Durham County Government

Big things are happening at Durham County Economic Development! Their Fall 2024 newsletter is here, and it’s packed with exciting updates: ?Celebrating collaborations with local workforce development nonprofits, including the amazing Life Skills Foundation. ?Spotlighting the Innovate Durham Program, which is empowering local entrepreneurs. ?Sharing key insights from their Business Recruitment Annual Report. ?Highlighting early successes at the BULLS Life Sciences Academies. View the Durham County Economic Development Fall 2024 Newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gEXqiDhP

November is National Veterans and Military Families Month, a time to recognize?all of our military and veteran families. This month, our Durham County Veteran Services Department has embraced this mission with events and outreach throughout the month. Last Friday, our Veteran Services team held its 13th Annual Veterans Day Recognition and Celebration Program, honoring the service and sacrifice of Durham County's veterans. The event featured a keynote address from Board of County Commissioners Vice Chair Nimasheena Burns, who spoke about her family's connection to the military and what it means to her, plus her thoughts on the role of veterans in our future! Other speakers included County Manager Claudia Hager, Durham VA Health System Executive Director Dr. Alyshia Smith, DCo Veteran Services Department staff, and more! During the week before the Veterans Day holiday, many #DCo buildings and landmarks lit up the skyline in downtown Durham green as we joined Operation Green Light for Veterans. This nationwide celebration, held from Nov. 4-11, invited everyone to shine a green light of hope and support for veterans. Durham County Veteran Services called upon businesses and residents to do the same and shine a light of gratitude and support for our veterans throughout November by giving away free green light bulbs to residents. Durham County Government wants to shout out to all of Durham County's veterans who served our country bravely, as well as our DCo employees who are veterans or still serve with the military. To view more photos from the 13th Annual Veterans Day Recognition and Celebration Program, visit the official Durham County Government Flickr page here: https://lnkd.in/e36_bZU3

Durham County has partnered with SKLLD to offer free video resume services to job seekers. SKLLD is hosting a free workshop today at 6:30 pm at the Durham County Justice Services Building (326 E Main St) on how to build a video resume, no registration required. If you're looking to enhance your resume, bridge employment gaps, or add a personal touch to your application, this service can possibly help you stand out to employers. More information on SKLLD can be found here: https://www.hiresklld.com/

Yesterday, our General Services team hosted a Snow Equipment Rodeo at Durham County Memorial Stadium for our employees. The event showcased the essential vehicles and heavy equipment that keep our facilities accessible and safe during inclement winter weather. Staff got a chance to learn more about our organization’s winter preparedness strategies and how General Services ensures the safety and well-being of our community during snow and ice events. Employees got the chance to explore the fleet, which included Ford F250 and F550 trucks to John Deere and Kubota tractors, as well as Ditch Witch and Bobcat machinery — that keeps our key public safety sites, such as Emergency Medical Services, the Sheriff’s Office, and Emergency Management locations, operational in harsh weather conditions. Thank you to our General Services staff for hosting this awesome event!

Durham County has released a Request for Proposals for a Bus Rapid Transit Vision Plan. This plan will develop an update to the 2023 Durham County Transit Plan focused on the implementation of quick and reliable regional and local bus service. The project includes data analysis, public engagement, consensus-building, and an development of an implementation strategy using the Durham County Transit funds. Proposals are due November 21 with a pre-proposal meeting on November 6. https://lnkd.in/esvQvuKX

This November, Durham County proudly celebrates Native American Heritage Month! Join us in recognizing the diverse traditions and histories and the enduring legacies of Indigenous peoples in the United States. As we celebrate, we acknowledge that Durham County stands on the ancestral lands of the Catawba (ka-tah-buh), Cheraw (cher-aw), Eno (ee-no), Lumbee (lum-bee), Occaneechi (oak-a-nee-chee), Shakori (shuh-kor-ee), and Tuscarora (tuh-skuh-roar-uh) peoples. Explore ways to learn, embrace, and celebrate Indigenous communities through our Office of Equitable Well-Being’s website. Discover more here: https://lnkd.in/e2f5X_ah

