National Association of Counties Achievement Awards

 

Cook County Honored with Record 115 National Association of Counties Achievement Awards for 2026

Cook County was honored with 115 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards that highlight effective, innovative government programs which improve services for residents, advance equity and respond to critical needs across communities.

The awards span areas such as health equity, digital inclusion, sustainability, housing access and workforce protection. Winning programs demonstrate Cook County’s commitment to creating responsive and people-centered public services.

Among this year’s standout award winners:

Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt,  Eviction Early Resolution Program (ERP) - Bureau of Economic Development (BED) 
The ERP provides unrepresented tenants and small landlords with court-based legal advice, mediation and referrals to rental assistance. Launched in November 2020, the program redesigned the eviction court process in partnership with the Circuit Court of Cook County to increase tenant participation and reduce default judgments. Since April 2022, ERP has served nearly 67,000 residents and reduced default eviction judgments in 40% to 60% of cases to approximately 20% of cases. ERP has also decreased enforced evictions by 20% compared to pre-pandemic levels.  

Modular Homes Pilot Program - Land Bank Authority 
The Modular Homes Pilot Program is a $12 million public-private initiative that delivers affordable, energy-efficient modular homes on formerly vacant, tax-delinquent lots in historically disinvested neighborhoods including Humboldt Park, Chicago Heights and Proviso Township. The program is led by BED in partnership with Cook County Land Bank Authority and developer Inherentance. Qualifying buyers earning 80% to 120% of Area Median Income receive more than $54,000 on average in County assistance and a below-market 3.5% fixed mortgage. The program offers a scalable model that connects affordable homeownership to workforce development and neighborhood revitalization. 

Community Health Worker (CHW) High School Pipeline Program - Cook County Health 
The Cook County Department of Public Health's CHW High School Pipeline Program provides high school students, primarily youth of color, with credentialed CHW training, college-level coursework, paid internships and professional development to build a more diverse public health workforce. Launched in the 2024-2025 academic year, the program served 13 students from suburban Cook County communities through partnerships with South Suburban College, Sinai Urban Health Institute and Family Christian Health Center.  

Preparedness Fair - Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security 
The EMRS Preparedness Fair connects hundreds of Cook County residents directly to disaster preparedness resources, public safety agencies and community partners at Daley Plaza. The event features hands-on demonstrations, family-friendly activities and stage presentations about safety tips and volunteer opportunities. EMRS partners with City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications, Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Cook County Sheriff's Office to host the fair, ensuring residents are prepared for emergency situations and communities are resilient.  

Equity Landscape Review - Department of Human Rights and Ethics (DHRE) 
The Equity Landscape Review, led by DHRE, audited County agencies and public-facing programs to identify and eliminate barriers preventing immigrants and refugees from accessing County services. Using a participatory approach with community organizations and County departments, DHRE produced recommendations across three areas: public awareness, increased services and shared understanding. As a result, County web materials were translated into multiple languages, the immigration webpage was revamped and the inclusive language guide was updated. County departments are now more than four times as likely to provide translated materials compared to 2020.  

Awards are given in 18 categories and reflect the breadth of services provided by county governments. Cook County’s award-winning submissions are selected based on their innovation, measurable impact and potential to be replicated nationwide.

The winning department/agency programs are as follows: 

Office of the President 

  • Digital Inclusion Week 2025 (DIW2025) 
  • The Cook County Policy Roadmap 2025 Progress Report 
  • Cook County Property Tax Reform Working Group: Property Tax Incentives Study 
  • Racial Equity Week in action: Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future 
  • Tech Tip of the Week 

Bureau of Administration

  • Cook County Emergency Management and Regional Security Preparedness Fair 
  • Budget Documentation Process 
  • Building Infrastructure for Countywide Innovation 
  • Co-developing an Environmental Justice Policy Framework with a Community Advisory Committee 
  • Cook County District Overview 
  • Countywide Vehicle Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)/GPS Compliance and Exemption Process 
  • Innovation Process Design 
  • Integrated Initiative Management Dashboard for County Leadership 
  • Phased Approach to Countywide Performance Management Reporting 
  • Take Home Vehicle Management Process 
  • Businesses Reducing Impact on the Environment (BRITE) Grant Program 
  • RainReady Green Infrastructure 
  • ANDE Rapid DNA Program 
  • Innovation Community of Practice 
  • Shakman Covered Process Mapping 
  • Shakman Exempt Process Mapping
  • “Paper the Steps” – Internal Job Aids Initiative 
  • Cook County Hazard Identification Risk Assessment (HIRA) 
  • Cook County Bike Routes and Trails Map 

 Bureau of Asset Management

  • Build Up Cook Collaborative Vendor Fair 
  • Increasing Contract Opportunities for Small Business in Facilities Management 
  • Change Management for Asset Management System Implementation 
  • Tenant Satisfaction Survey 
  • Cook County Green Building Standards 2.0 
  • Cook County Recycling Program 
  • Harvey Regional Water Supply Emergency Response – Build Up Cook 
  • Markham Courthouse Rooftop Solar Project 
  • Park Forest Regional Fire Training Site – Build Up Cook 
  • Build Up Cook 2025 Grant Guide 
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lease Abstraction 
  • Building Safety Training Module 
  • Increasing Employment Opportunities for Janitor II Positions 

