For the second year in a row, Chesterfield has been recognized as the top U.S. county in its population category for digital innovation. The Digital Counties Survey ranked Chesterfield first among counties with populations between 250,000 and 499,999. This marks the sixth time Chesterfield has received this honor since the survey began.
The Digital Counties Survey, now in its 23rd year, acknowledges counties that effectively use technology to enhance public services, improve cybersecurity, modernize operations, and promote transparent governance. The Center for Digital Government (CDG) administers this survey in collaboration with the National Association of Counties (NACo).
Scott Furman, Chesterfield’s chief information officer and director of the Information Systems Technology Department, expressed pride in the achievement: “Being recognized as a Digital Counties Award winner for the second consecutive year is a tremendous honor that reflects the vision of our county leadership, the dedication of our IST team and the commitment to service excellence shared by every Chesterfield County employee.” He emphasized that this accolade highlights their ongoing efforts to innovate and provide superior digital services to residents.
Chesterfield has consistently placed within the top 10 rankings of this survey over the past 15 years and has been among the top five for nine consecutive years.
This year’s recognition was due to several initiatives:
– Modernizing its Geographic Information Services platform by moving it to cloud-based solutions.
– Launching an AI-powered county website that improved search success rates significantly.
– Implementing a new Enterprise Health Records platform for Mental Health Support Services.
– Enhancing cybersecurity through AI-driven automation and threat detection.
– Expanding its Strategic Information Sharing data platform using AI for predictive analytics.
John Matelski from CDG praised these efforts: “This year’s Digital Counties Survey winners exemplify a strong commitment to innovation, excellence in digital government and public service.” Rita Reynolds from NACo added: “By showcasing this innovative work, counties can learn from one another…and explore…emerging technologies.”
