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Buncombe County Communications and Public Engagement team members Dan Hesse, Rasheeda McDaniels, and Leonard Jones (L-R) accept the NACo Achievement Award certificate during a recent Board of Commissioners meeting.
Buncombe County’s Communications and Public Engagement team has been recognized with not one but two Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents. NACo recognized Buncombe County for two programs in the “Civic Education and Public Information Category: “Let’s Talk” and “WRES 100.7 Tapped In.”
Let’s Talk is Buncombe County’s open-ended platform that allows anyone to call, email, or submit a form asking for information or file a complaint. After submitting information to Let’s Talk, a member of the Communications team either responds directly or coordinates with the subject-matter expert to provide information and answer potential follow-up questions. Queries are responded to within one business day and usually within an hour of receipt. Let’s Talk not only expedites answers to any question someone might have, but also acts as a constant monitor for information that might be difficult to find on the website, helps solidify information architecture, provides insights on SEO improvements, and acts as a catchall for residents, visitors, and employees to find the information they’re looking for.
“Tapped In” is a Buncombe County program on WRES 100.7FM in downtown Asheville designed to reach, inform, empower, and connect our communities of color with County programs, initiatives, and services. The live, bi-weekly 30-minute programs are hosted by members of the Buncombe County Communications and Public Engagement team. The program airs live at 11:30 every other Wednesday on 100.7 FM, with rebroadcasts through the week. It’s also available as a podcast on Anchor and Spotify. This week’s show features information about the Buncombe County Homeowner Grant Program.
NACo President Larry Johnson said: “All across the country, counties are working tirelessly to support residents and drive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's Achievement Award-winning programs showcase how counties work every day to build healthy, safe, and thriving communities.”
Nationally, awards are given in 18 different categories that reflect the vast, comprehensive services counties provide. The categories include children and youth, criminal justice and public safety, county administration, information technology, health, civic engagement and many more.
Started in 1970, NACo’s annual Achievement Awards program is designed to recognize county government innovations. Each nominee is judged on its own merits and not against other applications received.