President-elect Randy Johnson attended the mid-winter meeting of the National States Geographic Information Councils (NSGIC) March 14-16 in Chicago. Accompanied by Wyn Lyday, director of information technology, participants discussed developing standards for geographic data and a national spatial data infrastructure, as well as an upcoming NSGIC survey on the current status of GIS applications.
Johnson also addressed delegates to the Association of Minnesota Counties' Legislative Conference in St. Paul, March 12-13.
On March 10-11, President Michael Hightower attended Arts Advocacy Days in Washington, D.C. sponsored by Americans for the Arts, a group that advocates federal funding for the arts.
In Baton Rouge, La. for the Louisiana Parish Government Association (LPGA) annual meeting, Hightower addressed the March 15 Opening General Session. Associate Legislative Director Diane Shea briefed LPGA's Environment and Energy Committee on congressional action and regulatory proposals on Superfund, storm water, air pollution and electric utility deregulation.
Monterey County (Calif.) Behavioral Director Bob Egnew and Associate Legislative Director Tom Joseph took part in a March 10 meeting with Susan Liss, newly appointed chief of staff to Tipper Gore, wife of Vice President Al Gore. Liss convened the meeting to hear from a variety of groups interested in mental health issues. Egnew is president of the National Association of County Behavioral Health Directors.
On March 14 and 18, Associate Legislative Director Neil Bomberg joined fellow job training issues lobbyists from the National Governors' Association, National Conference of State Legislatures and the U.S. Conference of Mayors to develop a legislative proposal for the House and Senate to consider as they develop job training reform legislation.
At the Bureau of Justice Statistics in Washington, March 13, Research Director Jackie Byers participated in a focus group convened to develop a survey of local governments on the costs of indigent legal care.
County Services Representative Kaye Braaten spoke at a workshop for newly elected county officials at the North Dakota Association of Counties Legislative Conference Feb. 26 in Bismarck.
Braaten conducted a workshop on Community Countdown 2000 at the spring meeting of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg earlier this month. Associate Legislative Director Ralph Tabor was also there to speak at a general session on NACo's Rural Renaissance Initiative.
Tabor and NACo Fellow Robert Halman attended the National Rural Development Partnership (NRDP) Conference in Crystal City, Va., March 18, where Tabor spoke on rural development issues. Tabor serves on the NRDP management board.
(On The Move is compiled by Susan D. Gould, senior staff writer.)