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2005 Fairfax County Awards

 December

• The Special Olympics Virginia 2005 Coach of the Year was awarded to Dori Kauffman, coach of the Fairfax County Park Authority's Special Olympics Swim Development Program for 14 years. He was recognized for helping individuals live up to their full potential and giving them the chance to alter lives, transform communities and replace stereotypes with truths.
  
  
• The Fairfax County Public Library system is the recipient of the James Patterson Pageturner Award. Out of 1,500 entries, 34 awards were given nationwide to organizations that "single out and support people, companies, schools and other institutions that find original and effective ways to promote the excitement of books.” The $1,000 stipend will be used to support programs for the 2006 All Fairfax Reads initiative.

November

• Two county programs received Gold Awards in the MarCom Creative Awards competition:
  
  
  • Ready..Pack..Go An emergency preparedness campaign targeting are faith community leaders, who then educated their faith community members about preparing a home emergency preparedness kit. It was a collaborative effort among the Office of Public Affairs, Office of Emergency Management, Citizen Corps Council, Department of Family Services, American Red Cross and the Interfaith Liaison office of Systems Management of Human Services.
    
    
  • Fairfax County Communication Strategy was initiated by the County Executive’s office and is a movement to create a more cohesive look, feel and message for county communications efforts.

October

• The Fire and Rescue Department received an Inkwell Award of Excellence from the International Association of Business Communicators for its work on the Emergency Medical Services Transport Billing campaign that started April 1. They won in the category of Communications Plans and Campaigns: Integrated (internal + external) Communication Plan. The award was presented at the annual IABC Awards Banquet held at the Ritz-Carlton in Crystal City.
  
  
• Verdia Haywood, Deputy County Executive was honored with the Individual Who has Done the Most for Human Services in Northern VA by the Human Services Coalition sponsored by the International City/County Management Association and presented at a luncheon at the Fairview Marriot. The Human Services Coalition of Northern Virginia brings together the chief executive officers of numerous nonprofit organizations that provide human services to the residents of the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park, and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William.
  
  
• Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly received the AHOME Preservation Award for his leadership, courage and innovation in preserving affordable housing in the Fairfax/Falls Church area. Connolly was presented the award at a ceremony by AHOME, or Affordable Housing Opportunity Means Everyone, a nonprofit coalition of community businesses, developers, unions, resident organizations and other nonprofit public service groups interested in finding ways to meet community needs for affordable housing. Connolly was recognized at the ceremony for his vision and determination to preserve affordable housing in Northern Virginia, and for creating and implementing the One Penny for Housing program, which has preserved nearly 600 affordable housing units in Fairfax County.
  
  
• The Prevention Unit of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board received a 2005 Achievement Award from the Virginia Municipal League for its Leadership and Resiliency Program. The award was presented at the VML annual conference in Richmond. The LRP is a school- and community-based program for high school students that provide success experiences for participants while building skills that will continue long after the program ends.

 September

• County officials were notified by the International City/County Management Association, or ICMA, that Fairfax County earned that organization’s highest performance measurement award, the Certificate of Distinction. The award was presented recently in Minneapolis at ICMA’s annual conference and recognizes the county’s efforts to incorporate performance data into decision-making, nurture the program through training and process improvement, and share its successes via networking with others.
  
  
• The Economic Development Authority’s annual report won Graphic Design USA's prestigious American Graphic Design Award for excellence in communications and graphic design.

August

• The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board's Girl Power program received an Exemplary Substance Abuse Prevention Program award from the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors and the National Prevention Network. The Girl Power program is based on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services campaign of the same name. Josiah Beeman, CSB chair, and Clara Marshall, coordinator, CSB Girl Power program, accepted the award in New York City.

July

• The 2005 Fairfax County Exceptional Design-Merit Award was granted to Cub Run RECenter, the Fairfax County Park Authority's newest recreation center in Chantilly for excellence in the design of recreation facilities. The facility design was provided by Grimm and Parker Architects of McLean, VA. DPWES provided design and construction Management in conjunction with the Park Authority Planning and Development staff.

June

• National Association of Counties (NACO) Achievement Awards recognizes creative and innovative county programs:
  
  
  • Office of Emergency Management won in the Emergency Management and Preparation category for Enhancing Emergency Management through Partnerships, Facilities and Technology.
    
    
  • Office for Children won in the Children and Youth category for Institute for Early Learning and Emerging Literacy.
    
    
  • A collaboration among the Health Department, Office of Partnerships and Department of Systems Management for Human Services won in the Health category with Health Access Assistance Team.
    
    
  • Department of Finance won in the County Administration and Management category for the Employee Travel Policy and Outreach Program.
    
    
  • Department of Housing and Community Development and Fire and Rescue Department won in Employee Training and Benefits category for Fairfax County’s Magnet Housing Pilot Program.
    
    
  • Department of Management and Budget, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Fairfax County School Board, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, and Park Authority won in the Community and Economic Development category with Laurel Hill Public/Private Partnership.
    
    
  • Department of Planning and Zoning won in the Planning category with Chesapeake Bay Supplement: Comprehensive Plan.
    
