Rockdale County's Code Enforcement Division Wins Prestigious National Achievement Award for Digital Innovation

Rockdale County’s Code Enforcement Division has earned a prestigious national recognition in the field of local governance. This Georgia county has been thrust into the limelight by the National Association of Counties (NACo) with a 2025 Achievement Award. It's a nod to their innovative spirit in public service, particularly a digital automation tool that has swept away the cobwebs of manual processes.

Chair and CEO of Rockdale County, JaNice Van Ness, has been vocal about the team's endeavors this year. “I am proud to announce that Rockdale County’s Code Enforcement Division has been honored with a 2025 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo), recognizing our commitment to innovation and excellence in public service,” Van Ness stated in an announcement made public by the county. They zeroed in on Catherine Gray, the Code Enforcement Analyst, praising her leadership, which has ably pivoted the department's administrative processes into the new digital age.

The homegrown letter automation tool—cobbled together via Microsoft Power Automate sans the help of outside vendors or dedicated IT muscle—now churns out Notice of Violation correspondence in just about 7.32 seconds, a jaw-dropping dive from the former 10 minutes. According to the Rockdale County Government, this not only ramps up operations in terms of speed but also hikes accuracy, revamps workflows, and liberates staff to pour their expertise into tasks with greater impact for residents.

It's a classic example of how grassroots initiatives in customer service yield sprawling effects. Rockdale County has done a tightrope walk on adopting smarter cost reduction methods and improving both operations and service delivery, bringing to light the latent potential within county governance structures. "This kind of forward-thinking innovation begins on the frontlines of customer service," Van Ness emphasized, as noted on the county's website.

The NACo Achievement Awards, a tradition launched back in 1970, annually shines its beams on standout programming in 18 categories that speak to the deep and diverse services dished out by counties. This ranges from public safety to libraries to civic engagement. Commenting on the awards, NACo President James Gore stated, "The Achievement Awards shine a spotlight on the hard work and innovation happening in county governments across the nation." He lauded this year's winners for exemplifying dedication and creativity in concocting robust communities while aiming to deliver the upper-crust in services for residents, as per the Rockdale County Government.