Return to Graphic Version

Search Site:

Index

Online Services

Our Government

News and Events

Maps, Facts & Stats

State & Federal

2007 Fairfax County Awards

Fairfax County is often recognized for its outstanding programs, services and public servants.

November

• Merni Fitzgerald, Fairfax County’s director of public affairs and county spokesperson, received the “PR Professional of the Year: Nonprofit/Association” award in the PR News magazine “PR People Awards.”
  
  

• Government Technology magazine recently named Wanda Gibson, director Fairfax County's Department of Information Technology, as one of government’s five most influential female chief information officers.
  
  

• Oakton Library won the Best Building Under $20 Million Award from the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties - Northern Virginia Chapter.
  
  
• Fairfax County Government Channel 16 has recently received two awards for its efforts. A first place 2007 Hometown Video Award given by the Alliance for Community Media for "Senior Times: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren". A second place for excellence in government programming given by the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.
  

October

• The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has recognized Fairfax County for excellence in financial reporting and budgeting. For the 22nd consecutive year, the county received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its annual budget for the fiscal year 2008. This award represents the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting and reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff in meeting the highest principles of public budgeting.
  
  

• Fairfax County was presented with a Certificate of Distinction this week by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) at its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pa. Fairfax County is one of only 24 jurisdictions to achieve this level of recognition among more than 200 communities participating in ICMA’s Center for Performance Measurement.The county received the certificate for collecting and using performance data from 14 government service areas (such as police, fire and rescue, libraries, etc.) and applying that information to training, data verification, public reporting, planning and decision-making, networking and accountability.
  

September

• The National Association of County Recorders, Elected Officials and Clerks (NACRC) has presented its 2007 Best Practices Award to the Fairfax Circuit Court. The award recognizes the virtual probate file developed by Clerk of the Fairfax Circuit Court John T. Frey and the Fairfax Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
  
  
• Fairfax County’s public Web site, fairfaxcounty.gov, earned top honors in the Center for Digital Government’s “2007 Best of the Web” awards competition. As a first place winner, fairfaxcounty.gov was recognized as one of the most innovative and user-friendly local government portals. Oakland County, Mich., and Columbia County, Ga., rounded out the top three finishers in the county portal category.
  

August

• Two Fairfax County agencies have been selected to receive Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) Achievement Awards. The Park Authority’s Community Connections program and the Department of Tax Administration’s Tax Relief Outreach will be honored at an official ceremony during VACo’s 2007 Annual Conference in November.
  
  
• Fairfax County's Youth Alcohol Enforcement Program received state recognition by the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police as having the best program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The program will also receive the same award nationally at the IACP Conference in New Orleans on October 15.
  

July

• Fairfax County is one of the top digital counties in the nation in 2007 for jurisdictions with populations over 500,000, according to an annual survey by the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties.
  
  
• Fairfax County’s Noman M. Cole Jr. Pollution Control Plant recently received the Platinum Peak Performance Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. This distinction was given to only 76 of the approximately 16,500 municipal wastewater treatment plants across the nation.

June

• The Fairfax County Park Authority received seven communication and publication awards in the 2007 Hermes Creative Awards competition. The annual awards recognize excellence in concept, writing and design of materials and programs.
  
  
• The Lorton Arts Foundation and a teen volunteer fair program received National Association of Counties (NACo) 2007 Achievement Awards.
  
  
• Gerald E. Connolly, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, was presented with the 2007 Tom Bradley Leadership Award by the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) at its annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.
  
  

• The Northern Virginia chapter of the American Society for Public Administration recognized the Fairfax County Police Department Cold Case Squad with its 2007 Public Service Award which recognizes an individual, private institution or public organization for promoting the role and ideals of public administration. Detectives Robert Murphy and Stephen Milefsky were honored for their professionalism, their dedication, their knowledge, expertise, high level of skill, and their extremely significant contributions to public safety. They joined the Cold Case Squad in 2000 and were handed more than 70 open homicide cases dating back to 1964. In a one-year period they made significant strides in that caseload and closed six cases involving deaths of eight people. These skilled detectives corroborated evidence with witnesses, questioned suspects, and conducted a great deal of leg work in a detailed, thorough manner. Suspects were charged in six killings, including one man charged with three murders, and a long-sought fugitive was tracked down and brought to Fairfax in a seventh homicide. The significant impact they have made in their investigation and closure of cold cases coupled with their critical understanding that each victim made a difference in someone's life has not gone unnoticed.

