programs in 18 categories covering a wide spectrum of county responsibilities. This year’s winners were honored during the NACo Annual Conference and Exposition held in Orleans Parish/New Orleans, La.
Durham County’s award-winning programs celebrated by NACo for 2026 include:
• 2025 Inauguration of Durham County Women Veterans Recognition Day Celebration: Durham County Veteran Services
• Durham County UOCAVA Ballot Distribution Tool: Durham County Elections and Durham County Information Services and Technology
• Vaccine Anti-Misinformation Campaign - Durham County Department of Public Health
• Combatting Food Insecurity in Durham, North Carolina, with Durham’s Food Security Network - Durham County Department of Public Health and Durham County Cooperative Extension
• Stanford L. Warren Branch Library's Native Pollinator Demonstration Garden - Durham County Library and Durham County Cooperative Extension
• Durham County Exemplary Contingency Planning and Emergency Response Efforts - Durham County Board of Elections and Durham County Office of Emergency Services
Durham County Information Services & Technology (IS&T) has been named a 2026 Digital Counties Survey award winner by Center for Digital Government and NACo, placing 4th among counties with populations between 250,000 and 499,000. This recognition reflects Durham County’s ongoing commitment to using technology to improve government operations, strengthen public services, and deliver better outcomes for residents.
DCo IS&T continues to lead the way in advancing digital government and enhancing constituent engagement. The department’s outstanding efforts once again placed Durham County among the top 10 digital counties nationwide. Since the presentation of the 2026 Digital Counties Survey, the department has also been recognized as a 2026 AI 50 winner by the Center for Public Sector AI for driving innovation in artificial intelligence across the public sector ecosystem.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This item aligns with the Strategic focus area of High Performing Organization.
Resource Persons: Chief Communications Officer Deborah Craig-Ray, Veteran Services Director Linzie Atkins, Elections Director Derek Bowens, Library Director Dana Conners, Public Health Director Rod Jenkins, Chief Information Officer Greg Marrow, Cooperative Extension Director Donna Rewalt, and Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Lockhart.
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board extend congratulations to all the winners of these prestigious awards from NACo and the Center for Digital Government.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________