County commissioners receive achievement awards
National Association of Counties (NACo) awarded the Montgomery County Board of County Commissioners with two achieve- ment awards. The awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents.
The Eichelberger Prison Outreach Program (EPOP) received an “Achievement Award in the Criminal Justice and Public Safety” category, and the Montgomery County Styrofoam Recycling Program was recognized in the “County Resiliency” category.
“All across the country, counties are working tirelessly to support residents and drive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, NACo president Larry Johnson said. This year’s achievement award-winning programs showcase how coun- ties work every day to build healthy, safe and thriving communities.”
The EPOP was launched in 2019 as a specialized initiative personalizing reentry plan- ning and service connection for incarcerated individuals returning to Montgomery County within six months of release from state and local facilities of confinement. The program builds a seamless bridge from prison to the community, with a pathway to the signature Reentry Career Alliance Academy).
The EPOP was funded by a grant from the Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation of the Dayton Foundation. The Montgomery Reentry Council is co-chaired by County Commissioner Debbie Lieberman and U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice.
The Montgomery County Styrofoam Recycling Program also received a NACo Achievement Award, in the County Resiliency category. In January 2021, Montgomery County Environmental Services (MCES) began a new Styrofoam recycling program for its residents and businesses. Styrofoam is not accepted in traditional curbside and drop-off recycling programs.
In 2021, MCES partnered with local communities and organizations to hold a series of three one-day community collections of Styrofoam for recycling, which resulted in the NACO achievement award.
Mason-based Eco Development processed more than five tons of Styrofoam from these events to be crafted into new items.