The County of Orange Commuter Assistance Program received a 2002 Transportation Partnership Award. The award presented by the OCTA and the Orange County Business Council recognized the rideshare program for its “Integrated Marketing and Outreach Program.” 

The award-winning program includes an automated message center, 30 On-site Coordinators, 30 information display racks, the online County Commuter Newsletter and the rideshare program web site. The marketing and outreach program is designed to support and promote more effective use of the transportation systems in Orange County by encouraging employees to seek alternative modes of travel. 

Orange County was recently named one of 18 nationwide winners of the prestigious Eddy Awards in recognition of our Defined Contribution Plan communications. The Eddy Awards, the Pensions & Investments Defined Contribution Investment Education Awards, recognize the best in high quality investment education for defined contribution participants. Employee Benefits, under the leadership of Patti Gilbert, has won a third national award for the creativity, effectiveness, and completeness of the investment information presented to our employees.

Orange County's CEO/Human Resources Employee Benefits has been awarded the 2003 Leadership Recognition Award from the National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators Association for our "Pathways to Your Financial Future" communications plan.

BenefitsCorp has awarded the 2003 Award for Public Excellence (APEX) to the Employee Benefits "Pathways to Your Financial Future" brochure, one element of the program's communication plan, for excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the success in achieving overall communications effectiveness and excellence.

Weathering a budget storm is not easy, but Orange County looked at $50 million to $60 million shortfall in the eye and engaged its most precious resource - its employees. Teams of labor management committees engaged employees to identify strategies to eliminate waste and promote workplace efficiency. By August 2002, more than 1,000 ideas were submitted, many of which were implemented with estimated savings of over $2.8 million. A website keeps employees informed on new progress, and county managers held "breakfast meetings" to report additional results and exchange new ideas. Other agencies are replicating this process in their ongoing efforts toward improving workplace efficiency. Because of this effort, Employee Relations got a 2003 CSAC Challenge Award "Honorable Mention" for the Labor Management Budget Reduction Process. It highlighted that more than 1000 ideas were submitted by employees that resulted in an estimated savings of over $2.8 million dollars. This effort was undertaken to address the $50-60 million shortfall in the budget.