NACo President Doug Bovin and President-elect Michael Hightower attended the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia’s annual meeting, April 20–24, in Savannah, Ga. Staff were also on hand to promote NACo membership and services, including Membership Marketing Director Cynthia Featherson, Research Associate for NACo’s Source Water Protection Project David George, Enterprise Services Director Lee Ruck, and NACo County Services Representative Kaye Braaten.
At the Montana Association of Counties Agriculture and Public Lands Committee Meeting, April 16, in Helena, Mont., Jeff Arnold, associate legislative director and Noel Williams, commissioner, gave a presentation on the Payment-In-Lieu-of-Taxes Program and the formula for the distribution of the 25 percent fund from forest receipts.
Arnold and immediate past President Randy Franke attended the Association of Oregon Counties spring meeting, April 15-17.
On April 11, Legislative Director Reggie Todd and Deputy Legislative Director Tom Joseph met with representatives from the nation of Senegal to discuss the responsibilities of counties in America’s intergovernmental system. The following week, Joseph and Associate Legislative Director Haron Battle hosted a delegation from the Ukrainian government to discuss the role of counties and how NACo represents local government interests in Washington.
Joseph also spoke at a conference sponsored by the International Municipal Lawyers Association, April 15, in Washington, D.C., on the legislative issues concerning counties.
On April 17, Naomi Friedman, research associate for NACo’s environmental programs, participated in the National Recycling Coalition’s Source Reduction Forum where she presented information on waste prevention for local governments.
Staff represented NACo at two White House events. earlier this month Sandy Markwood, director of human services programs, April 17, attended a ceremony launching a new program titled CyberED,a public-private partnership to bring training on high-tech, on-line communications to teachers in the nation’s neediest schools. On April 11, Neil Bomberg, associate legislative director and Lee Ruck were there for the announcement of the new presidential initiative to reform the nation’s public and private pension system.
(NACo On the Move is compiled by Angela M. Sides, special correspondent.)