South Carolina Association of Counties hosts a yearly award luncheon and this year Beaufort County won in multiple categories. 

"We couldn’t be more grateful for the recognition Beaufort County has received at this year’s South Carolina Association of Counties Award Luncheon," said County Administrator Michael Moore. "These awards are a testament to our team’s commitment to innovation, collaboration, and serving our community. From empowering women leaders to strengthening regional emergency response and coroner services, these projects demonstrate how we are continuously working to improve the quality of life for our residents and ensure efficient use of resources."

Beaufort County won in the following categories:

• 2024 J. Mitchell Graham/Barrett Lawrimore Memorial Awards 
  The J. Mitchell Graham/Barrett Lawrimore Memorial Awards recognize innovative projects completed by South Carolina’s counties during the past two fiscal years. Winners represent the best qualities of local governance—attention to details, service to citizens, efficient use of tax dollars, and improvement in the quality of life. They demonstrate how creative problem-solving and collaboration can achieve impressive results, and offer new ideas for other counties to consider.  Each project is judged on the written entry submitted via the online application form by the application due date and an in-person presentation before a panel of judges on the competition day. 
  
  
• Beaufort County: Honorable Mention Emerging Leader’s Annual Women’s Conference
  Beaufort County’s Women’s Leadership Summit began in June 2023 as an annual event featuring presentations, discussions, and networking opportunities for women leaders from various sectors. The program is an expansion of Beaufort County’s Emerging Leaders group, established in 2021 to support career development, relationship building, and community service among employees. By providing engagement opportunities, the program strives to attract, develop, and retain emerging leaders in county government.
  
  
• 2024 Barret Lawrimore Memorial Regional Cooperation Awards
  Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, and Horry Counties
  The S.C. Area Cooperative was established to ensure reliable 9-1-1 service across its region and meet public expectations for consistent emergency response. Formed under a Master Cooperative Agreement in 2018 and amended in 2023, the partnership includes Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston and Horry counties; the City of Goose Creek; and the Town of Summerville. The agreement includes automatic and mutual aid, disaster recovery, resource coordination, information sharing, and technology integration. The program has provided backup call-taking and dispatching during emergencies, and it aims to maintain 9-1-1 service continuity with the integration of various technologies and procedures.
  
  
• Beaufort County: Winner of 2024 Barret Lawrimore Memorial Regional Cooperation Awards Strengthening Regional Coroner Capacity (Beaufort & Charleston)
  Beaufort and Charleston Counties
  Charleston and Beaufort County Coroners established a framework for sharing resources and investigative tools, aimed at improving data standardization and communication between the counties. Supported by grant funding, the initiative enhances the capacity to manage mass fatalities and provide services to over 630,000 residents. The collaborative effort addresses challenges such as inconsistent data standards and limited investigative resources, which can delay death investigations and the issuance of death certificates, particularly in cases involving natural disasters, the opioid crisis, or mass fatalities.
  
  
• Beaufort County: Honorable Mention Coastal Area Cooperative Regional Partnership (Horry, Charleston, Berkeley & Beaufort)

Pictured in the photo above: County Solid Waste and Recycling Manager Victoria Hoffman, Council Member Alice Howard, County Administrator Michael Moore, County Coroner David Ott, Deputy County Coroner Deborah Youmans, Council Member Anna Marie Tabernik, Certified Senior Prevention Specialist Katie Godowns

Pictured in the photo below: William E. Robinson, President of SCAC, Council Member Anna Maria Tabernik, Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O'Neal, County Council Member Alice Howard, County Administrator Michael Moore.