ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced that Howard County Government has received a record 113 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo). That is the highest number of awards out of any county in the state, which received a collective 165 awards, and the highest number of annual NACo awards achieved in Maryland history. Additionally, the County was one of only three counties in the state to receive a “Best in Category” award, winning in the Information Technology category this year for the HoCo DASH 2.0 app.
As I prepare to end my term as County Executive, nothing makes me prouder than to be recognized by our national peers at this level. Howard County has yet again received a record number of NACo awards and we have consistently and exponentially expanded this record of excellence each year. However, these are not MY awards. It is a credit to Howard County’s talented, dedicated, and hardworking employees, who deliver such high-quality innovation and service in everything we do. Nearly 400 NACo awards during my administration represent our unyielding commitment to improvement, service and efficiency in all areas. It drives and motivates everything we provide for our residents, visitors and businesses. Congratulations and thank you to all the awardees for years of exceeding expectations!
NACo Achievement Awards are the premier national honor to recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new and impactful services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance public participation and policymaking. The county’s 2026 awards span 16 of the 18 national award categories and recognize the initiatives and projects of more than 25 county departments and offices.
Since taking office in December of 2018, Ball has led the county to become a national leader in innovation and transformation, earning a total of 391 NACo awards across every program category and the significant majority of county departments and offices. The county has received five “Best in Category” Awards in the last six years ranging in topics from Information Technology to Emergency Management to Planning to Transportation.
The 2026 winning entries include:
Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation (3)
- Howard County Welcome Center - Interior Renovation
- The Market at Caplan’s
- Capitoline Center
Children and Youth (6)
- CARE Supervision Initiative
- Generation Teach
- Finance Student Mentoring Program
- First Alarm Fire Camp
- Virtual Career Exploration
- Digital Technology
Civic Education and Public Information (5)
- An Informative StoryMap Tracking US 1 Corridor Reinvestment
- Zoning Use Informational Map
- Agricultural Resource Fair
- Farm Academy at the Howard County Fair
- Your Cyberfeet
Community and Economic Development (14)
- Transforming the Route 1 Corridor with new housing
- Gateway Master Plan, a roadmap to transform a business park into an innovation district
- New & Beginning Farmers Program
- Farm To Fork Face Off
- HOCO Farmers Connect & Collaborate
- HOCO Fresh Marketing Campaign
- Howard County's National Pan-Hellenic Council Facility
- North Laurel Community Center Swimming Pool Addition
- Flex Line of Credit Program
- Cyber Howard Accelerator
- The Market at Caplan's Retail Incubator
- MIC Global Program
- Bridges to Interfaith Understanding
- Building Opportunity: Howard County’s Apprenticeship Program Advancing the Next Generation Workforce
County Administration and Management (4)
- Procurement Fundamentals
- Timekeeping Process improvements
- Budget Legislation Coordination Tool
- Safety Initiative (Five Year Program, 2025-2030)
County Resiliency: Infrastructure, Energy and Sustainability (16)
- Native Plants Beneath Solar Carports: Integrating Energy, Habitat, and Stormwater
- Climate Community Partnerships
- "Howard County Switch Together - Heat Pump Co-Op" Pilot Program
- Large Scale Tree Canopy Expansion
- Climate Forward Homes Program
- Howard County’s Electric Landscaping Initiative: Launching Maryland’s First AGZA Certified Green Zone
- Smart Salting Outreach Campaign – “Be Salt Wise”
- Residential EV Outreach - Clean Miles Club
- Howard County's Nonprofit Watershed Protection Partnership
- Solar Project Accelerator
- GIS Optimization and Deployment for Conservation and Environmental Reporting
- Schooley Mills Park Geothermal Heat Pump Resiliency Project
- Solar Express: Instantaneous Residential Rooftop Solar Permitting
- Commercial HVAC Permitting Program: Improving Air Quality and Energy Efficiency in Commercial Properties
- Heat Island Reduction in Senior Communities
- Using Anaerobic Digestate as a Compost Feedstock
Criminal Justice and Public Safety (2)
- Job Competencies Program
- Yard Bees Program
Financial Management (1)
- Capital & Operating Budget Process Cards
Health (12)
- Veterans Urgent Care Designation
- SmartER
- Howard County's Menstrual Equality Program
- Howard County Health Department Library-Based Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Support
- Howard County SIM Mapping - Bridging Behavioral Health and Justice Systems
- Howard County Walktober Initiative
- Doula Partnership Program
- Firearm Safe Storage Initiatives
- Walking for Wellness
- Winter Wellness Challenge
- Medically Directed Rescue (MDR) Program
- Comprehensive Prehospital Airway Quality Management Program
Human Services (9)
- Chromebooks for Digital Equity
- The Path Toward Zero – A 5-year Strategic Plan to End Homelessness
- Leola Dorsey Resource Center Expansion
- Resolving homelessness through transformative organizational realignment
- CASA Collaboration and Inclusive Menus
- Thriving Through Social Connections and Community
- Family Leadership Institute
- Community Baby Showers
- Tax Credit Access Made Easy: Equity Through Design
Information Technology (17, including a Best in Category Award)
- HoCo DASH 2.0 *Best in Category
- Replace Legacy Desktop and App Virtualization Service with New One
- IT's Contribution to the Personnel Action Form
- IT's Contribution to Planning & Zoning Online Forms
- IT’s New Authentication Method Implementation
- Generative Large Language Model AI Application Governance Compliance Pilot
- Public IP Migration Project
- WiFi Upgrade Project
- IT’s Contribution to the Old Courthouse
- Guidance for Artificial Intelligence Use
- IT's Contribution to Body Worn Camera Program Launch
- Data Center Modernization Initiative
- Portable Audiovisual Equipment Upgrade
- IT's Contribution to Apprenticeship Local Incentive Project
- IT's Contribution to Police and Sheriff Complaint and Compliment Forms Program
- IT's Contribution to Emergency Volunteer Management Outreach
- IT's Contribution to CDL Tracking Program
Parks and Recreation (5)
- Camp Outrageous
- Howard County Junior Park Ranger Program
- Howard County Read with a Ranger Program
- Howard County Girls Flag Football
- Robinson Nature Center Glass Remediation Project: A Case Study in Bird-Safe Public Buildings
Personnel Management, Employment and Training (5)
- Transforming Open Enrollment Through Multi-Model Employee Engagement, Education, and Informed Decision Making
- Learning Journey Experience
- Modernizing Pension Administration Through Enhanced Employee Services and Automated Self-Service Portal Technology Solutions
- "How Culture Informs Perspective" Training Series
- Supervisors' Training Matrix
Planning (1)
- Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) Zoning Regulation Amendments
Risk and Emergency Management (8)
- Building a Safer Workforce Through a Comprehensive Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Program
- Warming/Cooling Center Kit Distribution
- 2026-2029 Howard County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Strategic Planning Program
- Cascading Impacts of Federal Policy Changes Strategy
- Historic Ellicott City Flood Operations Procedures
- Continuity of Government Tabletop Exercise Program
- Merriweather Post Pavillion Tabletop Exercise Program
- Howard County’s Dam Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Training Program
Transportation (5)
- Howard County RapidRide
- Old Ellicott City Trolley Service
- Bus Stop Beautification Program
- FY 25 Ride to 1 Million Campaign
- Transit 101
For a complete list of winners, check out NACo’s Achievement Awards Database.