May

• The Fairfax County Tree Commission recognized Fairfax County Park Authority Resource Management Division staff Katherine Frederick and Meghan Fellows with a 2006 Friends of Trees Award. The Park Authority has recently implemented a program called the Invasive Management Area (IMA) Project, which trains, organizes and equips volunteers to preserve parkland by removing undesirable, non-native invasive plants. In 2006, Frederick and Fellows directed over 870 volunteers to contribute over 1350 hours for the project as well obtaining significant funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Federation. Non-native, invasive species, if left unchecked, can destroy natural areas, pull down trees and harm wildlife habitat.
  
  
• Fairfax County Park Authority’s Resource Management Division recently honored Paul Nicholson of Frying Pan Farm Park and the Sully Woodlands Prescribed Burn Team with the 2007 Stewardship Awards (PDF).
  
  
• For the 30th consecutive year, the Fairfax County's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association for excellence in financial reporting.
  
  

• The Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management’s Northern Virginia (NOVA) WebEOC users group was the inaugural recipient of the Catalyst Award from Emergency Services Integrators (ESI), Inc.’s WebEOC User Advisory Board. WebEOC is a Web-based incident management software system used by emergency managers and other county agencies to better manage significant events. 
  
  

• The Northern Virginia Long Term Care Ombudsmen Program in Fairfax County's Area Agency on Aging received the Human Rights Award from the Fairfax County Human Rights Commission. The volunteer ombudsmen serve as advocates for people living in the area's assisted living and nursing facilities. Each volunteer assures that the residents' rights are being protected and helps the residents to address problems within the facility that they cannot  resolve alone.

April

• Volunteer Fairfax recognized the advisory council for Medical Care of Children Partnership (MCCP), a public-private program managed by the Fairfax County Office of Partnerships, with their Volunteer Service Award in the category of Organizations Working on Education/Advocacy/Health. MCCP provides medical and dental care to uninsured children in Fairfax County who are not eligible for Medicaid or FAMIS. To achieve its goals, MCCP obtains necessary resources by developing unique public-private partnerships with businesses, foundations, healthcare providers, and ecumenical and community-based organizations.
  
  
• The National Association of Government Communicators Blue Pencil/Gold Screen Awards honored the Fairfax County Park Authority with two first place awards and an Award of Excellence. The Clemyjontri Park Opening won First Place Media Event honors with Judy Pedersen leading the effort; the Elly Doyle Park Service Awards took First Place in Event Videos with Mark Garrah producing; and the Award of Excellence went to the Park Authority Web site under the tutelage of Jeff Snoddy, Catherine Tilley and Judy Pedersen.
  

March

• The Department of Public Safety Communications was honored by the E-911 Institute at a ceremony in Washington, DC. Seven members of the department were presented the 2007 Call Taker/Dispatcher Award, which honors the “First responders”- the 911 call-takers and dispatchers who are on the front line every day. The awardees played pivotal roles on May 8, 2006, when a heavily armed man ambushed police officers at the Sully District Station, killing two officers. The communications officers reacted with courage and professionalism throughout a very difficult day, police said. They responded to requests for help from a mortally wounded police officer; dispatched local officers, some of them off-duty, to the scene of the incident; and coordinated assistance from other agencies in the Washington, D.C., area. Those honored were Public Safety Communicator III Lisa Smith, Public Safety Communicator III Necol Hill, Assistant Supervisor Joseph LoPreto, Assistant Supervisor Terrence McClain, Public Safety Communicator II Adrian King, Public Safety Communicator II Oscar Vasquez and Public Safety Communicator I Deanna Head.
  
  
• Fairfax County Park Authority’s Spring Hill RECenter became the first RECenter awarded the title of "Official Certifying Organization for the President's Volunteer Service Award." Spring Hill RECenter is extremely proud to join the President of the United States and the President’s Council on Service in recognizing the volunteers who consistently take the time to make a difference in the lives of others and help promote the mission and goals of the Fairfax County Park Authority. In 2006, Spring Hill RECenter produced a total of 8,750 volunteer hours logged in by a combined 85 volunteers.
  

January

• Fairfax County presented its 2006 Land Conservation Awards, which 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. Two county departments were honored.
  
  
• The Department of Community and Recreation Services received the Best Facility Award from the Virginia Recreation and Park Society for the Herndon Senior Center, selected from over 100 entries. The award is given to a facility displaying such elements as innovative design, excellence in addressing community needs, efficiency of resources and meeting the needs of populations served.