Fulton County received eight 2024 achievement awards for 2024 from the National Association of Counties (NACo).  Fulton County received honors in several areas including civic education, information technology, and Health and Human Services.

The NACo awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents. The winners were recognized during the Annual NACo Conference held in Hillsborough County, Florida, July 12 – 15. 

“Fulton County continues to develop and provide forward thinking programs that prioritize our residents,” said Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts. “Fulton County prioritizes innovation, and we are pleased to see the outstanding work of our employees receive this national recognition.”

“This honor is a reflection of the work being done in Fulton County,” said Fulton County Manager Dick Anderson. “We are grateful to our hardworking staff for their outstanding work.”  

Background on the Fulton County programs receiving achievement awards:

Fulton County Animal Services Facility - Community and Economic Development 

Following completion of its construction, Fulton County unveiled its new Animal Services Facility in November 2023. The 50,000-square-foot facility, located in Southwest Atlanta houses 376 dogs, 99 cats, a dozen small animals, 18 chickens and half-a dozen livestock. Amenities include a 44-acre lot, 1 veterinary clinic, 3 surgery tables, a dog maternity ward, 33 play yards, a barn, chicken coop and a 54,000 sq. ft.-pasture. 

Fulton County Annual Mental Health Awareness Fair – Health

In collaboration with the Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities and a national grant from the Office of Minority Health, Fulton County Vice Chair has hosted a mental health fair for two years at Greenbriar mall, increasing mental health literacy and conncting residents with the resources and education needed to improve health and mental wellbeing.

Fulton County Behavior Health Crisis Center – Human Services

The Fulton County Behavioral Health Crisis Center (BHCC) is a multi-million-dollar investment slated to open in 2024. The first facility of its kind in Fulton County, the Crisis Center will be located at the current Oak Hill, Child, Family and Adolescent Center on Metropolitan Parkway near downtown Atlanta. This project is the result of collaboration with Fulton County, the federal government, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities, and Grady Health System. 

Fulton County Big Creek Reclamation Water Facility - County Resiliency: Infrastructure, Energy, and Sustainability

The Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility serves the largest area and receives the largest amount of wastewater flow of all the reclamation facilities in Fulton County’s northern service area. Owned and operated by the Fulton County Department of Public Works, the facility is in Roswell, Georgia. As the largest single capital expansion project in Fulton County’s history, the Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility is using progressive design-build to upgrade and expand the 51-year-old plant to meet future demands. The new treatment process incorporates state-of-the-art technology to produce significantly cleaner water than the existing plant. With the new facility, the plant is now allowed to discharge 32 Million Gallons a Day (MGD) of treated wastewater, an increase of 8 MGD.  Although the EPD has allowed a large volume of water to be discharged into the Chattahoochee River, the levels of all of the permit parameters (e.g, Ammonia, Phosphorus, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), etc.) have decreased and lowered by as much as 50% to ensure that the water quality of Chattahoochee River is improved upon as compared to the former plant’s operation.

Fulton County Elder Abuse Senior Summit – Civic Education and Public Information

Seniors are one of our most vulnerable populations, particularly when it comes to Elder Abuse, which is a silent problem that exists in homes, assisted living facilities, and other places. For this reason, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners Vice Chair, in collaboration with District Attorney Fani Willis, Chief Probate Judge Kenya Johnson, and Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts Che Alexander, has collaborated to host the Elder Abuse Summit. With more than 500 attendees and 30+ vendors, the summit continues to grow. The event has helped raise awareness among seniors about the importance of stepping forward to seek prosecution of their perpetrators.

Fulton County Votes App - Technology

To ensure that all registered voters were able to participate in a transparent efficient elections process, Fulton County has created innovative tools to bring voter information directly into the hands of voter through the Fulton Votes mobile app.  This project is a collaboration of the Department of Registration & Elections and the Department of External Affairs.  The mobile app provides key updates for each election cycle about key updates including early voting dates, absentee ballots, changes in polling locations, poll worker recruitment, and much more to help voters successfully navigate the voting process. 

Fulton County Human Trafficking Awareness Forum - Civic Education and Public Information

Human Trafficking is the fastest growing criminal activity in our country. Fulton County is firmly committed to the prevention and intervention of human trafficking. It is a criminal industry that strips individuals of their human dignity and rights, with human traffickers preying upon our most vulnerable citizens.  The Board of Commissioners has provided financial support for Wellspring Living. Vice Chair Khadijah Abdur-Rahman has collaborated with Wellspring Living and other leaders from government and nonprofit agencies to host a panel discussion to stop human trafficking throughout Fulton County and the state of Georgia. The Human Trafficking forum provides an insightful discussion on this critical issue.

Project CARE - Health

In 2022, two hospitals closed in Fulton County, exacerbating significant health access disparities in Fulton County. To address this issue, Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts spearheaded an initiative in collaboration with the Morehouse School of Medicine to provide additional analysis of the scope of the issues. This analysis has served as the foundation for Project CARE, a multi-faceted initiative to address health disparities within Fulton County and to increase access to healthcare for residents. Through Project Care, Fulton County Board of Commissioners invested in a new clinic, which opened in October 2023, to increase access for residents within the healthcare desert. Additional initiatives are planned for the future.

For more information about Fulton County’s NACo Achievement Awards visit www.naco.org.