County’s awards lead Virginia localities, tie for 7th most in nation
Henrico County’s general government departments and Henrico County Public Schools earned a combined 38 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for innovative programs and initiatives in 2023.
The total represents the most of any county in Virginia for the 18th consecutive year and ranked in a tie for seventh most in the country. With 38 awards from 45 entries, Henrico matched the total of Charlotte County, Fla., and followed those of San Bernardino County, Cal.; Los Angeles County, Cal.; Miami-Dade County, Fla.; Maricopa County, Ariz.; San Diego County, Cal.; and Howard County, Md.
Henrico had an estimated 333,962 residents in 2022 – significantly fewer than Los Angeles’ 9.7 million, comparable to Howard’s 335,411 and more than Charlotte’s 202,661, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
NACo’s Achievement Awards recognize groundbreaking programs and initiatives in 18 service categories, including children and youth, financial management, county resiliency, libraries, parks and recreation, and human services.
“The NACo awards shine a bright light on the outstanding services and innovative programs implemented by Henrico County’s general government departments and Henrico County Public Schools,” County Manager John A. Vithoulkas said. “This year’s awards demonstrate our continued commitment to building a community that’s vibrant, resilient and responsive to the needs of our residents and businesses. I congratulate our departments and employees for their dedication and ingenuity, and thank them for all that they do.”
Henrico has earned 777 NACo awards since 1985. The 2023 awards recognize the work of seven general government departments and Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS). HCPS collected 26 awards; Henrico County Public Library and the Division of Recreation & Parks, three apiece; Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services, two; and the Department of Community Revitalization, Economic Development Authority, Department of Public Utilities and Department of Finance, one apiece.
The winning programs and their respective agencies are below.
- The Homeowner Association (HOA) Lookup Feature, Community Revitalization
- IEIC Global NAP Summit 2.0, Economic Development Authority
- Library Anime Clubs in School, Henrico County Public Library (HCPL)
- Open Book with Meg Medina, HCPL
- Role Playing Games at the Library, HCPL
- Community-Based Housing for Individuals in the Recovery Process (CHIRP), Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services (MHDS)
- Community Inclusion Specialist, MHDS
- Whole Home Filter Installation to Reduce PFAS, Public Utilities
- Juneteenth Celebration, Recreation & Parks
- Park Mobile, Recreation & Parks
- Parsons Community Center, Recreation & Parks
- 2+2 Tax Relief Program, Finance
- Adult Education at Regency Mall: Shopping for Your Future, Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS)
- Adult Education Virtual Learning, HCPS
- Career Ambassadors Program, HCPS
- County Manager’s Summer Academy, HCPS
- Dream Home Makeover: Remodeling with a Purpose, HCPS
- Greenhouse and Landscaping Students Team Up, HCPS with Recreation & Parks
- Improving Literacy for All Students, HCPS
- Local Police Department and Students Build Relationships, HCPS
- Nursing Students Support Diaper Ministry, HCPS
- Planting Career Seeds: CTE in Elementary Schools, HCPS
- Playhouses: More Than Just Fun, HCPS
- Solid as a Rock, HCPS
- Students Combat the Pandemic by Building Outdoor Learning Spaces, HCPS
- Vet Students Assist Local Police Animal Shelter, HCPS
- Clothing Closet and Food Pantry Help Students Experiencing Homelessness, HCPS
- Comprehensive School-Based Mental Health Services and Programming, HCPS
- Elementary Digital Citizenship and Social and Emotional Learning Programs, HCPS
- Dual-Language Immersion Program at Elizabeth Holladay Elementary School, HCPS
- First Tee Golf, HCPS
- Protecting Student Privacy Through the Digital Resources Menu, HCPS
- Job-Embedded Interactive Panel Professional Learning, HCPS
- The Library Learning Commons Project, HCPS
- On-Demand Support for Teaching with Technology, HCPS
- Newcomer Event, HCPS
- Rolling Resource Center, HCPS
- Addressing a Local and National Shortage in Health Care, HCPS
