06/26/2026
Four Kentucky counties selected for NACo Achievement Awards
Two programs are named Best-in-Category
June 26, 2026
By Brenna Angel, Director of Communications
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Since 1970, the NACo Achievement Awards have recognized outstanding county government programs and services. Through a non-competitive application process, noteworthy programs receive awards in 18 categories that cover a vast range of county responsibilities.
This year’s award recipients include four Kentucky counties:
Boone – Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation
Cumberland – Volunteers (Best-in-Category)
Russell – Civic Education and Public Information
Warren – Planning (Best-in-Category)
Winners will be recognized at the 2026 NACo Annual Conference & Exposition. Learn more here.
Boone County
Category – Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation
Program – Boone County Historic Cemetery Restoration Project
The Boone County Historic Cemetery Restoration Project is an innovative partnership between the Boone County Jail and the Boone County CLG's Historic Preservation Program that utilizes inmate work crews to restore neglected, “lost” burial grounds. By training justice-involved individuals in specialized heritage trades to meet Section 3166 maintenance standards, the program provides property owners with a critical reclamation “jumpstart” while honoring the community's diverse history. This collaborative model has successfully restored eight cemeteries, saved taxpayers over $16,000, and transformed forgotten historic sites into vibrant community assets and strategic landmarks.
Boone County Jailer Jason Maydak – “This project has had a much more profound impact on the community, deputy jailers, and inmates than we could have ever imagined. What started as wanting to help Boone County Historic Preservation by assisting in the restoration of the historical cemeteries to honor the incredible people who laid the foundation for our county and community, has really proven to be a very important project to the entire community. In addition to the community's appreciation, the deputy jailers and inmates that have worked on these projects have expressed how satisfying and important the work they have completed is to them. We never expected to be nominated or recognized with any type of award, let alone one of this magnitude, so we were extremely surprised and appreciative when we learned of this award. We work in a business that does not garner much recognition or appreciation, so it is incredibly meaningful to receive this award.”
Cumberland County
Category – Volunteers (Best-in-Category)
Program – Retired and Inspired: A Blueprint for Increasing Volunteerism
With a population of less than 6,000 and a budget under $8 million, Cumberland County is limited to a team of roughly two dozen people who are responsible for handling emergency management, ABC licensing, HR/payroll, occupational tax, animal control, county road maintenance, etc. For decades, team members have been stretched and are expected to do more with less. Three years ago, the county looked within and discovered a trend, many retirees had been moving to the area for the “small town community feel.” The local assumption had been that re-located retirees didn’t want to get involved, but their actions suggested something different. As such, we started the “retired and inspired” initiative, where we focused on speaking with community groups, local boards, schools, and other government entities to build a list of volunteers to expand county services and host community events that otherwise would have been impossible.
Cumberland County Judge/Executive Luke King – “For years I've told everyone that Cumberland County has some of the best community volunteers and young people in the country. This award helps to prove that and recognizes our "retired and inspired" initiative on a national level. Bridging the gap between our incredibly talented retired population and our extremely energetic young and inspired citizens has been a game changer for us. We're able to offer more public services at a lower cost, improve the quality of programming, and reach more people in more efficient and effective ways than ever before. This initiative and these volunteers have unlocked a level of cooperation that will provide dividends to our county for decades.”
Russell County
Category – Civic Education and Public Information
Program – Russell County NexGen Youth Civics Project
The Russell County Fiscal Court launched a six-month youth initiative designed to develop long-term community leaders with the purpose of strengthening local capacity through leadership training, youth engagement, strategic planning, and educational activities. The objective is to equip youth with the skills, knowledge, and hands-on experience needed to actively engage in local government and assume leadership roles. The program targeted 20 students, ages 15 -19, with a focus on fostering civic participation, leadership development, and creating a lasting, youth-driven presence in local decision-making.
Russell County Judge/Executive Randy Marcum – “This recognition is a proud moment for our community and reflects the dedication, collaboration, and forward momentum happening across every level of local government and community partnership. I am especially proud of the NexGen Civics initiative, which is empowering our young people with real-world civic experience, leadership skills, and a stronger connection to how their local government serves them. Watching students step into leadership roles and actively engage in their community has been one of the most meaningful investments we’ve made in Russell County’s future. This award is a reflection of Russell County’s people—our educators, students, partners, and residents—who continue to move our community forward with purpose and pride.”
Warren County
Category – Planning (Best-in-Category)
Program – BG 2050 / What Could BG Be?
Warren County, KY had to find creative ways to engage the community to address critical challenges it was facing. The county will grow by 33% in the next 20 years. Realizing the magnitude and multiplicity of this question, county officials began working with more than 100 leaders across the community on identifying shared vision, values, and priorities. However, this was a community-wide challenge that needed to have community-based solutions. How can you have meaningful public engagement in today’s divided world? How do you reach people in a fractured and social media-driven information age? What Could BG Be? provided the conduit needed to have the “largest town hall in the United States,” The result was 8,000 participants, 4,000 unique ideas and 1,000,000 data points of public input, analyzed by artificial intelligence and community leaders, which produced a database of agreement on issues of importance the community can use to plan its future.
