Rockdale County Tax Commissioner RJ Hadley has been named the 2014 Civic and Community Engagement Advocate of the Year by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) for his ongoing efforts to educate and motivate the public to become more involved in local government. The awards ceremony was held Friday, April 11 during the ACCG Centennial Celebration of its 2014 Annual Conference in Savannah.

"We applaud Commissioner Hadley for his community outreach initiatives such as Tax Talks for Veterans and Seniors, Tax Commissioner College Internship Program and his "Did You Know?" Cable TV segments" said ACCG Executive Director Ross King.

The ACCG Partnership and Advocacy Awards recognize individuals and organizations that further the mission of county government and/or the association. The Civic and Community Engagement Advocate of the Year Award recognizes an individual or organization which has made extraordinary contributions in some or all of the following areas:
• County civic engagement programs for high school and college students such as the Georgia Civic Awareness Programs for Students (GCAPS), the Georgia County Internship Program (GCIP) or other county-based programs.
• Workshops and forums to discuss county government processes and issues for the public.
• Educational videos, pamphlets, guidebooks or other information that assist the general public in learning about county government.

"This honor would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of my excellent staff," said Commissioner Hadley. "My goal was to create an office that is responsive to the needs of citizens, and I am proud of what we've been able to accomplish in Rockdale County."