County Official of the Year Award

Honoring Excellence in County Government

We are proud to present the County Official of the Year Award, our highest recognition for leadership and service in county government. This award celebrates an outstanding official or employee from one of our member counties whose work reflects IACO’s mission: advancing education, upholding ethical service, promoting sound public policy, and strengthening the quality of county government.

The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a true commitment to excellence - not only within their own communities, but also through leadership and impact at the regional and statewide levels. We know there are many deserving county officials and employees across Illinois, which is why we encourage every affiliate group to put forward at least one nominee.

What makes this award especially meaningful is the integrity of the selection process. Nominations are carefully reviewed by independent judges outside of IACO, and every application is scored anonymously to ensure fairness and impartiality.

The recipient of the County Official of the Year Award is announced at the IACO Fall Conference Banquet—an inspiring moment where peers and colleagues come together to celebrate the very best in county leadership.

Submit your nomination today!

Purpose and Criteria

The award is intended to recognize a county government official or employee who exemplifies the very best of county service and leadership. Nominees should demonstrate excellence at the local level, while also contributing meaningfully to county government across Illinois.

Eligibility

Any elected or appointed official or employee from an IACO member county is eligible. Current members of the IACO Board of Directors, however, are not eligible to receive this award.

Award nominations are kept on file and considered for three years.

Award Presentation

The winner is kept a closely guarded secret until the IACO Fall Conference. The award is presented at the Fall Banquet, where the recipient is honored among peers, colleagues, and community leaders for their outstanding contributions to county government.

Nominator Responsibility

In most cases, nominations will come from the nominee’s affiliate organization. Nominators are expected to ensure that the nominee will be present at the Fall Conference Banquet to accept the award. While nominations may come from outside an affiliate group, additional research and collaboration are strongly encouraged. For example, if Veterans wish to nominate a Coroner, they should work with the Coroners affiliate to ensure the nomination is thorough and competitive.

Selection Process

Selecting the County Official of the Year is never easy, given the high caliber of candidates each year. To ensure fairness and minimize bias, IACO has adopted a process modeled after another national organization:

Eligibility: Any currently serving county official (at the time of nomination) is eligible. Individuals who have resigned or retired earlier in the year are not. (Note: The IACO President retains the ability to honor an individual separately with a President’s Award.)
Independent Judges: Each IACO Awards Committee member selects a judge from outside the IACO membership (such as a local judge, state official, or community leader). Judges receive the nominations and scoring sheets directly from the Awards Committee Chairperson - committee members do not review the applications themselves.
Scoring: Judges evaluate nominees across standardized categories using a scoring sheet and submit their rankings back to the Awards Committee Chairperson.
Results: The Awards Committee Chairperson tallies the scores and announces the winner at the Fall Conference Banquet.
Consistency: All nominations must use the standardized application. Judges use a standardized scoring format.