By Reginald Todd
legislative director
Following through on the initiative of NACo President Michael Hightower and approved by the Board of Directors at the NACo Annual Conference in Houston last July, NACo has selected two firms to provide enhanced bipartisan representation for county officials over the next year, beginning on Oct. 1. Board members will assess the relationship during the year to determine whether the arrangement is viable.
The two Washington, D.C. firms, identified after a competitive selection process, are Arter and Hadden, a national law firm represented by Reta J. Lewis, and Federal Focus, a government relations firm led by James DeChaine.
As the transition to a new Congress and Administration begins, the firms' mandate is to highlight and enhance the visibility and accessibility of county Republican and Democratic officials with their respective congressional leadership and executive branch officials.