The City of Newport News Department of Public Works is teaching the City of Lynchburg Public Works Department the process of becoming accredited by the American Public Works Association (APWA). The accreditation process involves a thorough internal review of the agency, followed by an onsite accreditation visit with a team of reviewers who examines the agency’s documentation and conducts interviews with selected agency staff, chief elected officials, and appointed officials. As the first agency accredited in the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2003, many agencies look for advice and assistance from Newport News. A team from Lynchburg spent five hours with Newport News Public Works staff learning about the process, some of the many practices (there are over 600 practices), and specific operations. 

Newport News Department of Public Works was first accredited in 2003, and was reaccredited in 2006, 2010, and 2014 with the next reaccreditation in November 2018.  There are currently eight accredited Public Works agencies in Virginia and 130 in the United States. Visit Newport News Public Works website to learn more about accreditation.