Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell (second right) and Chester County Chief Information Officer Glenn Angstadt (right) accept the 2018 Digital Counties Award at last week’s National Association of Counties Conference in Nashville. Also pictured are (from left): Alan Cox, Executive Vice President, Center for Digital Government; Danielle Balmelle, Business Development Executive for award sponsors Acella; and Darryl Booth, Senior Vice President, Acella.
WEST CHESTER — Chester County’s increased advancement in digital technology has earned a top ten ranking among America’s 3,000-plus counties. The Center for Digital Government (CDG) and National Association of Counties (NACo) have placed Chester County as ninth in the nation for best technology practices, including initiatives that save tax dollars, boost transparency, focus on cyber security and citizen engagement. This is the third consecutive year the county has received this award.
The award was presented last week at the NACo Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The Digital Counties judging panel noted: “Chester County has prioritized information as a key asset that must be secure. Practical examples of how the county is leveraging information include its open data strategy that has made budgeting transparent while providing public access to information on everything from restaurant inspections, open space protections and transparency around pipeline data and water quality.”
The judges also highlighted the County’s robust social media operation that is focused on wellness issues. IT security is also a strong priority. “Even though Chester County has less than 100 IT staff, it has its own Chief Security Officer whose services are collaboratively used by neighboring jurisdictions. It has also strengthened its business processes that have improved competitive pricing for technology and saved the county significant amounts of taxpayer dollars,” the judges noted.
Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell and County Chief Information Officer, Glenn Angstadt accepted the award at the NACo Annual Conference.
“Chester County has made a tremendous effort to develop digital services that boost efficiencies and improve services for our citizens,” said Commissioner Farrell. “This award recognizes that effort, undertaken by the team in our Department of Computing and Information Services, our Digital Communications personnel, and representatives from many other departments. Congratulations go to all of them.”
NACo Executive Director Mathew Chase said, “Effective technology has proven to be a key tool for efficiency in many facets of county government. We applaud this year’s Digital Counties Survey winners for showcasing the value of innovation and adaptations. Their embrace of cutting-edge approaches has benefited residents while ensuring good stewardship of taxpayer resources.”
The Digital Survey is conducted annually in the spring. All U.S. counties are invited to participate in the survey which examines the overall technology programs and plans of the county. This year marks the 16th annual survey and details of winners can be found at
http://www.govtech.com/dc/digital-counties/Digital-Counties-Survey-2018–Winners-Announced.html.
