Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Awards And Recognition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Washington County staff honored with seven NACo achievement awards
Summary
Washington County staff received seven National Association of Counties achievement awards covering conservation, public health, libraries, personnel and county planning, county officials said at a board meeting recognition event.
Washington County officials recognized county staff for seven National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards during the board meeting. County staff and commissioners attended a reception and the board invited staff involved in each program to the dais for photos.
Awards and highlights read by county staff included:
- Land and Water Legacy Program / Mississippi Dunes Reserve Conservation Easement: Washington County purchased a conservation easement for a roughly 20‑acre parcel along the Mississippi River in Cottage Grove, enabling the city to acquire the property for the Mississippi Dunes Reserve City Park.
- Community Empowerment in Opioid Settlement Funding: The county’s opioid settlement funding practice centers shared leadership with a community‑oriented opioid settlement council that includes community members, sector professionals and people with lived experience. In 2024 the county distributed $520,000 to fund eight community‑led projects selected by council vote.
- Washington County Library Extended Access pilot: A Valley Library (Lakeland) pilot allowed approved users to access the library when staff were not present; access increased library hours from 24 to 112 per week and after a successful pilot the service became regular at Valley Library.
- Personnel management and training awards: The Emerging Leaders Program (a talent development initiative), improvements to seasonal park hiring to streamline recruitment and paperwork, and “Your Career at Washington County Awaits” recruitment videos (one of the first counties to produce dynamic videos highlighting each of its 12 departments) were recognized.
- Strategic plan: The Washington County 2024–2029 strategic plan was cited for establishing unified direction for county operations and for a mid‑year update scheduled for a future presentation.
Board remarks: Commissioners congratulated staff and said national recognition reflects the county’s commitment and innovation across departments. Several commissioners singled out the opioid settlement council’s community‑led allocation process and the library extended‑access pilot as especially innovative.
No formal board action was required to accept the awards; the recognition portion of the meeting was celebratory and intended to highlight county programs and staff achievements.
