2022

 

Henrico County’s general government departments and Henrico County Public Schools earned a combined 21 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for innovative programs and initiatives in 2022. Henrico’s total is the most of any county in Virginia for the 17th consecutive year
 
Henrico’s award-winning programs are listed below:

 

EDA SWaM Initiative
Henrico Economic Development Authority

Henrico Economic Development Authority created a SWaM webinar series to increase SWaM awareness (Small, Women, and Minority-owned business) and provide step-by-step guidance on the certification application.

 

Division of Fire Apparatus Maintenance Videos
Henrico Division of Fire

This program developed how-to videos to assist Fire field personnel in apparatus maintenance procedures. The videos help ensure a consistent approach to station-level checks that provide both the maintenance of these assets and the safety of personnel.

 

Division of Fire Day Sheet
Henrico Division of Fire

The Day Sheet is a web application supporting Fire’s operational data collection requirements. This tool aids the situational awareness of firefighters as they transition between on and off duty and supports operational accountability for on-duty personnel.

 

Division of Fire Fleet Status Dashboard
Henrico Division of Fire

The dashboard is a web application that provides up-to-date information on the transportation fleet of the Division of Fire, including in or out of service, unit location, expected time of service/return, and reason for being out of service. The program allows for the tracking of unit reliability and ratios of reserve to main fleet health.

 

Division of Fire Station Inspection Program
Henrico Division of Fire

The station inspection program establishes expected standards for maintenance at the station level and provides corrective processes. It also helps to instill ownership among front line supervisors and staff by clearly documenting all issues and providing expectations for corrective actions.

 

Meeting the Community’s Needs: The Evolution of County Hiring Events
Human Resources Department

Human Resources flipped the script and implemented hiring events to highlight career opportunities available in public service and showcase the resources the County has in place to serve the community. Hiring events became creative solutions to sharing open positions and services while still pursing outreach efforts.

 

Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Employee Conversations and Experiences
Human Resources Department

Henrico County’s diversity, equity, and inclusion specialist responded to the 2020 global civil unrest and social movement, developing virtual forums to assess employee well-being and offering a safe space for employees to dialogue and express thoughts on the pandemic, national events, and DEI topics.

 

Community Collections
Henrico County Public Libraries

This initiative repurposes withdrawn library material and donations to encourage juvenile literacy by providing free books to children in the community. In three years, HCPL has partnered with five county agencies to provide over 2,000 books in 12 locations across the county.

 

Storyline
Henrico County Public Libraries

This is an on-demand storytime service geared toward preschool and early elementary age children, offering families new recorded stories over the phone each week. The service arose to offer new ways to deliver early literacy experiences for the community.

 

Parent-Child Computer Work and Play Stations
Henrico County Public Libraries

To enhance the family-friendliness of the new Fairfield Area Library, Computer Work + Play Stations were created to assist parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers struggling to balance work with. The stations are durable, easy to clean, and appropriate for users.

 

Rapid Access to Medication Assisted Treatment
Henrico Area Mental Health and Development Services

The Office Based Opiate Treatment Program is designed to provide individuals with medication assisted recovery to treat opioid use disorders. The combination of medication assisted treatment, evidence-based individual and group therapy, case coordination and peer support offers individuals an opportunity to stabilize medically, socially and emotionally.

 

The First Responders Club and Open Doors and Open Hearts
Henrico Police Division

These programs implemented at Johnson Elementary School, gave students opportunities to see how the Division works and how it operates with other county agencies to keep them safe. Open Doors, Open Hearts help students start their day with a positive interaction with a police officer.

 

Intercultural Liaison Partnership
Henrico Police Division

This is a proactive approach to developing and strengthening relationships between the culturally diverse communities of Henrico and the Police Division, through the identification and assignment of community liaison officers. The program identifies potential barriers or concerns within specific cultures or communities that may inhibit communication with law enforcement and implements methods to mitigate these issues.

 

Catalytic Converter Theft Prevention Program
Henrico Police Division

Catalytic converter theft is a crime of opportunity fueled by the high cost and demand for precious metals inside these automobile parts. The Police Division created an innovative, low-cost, multi-faceted initiative that has improved data collection and problem analysis, increased awareness of the crime trend, educated business owners, helped prevent thefts, and provided a mechanism to better identify stolen converters and the individuals responsible.

 

PFAS Well Sampling Initiative
Henrico Department of Public Utilities

The Department of Public Utilities immediately took action to respond to reports of elevated levels of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in the middle Chickahominy River watershed- specifically the White Oak Swamp. The Well Testing Initiative was developed, offering residents the opportunity to have their wells tested to identify the presence of PFAS in their drinking water with trained staff conducting the sampling.

 

Stream Cleanups
Henrico Department of Public Utilities

Stream Cleanups uses trained volunteers to combat the unsightly and harmful effects of litter from local streams to the James River and then eventually the Chesapeake Bay. Because of the magnitude of the problem, most volunteer litter pickup efforts are focused on land-based litter, but also have expanded to address litter in streams.

 

Staff Retention
Henrico County Public Schools

The Office of Equity, Diversity and Opportunity has used education affinity groups to support and retain teachers. Educators in these affinity groups – specially focused on black educators- attend monthly meetings that foster and promote professional excellence; access to additional professional development opportunities and greater opportunities to participate in workshops that promote belonging, employee connection and identity.

 

Culturally Responsive Education Model
Henrico County Public Schools

The Office of Equity, Diversity and Opportunity developed and provided divisionwide professional learning for a culturally responsive education model, which is designed as a wheel, with self-reflection and a culture of belonging as the hub. The CREM paradigm allows teachers to first examine their own cultural competency and then recognize the need for respecting their students’ sources of knowledge.

 

Kids of Promise
Henrico County Public Schools

This after-school program at Laburnum Elementary School is a pilot talent- development, enrichment program seeking to increase the identification of historically underrepresented gifted students.

 

Communication for All Students and Families
Henrico County Public Schools

HCPS initiated a partnership among multiple public and private entities to better communicate with and meet the needs of the county’s growing population of multilingual residents. HCPS believes that the diverse community is one of its greatest strengths and seeks to increase opportunities, equity and access for our students and families.

 

Safety around the Water: Learn2Swim Program
Henrico County Public Schools

This program, made possible through a partnership between HCPS, YMCA of Greater Richmond and NOVA of Virginia Aquatics is designed to save lives through water safety education and swimming instruction. These lessons are designed to help all HCPS second graders learn water safety skills.

 
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