NACo Officers & County Officials
Hennepin County (Minn.) Commissioner and member of the NACo Telecommunications and Technology Steering Committee, Randy Johnson, was recently named the recipient of a new national award recognizing public-sector leaders who have championed technology as a way to conduct the business of government faster, easier and more effectively.
Government Technology magazine and the Center for Digital Government sponsor the “GT 25 — Doers, Dreamers and Drivers of Information Technology” awards.
NACo Staff
• Jacqueline Byers, director of research, attended the third meeting of the Model City Charter Review Commission in Phoenix, Ariz. March 21-22. This commission, under the leadership of the National Civic League, is updating the Model City Charter. Upon completion of the city charter, the commission will update the Model County Charter.
• On March 17, NACo Deputy Legislative Director Jeffery Arnold addressed the National Association of Conservation Districts at its Legislative Conference, in Washington, D.C. Arnold addressed the attendees on “How to Influence Congress without Leaving Home” and the need for a solid grassroots network.
• NACo Associate Legislative Director Ralph Tabor joined officials from 30 states March 16-18 at a meeting of the Streamlined Sales Tax Project (SSTP) in Dallas. The group is developing model state legislation to simplify sales taxes from state to state.
• James Davenport, community services senior associate, and Randy Swepston, environmental health official from Teller County Colo., represented NACo at the Fractured Rock Aquifers Conference held in Denver March 13-15. Davenport and Swepston gave a presentation focusing on water resource planning from the county perspective.
• On March 13, NACo Legislative Director Edwin Rosado delivered a legislative update on homeland security and a discussion on NACo’s legislative priorities including election reform, unfunded mandates, economic development issues and the new brownfields legislation to the Alabama Association of Regional Economic Development Officials.
• Program Director Abigail Friedman recently served on the selection committee for the 2002 National Wetlands Awards. The National Wetlands Awards program honors exceptional individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary effort, innovation, and excellence in wetland conservation through programs or projects at the regional, state, or local level.
• NACo experienced a series of staff promotions in recent weeks. Thomas Bussey was named general services administrator, Christina Crayton was promoted to research associate in the Research Dept., Shannon Houston Smack was named controller, and Phyllis Williams is now the general services assistant.
• Erika Machuca joined the staff as the new 5th floor receptionist. Before coming to NACo, Machuca, a native of El Salvador, attended Mary Baldwin College in Virginia. In addition to answering calls at NACo, she is also currently attending Northern Virginia Community College part-time.
• Start looking for Paul Mackie’s name in the pages of this paper as Mackie was recently hired as a staff writer for County News. Before coming to work at NACo, Mackie was a researcher for the Fair Housing Council and a reporter at several community newspapers in Illinois. Mackie received a bachelor’s from Southern Illinois University and a master’s from Georgetown University.
• And finally, Travis Worl joined the County Services Department as an affiliate services coordinator/county services associate. He is a graduate of Purdue University, and has been a Legislative Associate with the Association of Indiana Counties, Inc. in Indianapolis since 1998.
