Mecklenburg County won 13 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties. NACo's Achievement Award Program is a non-competitive program that recognizes counties for improving the management of and services provided by county government.

VIP Travel Club
VIP Travel Club provides opportunities for adults and seniors with visual impairments (VI) to travel throughout their community with a group of persons with similar challenges and interests. These monthly day trips were developed after many requests by members of existing programs offered by Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation's Therapeutic Recreation (TR) Division and partnering agencies. The program is led by licensed Therapeutic Recreation Specialists, knowledgeable in the adaptations needed to assist people with visual impairments. Kerri Good and Karen Howard, Park and Recreation

"With These Hands Mix" DJ Academy
"With These Hands Mix" DJ Academy" was a two week camp for teens, ages 13 to 17, which teaches how to be a disc jockey.  Each student received hands-on training by industry professionals that allowed them to develop their talents and interests in music, mainly focusing on use of the turntable as an instrument.  Instructors also provided lessons on how to conduct entertainment events, and they provided a step-by –step approach for managing such events as a profitable business. Terri Stowers, Park and Recreation

TR Spirit Squad
TR Spirit Squad is a community cheerleading group for girls, ages 8 and older, with developmental disabilities.  The squad also was formed as a result of Park and Recreation's partnership with the Carolina Panthers NFL team. Park and Recreation and the Panthers sponsor a Challenger Football Program for young men with disabilities.  The TR Spirit Squad gives young women the opportunity to develop confidence and self worth while participating in an activity they cherish and benefit from. Monica Best, Park and Recreation

2007 U.S. Kayak Polo Nationals
Imagine playing basketball in kayaks with passing, dribbling, being tackled, shooting and blocking shots--all while floating on the water. This is Kayak Polo, which traces its history back to the 1880's in Scotland.  The sport was organized in Mecklenburg County in 1991, with laundry baskets attached to life rings as goals, and a sponge for a ball. Eventually, this developed into Carolina Kayak Polo Club.  Mecklenburg Park and Recreation partnered with the club to provide places to play, organize regular matches, and eventually to host a national tournament with teams from all over the country.
H.C. Woody Woodward, Park and Recreation

Canada Geese Program
Big flocks of Canada geese were causing problems at one of Mecklenburg County's most intensely used parks, Freedom Park in Charlotte. A multifaceted plan was put into place that included a publicity campaign, educational signage, the creation of a no-feeding ordinance, landscaping, chemical deterrents, and frightening strategies. No geese were harmed, but the combination of tactics led to a successful outcome. Monthly censuses revealed the goose population was reduced approximately 60% in a year. Gary Marshall, Park and Recreation

Battle Slam Jam
"Battle Slam Jam" was developed to bring different urban cultures together for a day of peace and an opportunity to show off their skills in wholesome competition. The program was developed by Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and Donnel Stines, of CreateDontHate Productions.  Its first year was 2006, with categories in skate boarding, DJ battle, and hip hop dance. In 2007 it grew with new entries in skating (best trick, and bowl skating), DJ battle, hip hop dance, tap off (tap dance), 3 on 3 basketball, and t-shirt design. This program continues as a celebration in which different groups to come together, celebrate their diversity and enjoy each others' talents. Carla Hoover, Park and Recreation

Imagination Station
Imagination Station is a summer day camp for children, ages 2-6, with disabilities, first offered in 2007 for six weeks. In 2008 it to will expand to eight weeks. Children participate in sport, exercise, art, music, dance, and games. They also attend field trips, all centered around the theme of a "Discovery Train" traveling to a different destination each week.  Activities follow weekly themes, such as Animal World, Over the Rainbow, Four Seasons Way, and Helping Hands Boulevard. These help the children to learn and improve play skills, social interaction, coping, sharing, physical activity, and motor skills.
Angela Conti, Park and Recreation

ISSI – Child Welfare Program
ISSI CW is an acronym for Integrated Social Services Information Child Welfare. It is a web application used by Child Welfare Social Workers, supervisors, program managers and support staff developed jointly by Mecklenburg and Buncombe Counties. The project took more than three years to complete. Mecklenburg County's return on investment for the ISSI project has been placed at $1.3M a year in personnel efficiencies. Brian Sturgill - IST

Pass Rate Incentive Program
Prior to 2005, more than 100,000 building inspections were failing on the first attempt. To find a solution to this problem, Mecklenburg County's Code Enforcement Division convened a Code Compliance Task Force which developed a program called "Do it right the first time." When the program started in 2006, the inspection failure rate was close to 30%. By November of 2007 the failure rate fell below 20% for the first time, and currently at 16%. This program is improving inspector efficiency by reducing staff hours. Eddie Prince – Code Enforcement
 
Meck-SI
SI stands for Special Inspections. These are supplemental building inspections required for large projects usually involving deep foundations, retaining walls, structural steel and other unique aspects of commercial buildings. To keep up with the demand for these inspections, Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement would have had to hire an additional 15 inspectors at a cost of $750,000. Meck-SI was developed for $250,000. The state-of-the-art, green, environmentally friendly paperless system created by Code Enforcement won the prestigious Blue Diamond Award for Best IT Business Value in 2006.  Eddie Prince – Code Enforcement

Employee Climate Survey
Of the County's 25 Balanced Scorecard Goals, six focus on employee satisfaction including retention and recruitment, increasing knowledge, skills and abilities and improving employee access to information. The County Manager's Office of Strategic Organizational Improvement conducts an annual employee survey that asks a variety of questions about employee satisfaction with their working conditions, interaction with supervisors, pay and benefits and much more. This year, more than 3,200 employees returned their completed survey, more than any other year since the survey began. The Manager is proud to point out that 95% of employees say Mecklenburg County is a good place to work.  Leslie Johnson - SOI

Fit City for Fit Families – Child Development Center Healthy Start Program.
Studies show that eating habits and physical activity behavior developed in childhood will carry through to adulthood. Many families and the child development centers that care for children can't afford to develop educational programs or provide proper food. The Mecklenburg County Health Department applied for and received a $15,000 grant to study and improve this situation at six local development centers. The project resulted in policy, environmental and educational changes that will make a significant improvement in the lives of all the children touched by the centers.  Kristen Shaben – Health Department

Fit City Healthy Snack and Fruit Basket Program
This is a pilot project led by the Health Department's Fit City Worksite Wellness Program. The goal is to provide employees access to healthy snacks during the day instead of the usual vending machine fare. Program coordinators initially spent $60 for fruit and other healthy snacks. The program quickly became self-supporting and the variety of snacks has grown to more than 20 items. And interest in the program has grown beyond the Health Department, with some parts of the program adopted by the Department of Social Services. The program has also won a North Carolina Fruit and Veggies More Matters Star Award. Julie Jackman – Health Department