As Atlanta’s population swelled over the past decade, neighboring Cobb County grew as well and developed into a vibrant suburb of Atlanta. Along with that growth came service delivery expectations beyond the capabilities of existing county government staff.

The county needed more productive, effective and consistent public service delivery. Working with the Institute of Government, Cobb County adopted the EXCEL program to help county government supervisors and managers better manage their human and material resources, and identify an appropriate succession plan for the growth and replacement of supervisory staff.

Cobb EXCEL, short for the Executive Competence, Excellence and Leadership program, now has been named a Four for the Future Award winner by the University of Georgia Office of Vice President for Public Service and Outreach (PSO) and Georgia Trend magazine. The award recognizes communities and regions that have worked across public-private sector and nonprofit boundaries to address challenges in ways that will lead to improved quality of life.

The efforts in Cobb County resulted in a more efficient use of resources. In addition to presenting the best trained public service employees possible to county residents, the program has resulted in reduced management level turnover, in turn reducing county expenses in replacements, hiring and training.

The Four for the Future Awards honor partnerships that demonstrate effective collaboration, leadership and innovation, and offer the promise of long-term community benefits.