Bureau of Economic Development 

  • Cook County Arts – Creative Placemaking Program 
  • 2024 Source Impact Assessment 
  • Cook County Leak Repair 
  • Cook County Solar Synergy 
  • Down Payment Assistance Program 
  • Good Job Standards 
  • Modular Homes Pilot Program 
  • Road Home: Work Opportunities for Justice-Involved Job Seekers 
  • Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt – Eviction Early Resolution Program 
  • Cross-Department Management Matters Series 

Bureau of Finance

  • Equitable Contracting Goal Setting 
  • Equitable Contracting Transparency System Improvement 
  • Vendor Complaint Resolution Process 
  • Bureau of Finance Enterprise Information and Collaboration Hub 
  • Cook County Contract Management Effectiveness and Resource Portal 
  • Cook County Legislative Coordination and Board Tracking System 
  • Department of Budget Management Services Internal Ticket System 
  • Employee Benefits Inquiry Management and Service Improvement 
  • Employee Travel Reimbursement Modernization Workflow 
  • Legistar Request Tracking and Workflow System 
  • Procurement Process Stability and Submission Quality Improvement 
  • Vacancy Count Dashboard 
  • Cook County Procurement Evaluation and Tracking System 
  • Solicitation Process Improvement and Automation 
  • Unified Cook County Federal Administration Impact Response 
  • Cook County Retirement Education and Enrollment Mobilization Campaign 
  • Employee No-Cost Mental Health Counseling 

Bureau of Technology 

  • Open Data Portal Home Page and User Resources Redesign 
  • Automation of Awarded Contract Data Publishing 
  • Brownfields Public Viewer Application 
  • Cook County AI Procurement Risk Assessment and Mitigation Application 
  • Cook County Generative AI Risk Management Framework 
  • Cook County’s License Matching Dashboard for Improved Software Asset Management 
  • Suburban Health Data Publication Initiative: Automated Birth and Mortality Data Modernization 

Bureau of Human Resources 

  • Vacation as a Talent Strategy: Advancing Workforce Competitiveness Through Paid Time Off Reform 

Cook County Health

  • Content Strategy Project - Digital Marketing Growth 
  • Fight the Bite West Nile Virus Prevention Campaign 
  • Lead-Safe Cook County 
  • The Essential Respiratory Dashboards 
  • Regional Learning and Action Network 
  • Automating EpiPen and Albuterol Standing Order Requests for Suburban Cook County Schools 
  • Cook County Health (CCH) ExpressCare 
  • Cook County Good Food Purchasing Program: Food Waste Prevention, Diversion and Recovery Project 
  • Cook County Good Food Purchasing Program: Scratch Cooking Project 
  • CCH Medicaid Working Group 
  • CCH Tele-Stroke Network 
  • Cook County Opioid Epidemiology Surveillance and Rapid Response System 
  • CountyCare in the Community - Redetermination Events, Health Fairs, Baby Showers and Member Stories 
  • Crisis Care System Assessment 
  • Developing a Division Trauma Recovery and Injury Prevention (TRIP) 
  • Get Naloxone Community Box Program 
  • Optimizing Workforce While Protecting Patient Safety: A Virtual Observation Model for County Health Systems 
  • Providing quality, preventive and equitable health care for Cook County residents with Medicaid
  • The Cook County Maternal and Child Health Collaborative: Integrated Surveillance, Policy and Care Initiative 
  • Total Health Talks 
  • CCH Camera System Modernization and Command Center Initiative 
  • Community Health Worker (CHW) High School Pipeline Program 
  • CHW Learning Collaborative 
  • Cook County Behavioral Health Apprenticeship and Retention Hub 
  • Creative Culture and Wellness Initiative 

Clerk of the Court 

  • e-Citation 

Cook County Assessor’s Office

  • Targeted Campaign to Reach Homeowners Experiencing a Property Tax Spike 
  • Kiosks and Callbacks: Using Better Technology for More Efficient, Informed Public Service 
  • New IT helpdesk centralizing standardized technical support services 
  • Internship Program Builds a Talent Pipeline 
  • Leading with Digital Data Integrity 

Cook County Land Bank Authority 

  • Cook County Land Bank Authority "Working with the Land Bank" Seminar Series 
  • Home Sweet Homan 
  • Modular Housing Program 
  • 10 Year Impact Report 
  • Tolemi – An Improvement to Internal Efficiency and External Transparency in Community Development 

Cook County Clerk's Office

  • Defenders of DA’mocracy High School Voting Program 

Justice Advisory Council 

  • Pretrial Programs that Change Lives: Supporting Education and Employment Development (SEED) 

Forest Preserves of Cook County 

  • Seed Amplification Program 

Human Rights and Ethics

  • Improving User Accessibility and Department Transparency on Cook County Commission on Human Rights' Website Application Packet 
  • Cook County Equity Landscape Review – Equity Fund Recommendation 6.3 

To learn more about the NaCO Achievement Awards, visit naco.org.