    
  • Department of Vehicle Services and Solid Waste Division, Department of Public Works and Environmental Services won in the Environmental Protection and Energy category with Environmental Excellence Program: E-2 Certification.
    
    
  • Office of the County Executive won in the Environmental Protection and Energy category with Improving Air Quality in the Washington Metropolitan Area: A Commitment to Air Quality Excellence.
    
    
  • Office of Equity Programs won Best of Show in the Personnel Management category with Diversity Program: Many Faces of Fairfax.
    
    
  • Office of Providence District Supervisor Linda Q. Smyth won in the Environmental Protection and Energy category with Demonstrating Innovation: A Stormwater Retrofit at the Providence Supervisor’s Office.
    
    
• Alliance for Community Media has named Cable Channel 16 the best government access cable television station in the nation. It is the third time the county has won the award in the Overall Excellence of Governmental Access category in the Alliance’s Hometown Video Festival, with previous awards given in 1996 and 1999. The award covers the entire spectrum of Channel 16 programming, including government meetings, public service announcements and informational programs about government services. More than 1,500 entries were submitted in the contest this year from the United States and Canada. The county also was an award finalist in the documentary event category for “Fairfax Prepares,” which profiled a mass immunization drill staged at George Mason High School in October 2004. The Alliance for Community Media is a nonprofit coalition of public, educational and government access cable stations that promote community communications and programs distributed on cable television access channels.
  
  
• Katie Strotman with the Fairfax County Public Library was awarded the A. Heath Onthank Award. She was nominated for the creation of All Fairfax Reads, the library's one community/one book initiative and other adult programming. The Onthank Award recognizes accomplishments of outstanding worth in advancing and improving public service in the Fairfax County government and school system by an individual county employee. No more than 10 awards may be given each year.
  
  
• The Fairfax County Park Authority is winner of the Trailblazer 2005 Site of the Year Award for its service to Hidden Pond Park.

May

• James Dedes, director of court services for the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, received the Juvenile Court Administrator Award given by the National Juvenile Court Services Association. The award recognizes court administrators who make significant contributions to their courts and to the communities being served.
  
  
• Fairfax County Transportation Advisory Commission recognized Ellen Posner, Assistant County Attorney, with the Transportation Achievement Award at the Board of Supervisors meeting. The annual award was presented by George Barker, chairman of the advisory commission. Barker cited Posner’s contributions in several areas:

· Metro Matters Funding Agreement — In a very short time frame, Posner assisted the Department of Transportation in negotiating the agreement between the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the local and state governments that fund Metro.

· Richmond Highway Public Transportation Initiative — Posner has been instrumental in the continued development and success of the initiative, a series of projects aimed at increasing transit ridership, effectiveness and efficiency, in addition to improving pedestrian safety while complementing community development along the Richmond Highway corridor.

· County-State Transportation Coordination — In a vital effort between the Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services to change, improve and expedite project agreements between the Virginia Department of Transportation and the county to receive approved federal funds from the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration, Posner spearheaded the coordination between the County Attorney’s office and the commonwealth’s Office of the Attorney General. As a result, the amount of time it takes for the county to receive the pass-through federal funding from VDOT has been substantially reduced.

• Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly received the Virginia Transit Association Outstanding Contribution by a Public Official Award in recognition of his support of public transit in Fairfax County and throughout the metropolitan Washington region in Williamsburg on May 10. Connolly was nominated for the award because of the advancements made in public transit under his leadership. As part of his duties as both Providence District Supervisor and Board Chairman, he has represented Fairfax County on the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission since 1999. He currently serves as the commission’s vice chairman and as the chair of its legislative committee. Connolly also represents Fairfax County on the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and is an alternate member of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Transportation Planning Board. He also previously served as the council’s chairman in 2001, receiving the Elizabeth and David Scull award for regional leadership for his work in this position. Chairman Connolly is also the current president of the Virginia Association of Counties.
  
  
• National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) Awards were awarded to the following:
  
  
  • Liz Milner of the Reston Community Center won a Blue Pencil Award of Excellence in the category Brochure/Booklets:16 pages or less, In-House for Reston Community Center Summer 2004 Camp Guide.
    
    
  • Brian Worthy in the Office of Public Affairs won a Blue Pencil Second Place Award in the category News Release for Cicadas: Potential Nuisance but Not Harmful.
    
    
  • Amy Carlini in the Office of Public Affairs won a Gold Screen First Place Award in the category Shoestring Budget for The Information Connection: What Can OPA Do for You? and a Gold Screen Award of Excellence in the E-Newsletter category for News to Use.
    
    
  • Daphne Hutchinson in the Park Authority won a Blue Pencil First Place Award in the category Writing Samples and a Blue Pencil Second Place Award in the Local Magazine category for Parktakes.
    
    
  • Don Sweeney in the Park Authority won a Blue Pencil First Place Award in the category Color Photography for Great Blue Heron.
    
    
  • Laurie Campbell at Channel 16 won a Gold Screen Second Place Award for Animation in Mix it Up!
    