On Monday, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein presented Ontario Joyner, Local Reentry Council Coordinator for the Durham County Justice Services Department, and Durham County Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead with the Attorney General’s Dogwood Award. The award recognizes individuals across the state who are committed to ensuring the safety, health, and well-being of their their fellow North Carolinians. At the ceremony, Attorney General Stein celebrated the work of Ontario and Sheriff Birkhead, alongside other honorees from the Triangle area. Attorney General Stein praised Ontario’s dedication to helping those leaving incarceration reintegrate into society. “I am truly honored to receive the Dogwood Award,” said Ontario Joyner. “This recognition reflects not just my efforts, but the collective dedication of everyone in our community, especially Durham’s Local Reentry Council and the entire Justice Services Department. Together, we are making strides to uplift and support individuals seeking a fresh start, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such important work.” Attorney General Stein also recognized Sheriff Birkhead’s dedication to public safety. “As the sheriff of Durham County, I often say that everything we do is designed to save lives – whether inside the jail or across our communities,” said Sheriff Clarence Birkhead. “This is my life’s work. I am both humbled and honored to have those efforts recognized as a recipient of Attorney General Josh Stein’s Dogwood Award.” Congratulations, Sheriff Birkhead and Ontario Joyner! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/egQSEK3W

Early Voting is underway! We have several locations open all across the county including our new Board of Elections Office at 3825 S. Roxboro St 27713!

That's a wrap on Durham County Employee Appreciation Week!?This week-long celebration has highlighted what makes Durham County such a great place to live, work, grow, and thrive—our amazing employees! Thanks to our Human Resources Department and Employee Engagement Team, this week was packed with professional development, health and wellness activities, opportunities for connection, and of course, fun! The first day kicked off with an opportunity for employees to get a professional headshot. Throughout the day, there were professional development events, including sessions on "Self-Care: Personal and Professional, "Everyday Leadership", as well as one on "Understanding Generations in the Workplace." On Day 2, it was all about Durham County’s new strategic plan, DCo Forward 2029!?Our Office of Strategy and Performance hosted an engaging event that highlighted the County’s new mission, vision, and core values. Midweek, staff enjoyed activities focused on health and wellness. Employees enjoyed stress relief massage chairs and reflexology sessions. We also honored #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth with our annual "Streets of Pink meets Walktober Wellness Walk". Employees donned pink to raise awareness for breast cancer and gathered for a walk around downtown Durham to stand in solidarity with and to honor those affected by breast cancer. On Thursday, we took a trip down memory lane with a fun-filled "Throwback Thursday" appreciation lunch. Employees enjoyed food, games, and music. Our DCo Wellness Clinic also set up a booth to share health-related resources and answer health questions. Throughout the week donations were collected to support Western NC recovery efforts. Thank you to all our employees for your hard work and dedication!?We appreciate each and every one of you!

Our Durham County Utilities Division held its quarterly appreciation event on Tuesday! Each quarter, they recognize an employee based on the County’s core values of ACE IT – Accountability, Commitment, Exceptional Customer Service, Integrity, and Teamwork & Collaboration. The Quarterly Employee recognized for 4th Quarter is Lee Williams, who has been with DCo Utilities for 6 years as maintenance technician. Lee is trustworthy, dependable, hardworking, and always willing to lend a hand! The Utilities Division’s Quarterly Employee award winner gets their name on a plaque that will be hung in the Utilities office, a gift card purchased by management using no Durham County funds, and a challenge coin that Utility leadership designed for our division. Giving Lee his award are: Utility Superintendent Wade Shaw; Deputy Director of Engineering, Utility Division, Stephanie Brixey; and acting County Manager Claudia Hager. Congratulations to Lee and the entire Utilities Division! Learn more about our Utilities Division here: