national association of counties

The NACo award, which honors effective and innovative county government programs, was recently accepted by Clerk Monica Gordon at the 2025 NACo annual conference in Philadelphia. #counties

The annual survey honors counties that use innovative technology practices to strengthen cybersecurity, enhance services for residents, increase transparency and expand digital equity. #digital

Started in 1970, NACo’s annual Achievement Awards program is designed to recognize county government innovations.

Cook County, the nation’s second-largest county by population, completed several major projects in the past year, including completing a five-year, $25 million project to upgrade its telecommunications system to Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP).

The 2021 NACo awards centered around two key elements including how projects advance equity where applicable and clear metrics that showcase the outcome of the project.