Howard County Receives 43 NACo Achievement Awards, the Most in Maryland

On May 16^th, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced that Howard County received a record 43 Achievement Awards in 2022 from the National Association of Counties (NACo), the leading organization representing county-level government operations.

NACO Achievement Awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policymaking.

“Our dedicated Howard County employees and partners have demonstrated their commitment to innovation to serve our community,” County Executive Ball said. “Every program and initiative that received recognition reflects the solutions that Howard County government staff have brought to the toughest challenges.”

Howard County received more NACO awards than any other county in Maryland. Of the 43 awards, six were for projects spearheaded by the Office of Community Sustainability. Winning projects and programs include:

• EV Infrastructure and Greening the Fleet: Moving to an all-electric county fleet to reduce greenhouse gasses.
• Innovative Solar Power Expansion: Largest power purchase agreement in the state of Maryland.
• Plastic Reduction and Environmental Protection: Program to reduce the prevalence of plastics.
• Removing Barriers to Solar Energy: Assisting conversions to renewable energy sources.
• Roving RadishMarketplace: Increasing access to locally sourced healthy foods at reasonable prices.
• Howard County and Non-Profit Environmental Equity Partnership: Addressing climate change through partnerships.

Other winning awards relate to sustainability, such as the Department of Public Works’ Retro-Commissioning project, which reduces energy use through the renovation of mechanical systems within existing buildings, and the Bureau of Highway’s LED Street Light Conversion Program.