    
• The Office of the Sheriff’s Honor Guard won third place in an international honor guard competition commemorating National Police Week in Washington, DC. The seven-man unit competed against more than 15 other law enforcement groups from across the United States and Canada. The Honor Guard Competition is a one-day team event consisting of three segments including Team Inspection, Color Guard Posting of the Colors and an Exhibition Phase sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Police.

April

• Fairfax County won two technology awards at the FOSE trade show held in Washington for its advancements in electronic mapping and emergency response. The county earned the E-Town Award in recognition of its Enterprise GIS Integration. Tom Conry, Fairfax’s GIS manager, noted the tool is designed to provide the “where” for content of the county’s Web site. For any address in the county, users can find information on the nearest schools, parks, emergency medical facilities, and police and fire stations. The Homeland Security Center Award was given to the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) for its “Notifier” application, a GIS-enabled emergency response system that allows the CSB to integrate service sites and critical information for emergency and disaster planning and response. This notification system, built with assistance from the county's Department of Systems Management for Human Services, follows the county's Emergency Operations Plan for response, evacuation and recovery of all county facilities and sites occupied by the CSB’s special needs population.
  
  
• Kate Wanderer, Volunteer Coordinator for Fairfax County Public Library, was awarded the Volunteer Fairfax Community Champion. She is among only seven in Fairfax County honored for "their active role in promoting volunteerism and service in the local community."
  
  
• Jan Baity, a volunteer with the Lorton Library, was recognized and awarded the Volunteer Fairfax Senior Volunteer Service Award for 15 years of continuous service as a volunteer on the Lorton Library check out desk. Her service "allows staff members time off the service desk to accomplish backroom tasks while she provides exemplary customer service to the Fairfax County Public Library

March

• National Association of Counties (NACO) Acts of Caring Award: Children Helping Children, a community service project that encourages the children and staff of the Fairfax County School Age Children Care (SACC) program’s 131 centers to partner with their communities in a spirit of support and caring, is the recipient of a 2005 National Association of Counties (NACO) Acts of Caring Award. The Department of Family Services program engages over 10,000 children and 600 SACC staff in producing projects that are geared toward helping other children and families in need by:
  • Assisting nearby shelters by collecting canned food and making fleece hats, mittens and scarves.
  • Collecting school supplies for a poverty-stricken school in the Mississippi delta.
  • Making blankets for Project Linus which serves hospices and special care units in the region.
  • Partnering with INOVA Fairfax Hospital in a variety of activities directed toward sick or confined children. Children are active partners in the decision-making and planning of projects which reflect ideas that support children and families with real needs and that are also creative and child-produced.
    
    
• Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Penelope A. Gross received the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Elected Official of the Year Award during the COG Animal Services Awards ceremony. The COG Animal Services Award is the first of its kind in the country and honors animal service providers, businesses, elected officials, and volunteers for their dedication and commitment to the protection and care of animals. Since 2000, the COG Animal Services Committee has provided the animal services community an opportunity to meet on a regular basis to address mutual concerns on the protection and care of animals and related public safety and health concerns. COG has been instrumental in several important initiatives including a dangerous dog ordinance, animal disaster planning and the reduction of wildlife vehicle collisions.
  
  
• Deputy County Executive Verdia L. Haywood received the Katherine K. Hanley Public Service Award from Leadership Fairfax, Inc. The award, which honors the public service legacy of Hanley, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors from 1995 to 2003, recognizes a public service employee or an appointed member of a Fairfax County public board, authority or commission for their sustained contributions to the quality of life of the community. In making the award, Leadership Fairfax, Inc. recognized Haywood for redesigning the county’s human services delivery by forging stronger partnerships, deeper community involvement and better use of shared resources.

February

• Virginia Mentoring Partnership presented its Outstanding Mentor program to the Befriend-A-Child Mentoring Program of the Fairfax County Department of Family Services. Award winners were honored at an awards banquet in Richmond. The BeFriend-A-Child mentoring program matches adult volunteers with children, ages 5 - 12, representing a diverse cultural base, who can benefit from a mentoring relationship. Approximately 50 (numbers fluctuate as matches begin and end) currently work with the program, which in its 25 years of existence has provided mentors for an estimated 1,700 Fairfax County children. Mentors have one-on-one outings with their child. The program also offers monthly group activities. Mentors are asked to commit for at least eight hours a month for at least a year. Background checks, an in-depth interview and training are required. The average relationship runs for three years and some exceed the three year average.
  
  
• The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board’s New Generations program is one of only 10 programs in Virginia to receive the “Living the Vision” recognition by the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services. New Generations is a long-term residential substance abuse treatment program for mothers and children.

January

• The Economic Development Authority's 2004 print ad campaign won the Time Warner/MNI Capital Region 2005 Creative Excellence Award in the economic development category.
  
  
• A Stormwater Retrofit at the Providence Supervisor's Office is the recipient of the 2005 Land Conservation Award in the Tree Conservation Category. The Land Conservation Awards honor developers, designers, site superintendents and contractors whose projects best demonstrate excellence in erosion and sediment control design and implementation or a commitment to tree preservation and replacement in Fairfax County.