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Accela Recognizes Leading Global Government Innovators at Annual Accelarate Conference

Local and state agencies, and innovative individuals honored for elevating digital services to pave a better path forward for their communities

San Ramon, Calif. (October 7, 2021)Accela, the leading provider of cloud-based SaaS solutions for government, announced the winners of its Trendsetter Awards at its annual conference, Accelarate, this week. The virtual conference provided a space for the event’s more than 1,800 attendees to engage and learn from state and local government leaders, product experts, and industry changemakers on how cutting-edge cloud solutions can help to solve today’s most pressing civic problems.

The theme of this year’s conference, which ran from October 4-6, was “Our Path Forward,” focusing on the way cities, states, and counties anticipate and meet challenges head-on to create better agency and constituent outcomes. From implementing new digital processes that allow for planning proposals and permit applications to be submitted online, to digitally transforming inspection processes to protect the public health and safety of citizens, to leveraging data for better community outcomes, the award winners demonstrate how state and local government agencies are using Accela’s cloud-based solutions to help communities overcome adversity. 

The theme of this year’s conference, which ran from October 4-6, was “Our Path Forward,” focusing on the way cities, states, and counties anticipate and meet challenges head-on to create better agency and constituent outcomes. From implementing new digital processes that allow for planning proposals and permit applications to be submitted online, to digitally transforming inspection processes to protect the public health and safety of citizens, to leveraging data for better community outcomes, the award winners demonstrate how state and local government agencies are using Accela’s cloud-based solutions to help communities overcome adversity.

During Accelarate, attendees heard from Accela executives and product experts, and gained insight into the cloud solutions and digital strategies that will revitalize communities, improve service delivery, and accelerate recovery.

“With the challenges presented to governments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing recovery efforts, they must reimagine how to deliver essential services while also meeting the consumer-like expectations of their residents,” said Jonathon Knight, Accela’s chief customer officer. “During Accelarate’s Trendsetter Awards online ceremony, Accela is proud to recognize the agencies and individuals who are overcoming many of these challenges by leveraging Accela’s cloud-based solutions in innovative or collaborative ways to build more resilient futures for their communities.”

Accela recognizes honorees across 10 Trendsetter Award categories and were selected from dozens of submissions received from Accela customers, partners and staff. This year’s Trendsetter Awards honorees are:

Agency Winners:

  • Ultimate Citizen Experience: Fort Worth, TX
    This award recognizes an agency that has radically improved the design and delivery of government services to become more responsive to its citizens.
  • Emerging Regulation: Shelby County, TN
    This award recognizes an agency that adapts and embraces the challenges of new and emerging regulation, while promoting innovation within its community.
  • Digital Service Transformation: Pima County, AZ
    This award recognizes an agency that has revolutionized complex processes through automation within a digital environment to improve efficiencies and allow for a proactive approach in the way it serves its citizens.
  • Next Gen Economic Development: Fort Lauderdale, FL and Wine Australia
    This award recognizes high-performing agencies that have modernized processes and implemented efficiencies to foster economic development within its community.
  • Government in the Cloud: Suffolk County, NY
    This award recognizes an agency that has made the switch from on-premises to SaaS to better serve its citizens through the cloud.
  • Connected Government: Huntington Beach, CA
    This award recognizes an agency that has leveraged multi-departmental solutions to share data and break down organizational silos, ultimately saving the agency valuable time and resources.
  • Our Path Forward: Pinellas County, FL
    This award recognizes a government agency who has become a beacon of change and innovation to help constituents and/or staff navigate the challenges of today’s new realities, while preparing for future disruptions.

Individual Winners:

  • Civic Hero Building Communities award: Melissa Chiong of Hillsborough County, FL
    This award recognizes a government professional who has effectively leveraged Accela’s solutions to help businesses maneuver the complexities of becoming and staying compliant quickly and efficiently.
  • Civic Hero Growing Business: Robert Martin of Montgomery County, OH
    This award recognizes a government professional who has effectively leveraged Accela’s solutions to help businesses maneuver the complexities of becoming and staying compliant quickly and efficiently.
  • Civic Hero Protecting Citizens: Benny Thottam and Jon Paul Augier of New York, NY
    This award recognizes a government professional(s) who has effectively leveraged Accela’s Fire Prevention and/or Environmental Health solution to protect the public health and safety of citizens, while creating a high-demand place to live and do business.

Registered attendees of the Accelarate conference can access all event content, such as the Trendsetter Awards ceremony, on-demand through December 31, 2021.

Accela delivers leading cloud-based solutions to 80% of the top 100 U.S. cities and strengthens communities for more than 275 million citizens globally. For more information about Accela’s solutions, click here.

About Accela:

Accela provides market-leading cloud solutions that empower the most innovative state and local governments around the world to build thriving communities, grow businesses, and protect citizens. The company works with 80 percent of the largest cities in the United States and more than 275 million citizens globally benefit from Accela’s solutions, which are powered by Azure, for permitting, licensing, code enforcement, and service request management. Accela’s fast-to-implement Civic Applications, built on its robust and extensible Civic Platform, help agencies address specific needs today, while ensuring they are prepared for any emerging or complex challenges in the future. The company was recognized as a Microsoft US Partner Award winner for Community Response (2021, 2020), and Government Partner of the Year (2021), and was named as one of the Largest East Bay Tech Employers by San Francisco Business Times. Accela is headquartered in San Ramon, California, with additional offices around the world. For more information, visit www.accela.com.

Media Contact

Gabe Graham
Accela
ggraham@accela.com

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