​National Association of Counties (NACo) Awards 2025


Broward County has received 20 Achievement Awards in 2025 from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for innovative County government programs that strengthen services for residents and are effectively communicated and relevant to the community.

Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation

  • ​Arts & Cultural Festival and Special Event Sponsorship Program: Provides funding to support the planning and execution of arts and cultural events in Broward County, centered around a unified arts and culture theme. Its purpose is to ensure equitable access to funding for community-driven events while fostering collaboration, community building, and economic development within the cultural and small business sectors. Cultural Division
  • Broward Arts Journalism Alliance (BAJA)​: Fills the critical gap in journalistic coverage of arts and culture in Broward County. By developing strategic partnerships with local media outlets and cultivating a diverse group of talented journalists, BAJA provides funding and training to amplify coverage of the region's vibrant arts scene. This innovative model empowers underrepresented voices, increases cultural dialogue, and creates a sustainable framework for arts journalism excellence. By prioritizing inclusivity and accessibility, BAJA enriches community engagement, strengthens local identity, and serves as a replicable blueprint for other counties seeking to elevate their cultural ecosystems. Cultural Division
  • Broward Arts Metaverse (BAM)​: A pioneering public art initiative using virtual and augmented reality to make Broward County's public art collection accessible globally. Users can create avatars to explore immersive 3D environments featuring digitized public artworks via computers, mobile devices, or VR headsets. An AI-powered "tour guide" provides interactive information about each artwork, enriching engagement and inclusivity. Cultural Division
  • IGNITE Broward: Festival of Art + Technology: Connects the community through immersive and innovative digital art through technology. The free, family-friendly festival has been expanded to ten nights in three locations throughout the county: Fort Lauderdale, Dania Beach, and Hollywood. Featuring 30 interactive light and sound-based art installations, this unique cultural festival highlights the extraordinary talents of local, national, and international artists, and attracts more than 80,000 visitors annually. Cultural Division
  • The Underwater: Broward - Using the power of art to educate, engage, and inspire environmental action: Involves a collaboration with environmental artist Xavier Cortada, leveraging his talent in participatory environmental art to engage the public and other stakeholders in resilience discussions and problem-solving. The Underwater effort is designed to personalize the connection between sea level rise and flood risk through art featuring local elevations. This collaboration was designed to expand conversations beyond the traditional audience to engage students and communities where flood risk and local demographics indicate the potential for higher risk and lower adaptative capacity. Outreach occurred at school and County facilities, including school workshops, community discussions and Broward County's Annual Water Matters Day. Permanent art installations in the form of hand painted murals, a metal sculpture, and a tile installation all support expanded awareness and continuous public engagement. Cultural Division & Resilient Environment Department 

Civic Education and Public Information

  • Broward County EPD Brownfields Program: An Introduction (GIS Storymap): Broward County launched this interactive application– the first of its kind in the state to promote the Brownfields Program – to simplify the program's complex aspects, educates the public, and dispels misconceptions. The Storymap aims to promote sustainable redevelopment while educating the public about the benefits of the Brownfields Program. Included are maps, success stories, and tips for contacting agencies, as well as educational content on environmental justice. Through this innovative approach, Broward County enhances public understanding, sets a new standard for government outreach, and encourages active participation in community revitalization. Environmental Permitting Division, Resilent Environment Department

