NACo's 62nd Annual
Conference planned for Baltimore, Md. on July 11-15 will be an exciting
learning experience for the more than 5,000 county officials from across
the country that plan to attend. I hope you have made your plans to be there.
There are a number of interesting speakers and workshops covering all types of issues and views. First Lady Hillary Clinton has been invited to speak and some members of the Clinton Cabinet have expressed a desire to address the conference. One Cabinet member, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, has been invited to speak at the general session on Monday, July 14.
Sam Donaldson, co-anchor of "Prime Time Live" and an ABC-TV commentator, is scheduled to be the featured speaker at the opening general session on Sunday, July 13. Never lacking for an opinion, Donaldson should provide engaging commentary on the workings of Washington. He will take part in his regular Sunday morning show on ABC and then travel the short distance to Baltimore to speak at the conference in the afternoon.
Technology will be the focus of the Monday morning, July 14, session. Kim Taylor Thompson, associate professor of clinical law with the New York University School of Law, will lead a panel discussion on "Technology's Impact on Society." The panel will include county officials, technology experts, and state and local government representatives.
Three issues that are very important to county governments - welfare reform, electric utility deregulation, volunteerism and sustainable communities - will be the focus of mini-general sessions on Monday afternoon. These will be in addition to the usual workshops that cover crime, transportation, the environment, media relations, telecommunications, housing, geospatial systems, children's issues, rural issues, and privatization and consolidation.
This will be a busy conference and one that will provide a great deal of information on key issues. With two contested elections for NACo vice president, we will even have some political excitement.
In addition, Baltimore and its surrounding counties will provide you with a truly enjoyable visit. There are great restaurants, micro-breweries and nightspots; the Orioles are in town throughout the conference; and attractions are abundant for your family to enjoy.
In March, attendance at NACo's Legislative Conference was the highest ever. I would love to see the association break records for this conference as well. So, if you haven't made plans to come to the conference, do it today.