DeKalb County has been honored by the Governor of Tennessee for its steps toward creating a healthier community.

The Governor's Foundation has recognized DeKalb County with the Healthier Tennessee designation for 2018, including a highway sign and plaque presented to the DeKalb County Wellness Commission, Community Advisory Board, and the DeKalb Health Adventure Program for their work in helping to provide healthy opportunities for the residents of DeKalb County.

The Healthier Tennessee Communities initiative is a grassroots approach to improving Tennesseans’ health by engaging citizens and local leaders in cities, towns, counties, neighborhoods and college campuses across the state.

To be designated, the communities established wellness committees and developed sustainable community-wide events and activities that support physical activity, healthy eating, and tobacco abstinence. They then tracked and measured outputs and accomplishments of the programs.

The Foundation launched the Healthier Tennessee Communities initiative in March 2015 with nine pilot communities. Today, more than 100 communities, neighborhoods, and college campuses are engaged with the program, and 59 have received the designation.