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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
COOK COUNTY HONORED WITH 78 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
WHEREAS, Cook County was honored with 78 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo), the highest number of awards the County has ever received; and
WHEREAS, the NACo awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents; and
WHEREAS, the recognition of so many essential programs and initiatives led by Cook County is a source of pride for the President and Board of Commissioners and provides Cook County employees with well-deserved recognition; and
WHEREAS, this level of excellence in innovation and execution is attained through the ingenuity and hard work of the Cook County employees who have launched these critical programs for our residents; and
WHEREAS, Offices Under the President received 48 awards:
Office of the President (2): “Digital Inclusion Week”, and “Commercial Valuation Study”
Bureau of Administration (22): “Access Pilot Program: The Income-Based Reduced Transit Fare Benefit in Cook County, Illinois", “Re-envisioning Mobility in the Cook County Transit Plan”, “Snow and Ice Control Chloride Reduction Initiative”, “Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program”, “Equitable Access to Digital Legal Research for the Self-Represented - Free, 24/7, and Remote”, “Healthy Homes for Healthy Families”, “Climate Resiliency Planning for Communities”, “Medical Examiner Case Archive Dashboard”, “Ambient Air Monitoring Network Enhancements”, “Preparing First Responders for a National Special Security Event: 2024 Democratic National Convention Training and Exercise Plan”, “Planning Complexities: Operation Gunslinger: Brookfield Zoo-Riverside High School Active Shooter Functional Exercise Program”, “Disaster Response and Recovery Fund”, “Emergency Planning Assistance Program”, “Businesses Reducing Impact on the Environment (BRITE) Grant Program”, “Halloween Rabid Bat Map”, “Unidentified Persons Project”, “Safety Handling Series”, “Environmental Justice”, “Streamlined Fellowship Process”, “Annual NACo Awards Ceremony”, “Owned Furniture Hub”, and “ Black History Month Highlight Series”
Bureau of Asset Management (8): “Lead Service Line Replacement Funding Laision Assistance”, “Solar and Battery Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Station Pilot Project: Department of Corrections and Maywood Courthouse”, “Build Up Cook Capacity Building Workshops”, “John H. Stroger Emergency Entrance and Site Upgrades - Summer Safety Plan”, “ Bronzeville Health Center Adaptive”, “Rebuilding Together”, “Oak Forest Salvage Program”, and “ Intermediate Greenhouse Gas Goal Achievement”
Bureau of Economic Development (8): “Cook County Cannabis Development Grant”, “Tourism Alive”, “Employee-Facing Operations Team and Core Administrative Infrastructure”, “Dollar$ and Sen$e”, “Collaborative System to Set, Vet, and Utilize Program Metrics”, “ Cook County ARTS - Nonprofit Relief Grants”, “Manufacturing Through Good Jobs Chicagoland”, and “Opportunity Works - Investing in Youth and Families”
Human Rights and Ethics (3): “Case Management System Launch”, “Doing Business Database”, and “2024 Fair Housing Advertising Campaign”; and
Bureau of Finance (2): “EOY Fiscal Closure Process Improvement Project”, and “Improving Operational Efficiency and Innovation: The Finance Transformation Office”
Bureau of Human Resources (1): “Modernizing Recruitment and Process Efficiencies”
Bureau of Technology (1): “Developing CookViewer 3.0 - A Modernized Property Information Application”
Justice Advisory Council (1): “Community of Care: Human-Centered Leadership Development for Cook County Supported Community-Based Organizations”; and
WHEREAS, Cook County Health and Hospitals received 19 awards: “EMT-B Apprenticeship Program”, “Value Based Care Program - Credit Where Credit is Due” “Transforming Maternal and Child Health: Cook County Health's Comprehensive Women and Children's Service Line”, “Empowering Nurses Through Engagement: The Journey to Nursing Excellence at CCH”, “Nursing Innovation & Research Center: Structural Empowerment in Nursing to Drive Innovation, Research, and Excellence”, “Cook County Health Meets the Specialty Care Needs of Cook County’s Largest Underserved Communities: Neurocritical Care at CCH.”, “Revenue Cycle Management’s (RCM) Turnaround Project: Supporting the Health System with Financial, Operational and Patient Experience Improvements”, “Launching of the Office of Behavioral Health to Improve the Landscape of Behavioral Healthcare Throughout Cook County”, “Good Food Purchasing Program”, “CountyCare Access: Providing Health Benefits for Immigrants Adults and Immigrant Seniors in Cook County”, “Surgical Robotic Program Helps Cook County Health Improve Patient Outcomes and Health Equity”, “Cook County HIV Integrated Programs”, “Driving Healthcare Equity with Advanced Technology Solutions”, “ CCDPH Unfriend Tobacco Media Campaign”, “Cook County Healthy Work Initiative, Worker Protection Program”, “The Data Ambassadors Program”, and “The Emerging Leaders Program”, and “Eliminating Lead from Drinking Water for Illinois Families with Medicaid”; and “Cook County Health Meets the Specialty Care Needs of Cook County’s Largest Underserved Communities”, and
WHEREAS, the Assessor’s Office received three awards: “Building Partnerships with the Local Business Community & Commercial Industry”, and “Explaining the Property Tax System Using Plain Language and Inclusive Communication Strategies”, “Empowering Homeowners Through Community Engagement and Trust”; and
WHEREAS, the Office of the Chief Judge received one award: “Restorative Justice Community Courts of Cook County”; and
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserve received recognition for one award: “Des Plaines River Trail”; and
WHEREAS, the Cook County Land Bank received recognition for one award: “Cook County Land Bank Authority's Equity Fund Purchase Assistance Program”; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Review received four awards: “Cook County Board of Review District 2 STARA Program”, “Cook County Board of Review District 2 Outreach Program”, “Cook County Board of Review District 2 Education Program” and “Property Tax Appeal Board Defense Initiative”; and
WHEREAS, the Cook County Clerk’s Office received one award: “Employee-Built Enterprise Software Solution”; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby extend hearty congratulations to the Cook County employees who have worked so diligently to ensure the success of the 78 programs recognized by the National Association of Counties Achievement Awards, more information about which may be found on the National Association of Counties website (www.naco.org).
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