Community and Economic Development

  • Broward County Screen Industry Transferable Skills Training Program: Launched an innovative transferable skills workforce training program to train crossover industries in the small business community on how their skillset can transfer into the screen industry (which includes film, television, commercial, web, and print production). In the pilot year of the program, courses were offered for Construction skills (set building/prop making), Accounting, Seamstresses/Tailors, and Production Assistants. These courses are offered at no-cost to Broward County residents as a means of welcoming the local community to explore opportunities in the region's growing film industry, diversify the crew base, and open career path opportunities for the underserved community. The program's mission is to fill gaps in the availability of services needed by the film industry, as well as tap into new revenue sources for residents. Film Lauderdale, Office of Economic and Small Business Development
  • Port Everglades Cruise Passenger Study​: A comprehensive study that included interviews with more than 7,000 cruise guests at three different time periods during Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. An expanded update to the original baseline study conducted in FY 2015, the study's goal is to use the collected data, findings, and analyses to help the Port's stakeholders in Greater Fort Lauderdale's tourism-centric business community plan their advertising and marketing programs by better understanding our cruise guests' travel patterns and trip characteristics. This information is also being integrated into Port Everglades' long-term plans for future travel demands, infrastructure needs and services, and trends. Port Everglades
  • Procurement Insights Visualization Tool: A dynamic real time tool designed to provide comprehensive visibility into the procurement and contract lifecycle process of Broward County. The platform aggregates key procurement data on buyers, vendors, spending, solicitations, contracts, and projects in one place and displays it in easy-to-understand charts, graphs and tables ensuring seamless tracking and management of key procurement activities. With over $1.5 billion in contract spending and thousands of vendors, the Procurement Dashboard provides a broad overview of the County's procurement and financial business activities using the PeopleSoft Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform. It also tracks details related to what the County is purchasing, how much it is spending, who is buying what, and from what supplier. It enables both data-driven oversight and insight for all commercial spending activity to leverage strategic sourcing, and to prioritize our supplier relationship activities with our vendor community. Innovation Unit, Consumer Protection Division and Purchasing Division 

County Administration and Management

  • GIS Internal Users Hub​: A centralized platform created to streamline access to GIS information for internal users. It serves as a one-stop resource for GIS governance, providing tools such as reminders, request forms, Hub sites, and scripts. The Hub enhances collaboration and efficiency among GIS users promoting a more organized, secure, and effective GIS ecosystem. Urban Planning Division's GIS Section, Resilient Environment Department
  • GIS Project Management Solutions​: Leverages Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to customize solutions for reporting, work, and time management. By combining resources into dedicated GIS applications and defining GIS services clearly, the program ensures effective delivery, promotes customer satisfaction, and communicates business impact. This approach fosters sustainable GIS technology use and justifies investment in GIS. Urban Planning Division's GIS Section, Resilient Environment Department 

County Resiliency: Infrastructure, Energy, and Sustainability

  • All Sun and Games: Solar Canopy Installation at Delevoe Park: Enhances both community well-being and sustainability with the installation of a large-scale solar canopy over the basketball courts at Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park. Community listening sessions have revealed that heat is already impacting outdoor recreation and athletics. This project will help meet Broward County's clean energy goals while supporting public health and recreation by offering a shaded and sheltered area for rest and recreation, shielded from direct sun and inclement weather. As is it anticipated that the number of heat days above 100°F will increase from 34 days to as many as 128 days by mid-century, the benefits of this project will substantially accrue over time. Meanwhile, the solar panels will produce enough clean energy to offset 30% of the electricity used by the adjacent African American Research Library and Cultural Center, advancing the County's net zero goal while delivering meaningful co-benefits to the community. Natural Resources Division, Resilient Environment Department 

Human Services

  • Broward Addiction Recovery Center (BARC) Outreach Team: Fosters relationships, provides resources, and addresses the needs of the underserved, vulnerable, and marginalized populations. This program addresses the needs of residents with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and any co-occurring Substance Use Disorder/Mental Health (SUD/MH) conditions who are involved in, are at risk of becoming involved in, or are transitioning out of the criminal justice system by providing evidence-informed treatment, including Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), recovery support, harm reduction, or other appropriate services. The BARC Outreach Team travels to identified critical hotspot areas within Broward County to provide education, Narcan distribution, referral resources, screening and assessment of clients for services while working closely with the community agencies to provide comprehensive support to improve the overall well-being of the community and its residents. Broward Addiction Recovery Center, Human Services Department 

