Thirty years ago, Tina Turner recorded a song entitled “Simply the Best.” It immediately got picked up as a theme song for sports teams and wannabe stars. In fact, even Turner herself re-recorded it in 1992 with an Australian rock singer Jimmy Barnes, to promote that year’s New South Wales Rugby League in Australia.

Perhaps Lycoming County should consider look into acquiring some rights to the song, because a number of departments are proving that they are “the best.” The most recent was an award given to the Lycoming County Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB). (Note: this was inadvertently named a Criminal Justice Task Force in this column a few weeks ago.) Many counties in Pennsylvania have CJAB’s that are formed to help evaluate, analyze, plan, and recommend action among the various county stakeholders such as the courts, correction, law enforcement, health and human services, victim services agencies, etc.

Lycoming County’s CJAB has accomplished a mountain of gains in the past couple of years such as providing Mental Health First Aid training to various Court staff, local law enforcement professionals, and all of the county’s Prison staff. They have created a Crisis Intervention Team with a CIT Coordinator. They have worked in the implementation of the Supportive Housing Program and the Youth Enrichment of Success (YES) Program with STEP, Inc., (both of which have been featured in previous “County Hall Corner” articles). For all of this and more, the Lycoming County Criminal Justice Advisory Board was selected to receive the County Commissions of Pennsylvania Best Practices Award for 2019.

Beth Johnston, Fiscal Director for Lycoming County, and her six-person staff, are like the Dream Team of County Government. Their department recently received the Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting awarded by the Government Finance Officers Association; a major professional association servicing the needs of more than 19,000 appointed and elected officials throughout the United States. It is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting. More than 1,600 municipal governments participate in the Budget Awards Program, and the criteria for recognition is very steep.

What makes this award even more astounding is that Beth Johnston’s department received it last year… and the year before that — and the year before that. In fact, Lycoming County has received this highly competitive and prestigious award for 28 years in a row! Talk about a winning record!

Two agencies that are often discussed in county government matters have recently received distinction in their respective organizations. The GEO Reentry Services in Lycoming County is part of the GEO Group that has 66 non-residential reentry facilities throughout the United States. At the GEO National Conference in Miami two months ago, Lycoming County’s GEO Reentry Services was highlighted for reducing recidivism, based on their work in life skills groups, drug and alcohol treatment, case management groups, GED prep, adult basic education and job readiness groups.

The other agency was the White Deer Golf Course operated by Billy Casper Golf. Among 26 courses operated by Billy Casper in the Northeast Region of the United States, White Deer was awarded 2019 Facility of the Year. Despite being completed rained out for 34 operational days (the most lost days of any of the 140 golf courses in 29 states that Billy Casper operates), they made gains in revenues, number of players and rounds played, and improved course conditions.

Yes, county government can always be improved, to be sure, but let’s acknowledge when things are going well. Sing it, Tina!