San Bernardino County leads the nation again with 200 NACo Achievement Awards

A graphic advertising the NACo awards with a gold medal with the number 200 against a dark burgundy background and gold swooshes.

For the third consecutive year, San Bernardino County leads all U.S. counties in awards for innovation, efficiency and public service, winning 200 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties.

“The NACo Achievement Awards highlight the outstanding and innovative work of San Bernardino County employees who rise to the challenge every day,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe. “Our numerous awards this year validate our dedication to identifying and offering essential programs and services for our residents and businesses, from public health to community engagement and environmental initiatives. We are immensely proud of our workforce’s energy and creativity in making our county an exemplary place to live and work.”

NACo awarded 1,420 Achievement Awards to U.S. counties this month. There are more than 3,000 counties in the U.S., making San Bernardino County’s 200 accolades particularly significant.

“Our county’s dedication to our constituents shines through with 200 NACo awards,” said Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman and First District Supervisor Col. Paul Cook (Ret.). “From our Sheriff’s and Fire Departments’ heroic winter storm response to innovative programs such as “Mosaics of the Mojave” at the Victor Valley Museum, our county employees are making a real difference for our residents.”

“As a board member of NACo and representative for the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, I am extremely proud of our county’s achievement in receiving a record-setting 200 NACo awards,” said Second District Supervisor Jesse Armendarez. “This recognition reflects our commitment to excellence and innovation in serving our community.”

The 200 NACo awards won by San Bernardino County this year top the 160 awards claimed in 2023 and the 82 earned by the county in 2022. San Bernardino County has won 881 NACo awards since 2010, in addition to many state and specialty awards for excellence in public service.

“I am very proud of our county team for their outstanding achievement – 200 awards – signifying a relentless commitment to quality public service,” said Fourth District Supervisor Curt Hagman. “The County continues to set the bar high and takes pride in the service provided to residents, visitors, businesses and agencies. This achievement continues to show that the County of San Bernardino is the best place to live, work and play.”

Public Health claimed the most awards for 2024, winning 41 NACo Achievement Awards. Aging and Adult Services-Public Guardian received 20, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center won 19, Public Works earned 17, Behavioral Health 12, Innovation and Technology 11, and Purchasing 10.

“These awards are a testament to the dedication of our county’s employees,” said Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. “Winning 200 NACo Achievement Awards, including initiatives like Ayala Senior Feeding in Bloomington with the Department of Aging and Adult Services and our Kite Day and Fishing Day in collaboration with Regional Parks, highlighting the exceptional efforts made to uplift our community. Congratulations to all our hardworking staff for their outstanding achievements.”

“The dedication and innovation demonstrated each day by San Bernardino County’s more than 23,000 employees make it an honor for me to lead this organization,” said County Chief Executive Officer Luther Snoke. “The leadership and support provided by the Board of Supervisors combined with our employees’ passion for public service are what make it possible for us to consistently lead the nation in awards for the work we do for our residents.”

Among San Bernardino County’s 200 NACo awards for 2024 were:

Seven awards for the county’s response to the severe winter storm that affected the mountain communities in February and March of 2023. The county was recognized for the Snow Removal Reimbursement Program; the Mountain Small Business Grant Program; The Winter Storm Response Public Communications effort, which included press conferences, daily e-newsletters, and social media posts featuring videos, photos, and graphics; Efforts by Aging and Adult Services-Public Guardian to assist storm-impacted seniors; the Public Damage Reporter solution, which gave trapped residents a way to report their damage, ensuring the most vulnerable County residents could be assisted without delay; Efforts by the County Library, Public Works and the County Office of Emergency Services to provide life-saving relief during and after the storms; and County Animal Care’s efforts to protect pets and livestock, including opening an emergency shelter and delivering food to stranded animals.

Four awards for Animal Care’s efforts to care for and find homes for stray and abandoned pets, including the Animal Care Volunteer Program, the Animal Enrichment Program at the Devore Animal Shelter, reducing barriers to animal adoption, and utilizing social media to promote animal services such as adoption.

Two awards for the county’s efforts to protect residents from the fentanyl crisis, including Behavioral Health’s Fentanyl Awareness Campaign to raise awareness about the unprecedented rise in overdoses and poisonings caused by fentanyl, and Public Health’s Naloxone Distribution Project, providing widespread access and education on naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, to reduce opioid-related deaths and overdoses by empowering individuals to intervene effectively during opioid overdoses.

The Mosaics of the Mojave at the Victor Valley Museum, in collaboration with the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. The exhibit includes a walk-through cave structure, a modern rock art wall interactive, taxidermy animals, and a crawl-through desert arch to increase cultural and environmental literacy. The County Museum and tribes also conceptualized and created a Land Acknowledgement that celebrates cultural contexts and includes graphics and audio systems. This collaborative process actively engaged County officials and museum staff, tribal partners, and now museum visitors, to produce a historic, impactful, and intentional cultural experience.

In response to extreme heat, County Public Health established an Extreme Heat website and “Cool Places To Go” map to promote and improve the health, wellness, safety, and quality of life in the county. The website provides information on the risk associated with extreme heat and valuable resources for residents to stay informed and safe during periods of extreme heat.

To observe and enrich local Hispanic heritage in San Bernardino County, the County’s Economic Development Department partnered with the Asociación de Emprendedor@s to educate, motivate, empower, and develop the leadership skills and business acumen of Spanish-speaking, Latino immigrants. Asociación de Emprendedor@s started as a Spanish-language entrepreneurship and business consulting service for women that had suffered domestic violence. Their services grew to reach a broader section of the Latino immigrant population. Working in collaboration, San Bernardino County and Asociación de Emprendedor@s enrolled 99 County based Hispanic entrepreneurs in its program, with 46 graduating in 2023 alone.

The Office of Suicide Prevention. This three-year integrated plan expands Behavioral Health’s prevention and early intervention efforts. This new program aims to focus on education about suicide prevention with a message of hope and resources. The county launched a campaign promoting this office titled Promote Hope. Let’s Talk.

Adult Protective Services’ Point-in-Time Count Motel Partnership utilizes the yearly count of the homeless population to identify APS-eligible clients who have immediate housing needs. APS-eligible clients, vulnerable dependent and older adults 60 or older who are identified during the PITC are provided with APS and rehousing services. This program involves collaboration among APS Social Service Practitioners and Housing Navigators, the County Office of Homeless Services, the Sheriff’s Department, and motel partnerships to swiftly address housing crises, ensuring same-day housing, and subsequent long-term case management for this vulnerable population.

A complete list of NACo’s 2024 Achievement Award-winning programs with brief descriptions can be viewed on the NACo website.

Additional County Update News – June 27, 2024