Information Technology

  • Network Segmentation - A Security Initiative: Designed to enhance cybersecurity by minimizing exposure to cyber risks, ensuring compliance with industry standards, and safeguarding constituent data. This initiative strengthens security controls, mitigates threats, and aligns with national cybersecurity frameworks, including NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) and ISO, the International Organization for Standardization. By implementing network segmentation, Broward County significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, enhances operational efficiency, and protects the personal information of its residents. Enterprise Technology Services 

Libraries

  • Broward County Library's Paid Non-Resident E-cards​: Solves the issue of long waits by customers for on-hold library materials and to open a new source of revenue for the library. the library used strategic communications and e-mail marketing to transform a public relations challenge into the successful launch of a new, non-resident electronic card that has received positive public attention, successfully addressed issues of the allocation of library resources, and has so raised over $400,000 in new revenue for Broward County Library. Broward County Library
  • Broward County Library's “Peace Love Libraries" 50th Anniversary Celebration/Campaig​n: This milestone provided an opportunity to highlight the library's extensive resources and its impact on residents as well as foster community engagement. The multi-pronged campaign included a proclamation from the Broward County Board of County Commissioners; a commemorative library card; bookmarks, buttons, pins and stickers; interior/exterior signage and banners; social media posts and ads; a 50th anniversary staff cookbook; a dedicated webpage on the library's website; commemorative issues of the library's monthly magazine; a recorded video message from the Director; and articles in the library's weekly and monthly e-newsletters. From January through April 2024, libraries featured anniversary-themed programming, culminating in a systemwide birthday party on April 10 held at all library locations. All events were well attended and the campaign received national awards and recognition. Broward County Library
  • Broward County's Africana Arts & Humanities Festival: ​A four-day event held at Broward County's African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC)  celebrating Black culture and history and encouraging local entrepreneurial growth. Themed "Rootedness," the festival honored 50 years of Black literature and culture along with Broward County Library 50th anniversary. The festival offered 21 diverse activities, including author talks, workshops, tours, a fashion show, and a jazz concert. It uniquely blended cultural celebrations with practical opportunities for community development, showcasing AARLCC as a dynamic hub for creative and financial empowerment. The festival served 778 in-person attendees and 1,825 virtual attendees. Broward County Library 

Parks and Recreation

  • Niños en la Naturaleza: The free semi-monthly program, launched in April 2024, was designed to bridge the gap between our Hispanic community and nature-based programming. Families with children under 6, participate in guided walks through natural areas where they learn about native plants and wildlife in Spanish. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 33% of Broward County's population is of Hispanic descent. The program addresses the need for nature experiences in Spanish. Program participants are provided observational tools to enhance their exploration and make the experience educational and engaging. Two bilingual staff members host the program and focus on fostering language preservation and cultural connection. The program has held 19 sessions with more than 354 participants. It attracts families striving to maintain their native language and beginner speakers while encouraging children to practice Spanish in a community setting. Parks and Recreation Division 

Planning​

  • Population Forecast and Allocation Model Interactive Application: A new tool that helps users understand population trends in Broward County. This application allows the user to visualize and refine the data results from the 2024 Population Forecast and Allocation Model report. The data projects population, households, and housing units across Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ) in Broward County in five year periods from 2020 - 2050. Using the filters users can refine this data by city boundaries and export it for further use. Visualizing the data allows municipal planners and policy makers to make informed public policy decisions about the location of future growth, resource allocation, public service needs, and infrastructure development. The municipal-tailored data provides insights into the expected geographic distribution of the population in the future, allowing planners to proactively address potential needs and challenges based on these projected changes. Urban Planning Division's GIS Section 

Risk and Emergency Management​​​

  • EOC Public Damage Assessment Survey: For local government assistance, tailored to collect immediate post-incident damage data. The survey provides streamlined consolidation of damage estimates to help identify when the County meets the requirements for state and federal assistance. The survey integrates costs in real-time as they are submitted. The emergency manager monitors the process through the dashboard and can run progress reports to see when the threshold is met. Urban Planning Division's GIS Section ​

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