The Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) has recognized Clarke County officials for their efforts to connect with the residents they serve.
Jeremy Bennett, the organization's director of intergovernmental affairs, presented the Clarke County Board of Supervisors a 2026 VACo Achievement Award last week.
The award is the first such honor the county has received from the organization, said County Administrator Chris Boies.
VACo is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for Virginia's 95 counties before state and federal lawmakers. It also provides resources to help county officials represent their constituents effectively and improve public services.
According to Boies, there was a significant decrease in citizen engagement and participation in county government activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and afterward.
In response, officials sought to reconnect with residents, as well as educate them about how the county government operates, Boies wrote in a submission to VACo for consideration of the award.
"County leadership feels strongly that a close connection between local government and the people it serves is vital in a democratic society," he wrote.
The county began updating its Facebook page regularly with features such as a Pet of the Week, plus Throwback Thursday, which shows photos of county scenes from yesteryear; and the Monthly Monday Myth Buster, aimed at dispelling inaccurate notions about government operations.
So far, the social media channel has amassed almost 11,000 followers. That's especially notable, Bennett said, considering Clarke County has only about 15,000 residents. So roughly 75% of them use the channel.
"That's really punching your weight," Bennett told the supervisors.
More than 1,000 people are subscribing to a monthly emailed newsletter in which information concerning the county and its towns — from local officials' perspective — is disseminated.
Also, a Citizen's Academy has been launched. It gives participating residents a close-up, behind-the-scenes look at how the county government operates.
Applications for the academy's 2026-27 session are now being accepted.
David Weiss, the supervisors' chairman and Buckmarsh District member, gave county staff credit for the efforts' success.
"We have a tremendous staff who works for you," Weiss told the crowd at Tuesday's board meeting. "They could be in other places" but choose to live and/or work in Clarke County.
In another matter, the supervisors honored fire/rescue workers Erik Leon and C.J. Monroe as the county's Employees of the Quarter.
They were recognized for their involvement in helping the county's Fire/Emergency Medical Services Department develop its medication program.
New requirements were established under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Drug Chain Security Act. In response, local fire/EMS organizations nationwide had to redevelop their systems for purchasing, storing, distributing and restocking medications.
Working closely with county Fire Chief Wayne Whetsell, Leon and Monroe designed and implemented a county system that ensured operational continuity, as well as exceeded regulatory standards put forth by the FDA, federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the Virginia Board of Pharmacy, according to Weiss.
"We're in awe," Weiss told the pair, "... of how you protect the (health of) citizens" every day.