The National Association of Counties recently recognized Johnson County Government’s dedication to serving the needs of its residents by awarding seven achievement awards to our departments and programs.

NACo, an organization that serves nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees, each year selects initiatives worthy of commendation from thousands of entries across the United States.

The awards were announced at the annual NACo conference, attended by the Penny Postoak Ferguson, county manager; Jeff Meyers, vice chairman of the Board of County Commissioners; and Joe Connor, assistant county manager.

Postoak Ferguson said she was honored by the NACo awards. “Our county is consistently working to improve services for our residents. Having NACo recognize and elevate this many achievements, as well as use Johnson County as a model for other organizations, makes me extremely proud.”

The 2024 National Association of Counties Achievement Awards were in these categories:

Civic Education and Public Information

• Johnson County Wastewater’s “#For the W” campaign using print, video, social media and more to share what JCW does to serve customers, educate the community and protect the environment.
• MED-ACT, the county’s emergency response service, began teaching First Aid and CPR to older adults. The classes teach general safety tips and hands-only CPR to those age 55+.

Children and Youth

• Mental Health’s Parent Support Programming was created to provide crucial assistance to caregivers and families throughout the treatment journey, enabling clients to better achieve their goals while supporting their loved ones.

County Administration and Management

• Treasury, Taxation and Vehicles’ feedback program assesses and improves customer satisfaction at Motor Vehicles offices. The initiative included a “Happy or Not” digital survey tool that collects real-time data from the public asking about interactions with TTV staff. Another real-time customer survey began in the TTV’s administrative office to collect feedback on services provided there.

Criminal Justice and Public Safety

• Department of Corrections Problem Solving Bed Program at Johnson County's Adult Residential Center serves as a short-term solution for justice-involved individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. The non-custodial beds are provided for a short-term solution.

Human Services

• Planning, Housing and Community Development’s Landlord Incentive Pilot Program aims to recruit private Johnson County landlords to accept families with Housing Choice Vouchers.

Personnel Management, Employment, and Training      

• JCW's Career Progression Program helps with the retention and recruitment of employees by creating paths for career growth in the department.

Since 1970, NACo Achievement Awards have recognized outstanding county government programs and services with awards in 18 categories.