“2,000 [members] in 2000!” That was the rallying cry for NACo when it launched its ambitious membership growth campaign two years ago. On Nov. 30, Madison County, Fla. put the “2,000” in 2000 and pushed NACo over the top. As of today, 2,003 of the nation’s 3,066 counties are NACo members. This represents an all-time membership record for the association.
For 10 years, NACo’s membership hovered around 1,700. Over the past three years, NACo has increased membership by 14 percent. Since 1998, 10–15 new members have joined each month, Currently, NACo member counties represent more than 80 percent of the nation’s population.

“NACo is stronger than ever, with the largest and most diverse membership of its 65-year history,” said Jane Hague, NACo president. “Urban and rural counties, big and little counties, counties from every region of the United States — our association addresses their concerns and represents their interests. Ultimately, it is this responsiveness to our members that has been the key to our success.”

The association does not plan to stop its upward trend anytime soon. “We are hoping to continue steady growth each year,” said NACo Executive Director Larry Naake, who plans to add 50 to 75 new members each year. “We’re the voice of county government in Washington,” he said. “And I think that role will be increasingly important to counties nationwide, especially as the election reform issue hits Capitol Hill. It’s our job to make sure that the federal government listens to reason when it comes to elections. If we were a corporation, our stock would have just gone through the roof.”

NACo’s Board of Directors celebrated the membership milestone, during its fall meeting earlier this month, with a conference call to Madison County and a cake cutting ceremony. “We’ve all pulled together to break the old membership record,” said Naake. “What a way to start the new millennium on a positive note!”