UNION, W.Va. (WVDN) — The Monroe County Clerk’s Office announced recently that the county has been awarded the 2026 Patti Hamilton Imagine Award for its Starlink Initiative, a project aimed at expanding high-speed internet access across the region.
The annual award is presented by the West Virginia Association of Counties to recognize county-led projects, organizations, or individuals for visionary efforts that create lasting improvements in West Virginia communities.
The honor is named for Patti Hamilton, who served as the association’s executive director for more than 20 years beginning in 1997. Following her retirement, Hamilton founded Imagine LLC, a community-focused consulting entity. The award, established around 2017, was designed to embody her emphasis on forward-thinking leadership in local government.
Monroe County officials said the Starlink Initiative represents the type of “transformative power of imagination” the award was intended to highlight.
“Though we may be small, each of us possesses an endless reservoir of knowledge and creativity—the tools we need to change our world, one inspired idea at a time,” the Clerk’s Office said in a statement.
The Starlink Initiative joins an elite group of previous winners, including Monongalia, Kanawha, Lewis, and Wood counties. Other past recipients include former U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin.
The award draws inspiration from national county association recognitions and remains one of the highest honors for innovation in West Virginia county government.
