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County News: 2024 NACo Annual Conference

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County News

Sonoma County’s James Gore takes the lead at NACo

Surrounded by his family, Sonoma County, Calif. Supervisor James Gore was sworn in July 15 as NACo’s new president at the association’s Annual Business Meeting at the Tampa Convention Center in Hillsborough County, Fla. 

Dominique Dawes holds her Olympic gold medal as she delivers an inspiring address to NACo members July 14 at the Tampa Convention Center. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

Olympic gymnast: ‘Check your ego at the door’ to excel at teamwork

Three-time Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes championed teamwork, saying “checking your ego at the door” is the key to success, at NACo’s General Session on July 14. 

Davison County, S.D. auditor Susan Kiepke recounts asking her friends if their college-aged children would be interested in working her county’s post-election audit. Orange County, Fla. Mayor Jerry Demings sits to her left. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

Counties could heal dissatisfaction with democracy

When political tension threatens to further divide Americans, it falls to county governments to build on the connections and demonstrate the responsiveness that engenders trust and confidence. 

King County, Wash. Executive Dow Constantine discusses the final report of the NACo Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing July 13 at the Opening General Session as his co-chair, Los Angeles County, Calif. Supervisor Kathryn Barger and other commission members look on. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

Policy priorities to improve mental health unveiled in NACo commission final report

The NACo Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing outlined its policy priorities to improve mental health in its final report unveiled Saturday, July 13 at the Annual Conference.

Mobile County, Ala. Commissioner Merceria Ludgood accepts the Public Leadership in the Arts Award July 13 from Jay Dick of Americans for the Arts and Dakota County, Minn. Commissioner Mary Hamann-Roland, who chairs the NACo Arts and Culture Commission, at the Tampa Museum of Art. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

Public Leadership in the Arts Award goes to Mobile County commissioner

Surrounded by her peers Saturday, July 13, Mobile County, Ala. Commissioner Merceria Ludgood received the Public Leadership in the Arts Award from Americans for the Arts at a reception held at the Tampa Museum of Art during the NACo Annual Conference.

Tareq Azim at the 2024 NACo Annual Conference general session. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

Tareq Azim shares strength borne by fear

Author, coach and entrepreneur Tareq Azim spoke about confronting fear and changing narratives during the Opening General Session.

David Stafford, Region 4 Election Security Advisor for CISA, talks about tools to make counties and county officials safer. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

CISA offers tools to protect you and your county

Disinformation campaigns by foreign adversary bots, rumors flying on neighborhood message boards, increasingly partisan politics all play a part in making for a more unsafe world for county officials.

Coconino County, Ariz. Supervisor Lena Fowler tells members of the Arts and Culture Commission about the benefits of cultural tourism. Photo by Leon Lawrence III
County News

County, Native Americans work together to create ‘cultural tourism’

Coconino County, Ariz. and the Navajo Nation have built a partnership together to create cultural tourism initiatives, both educating visitors on Native American history and traditions and benefiting the local economy. 

Heidi Stiller of NOAA talks to members of the NACo Resilient Counties Advisory Board Saturday, July 13 about how to sharpen communication efforts before and during a disaster. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

A key to managing disasters: Targeted communication

Define your risk communication audience and outcome, understand your priority audience and connect with that audience.

SAMHSA is prioritizing peer-centered recovery, among other ways to combat youth substance use disorder, Sonia Chessen, SAMHSA’s deputy assistant secretary, said Friday, July 12 at the NACo Health Steering Committee meeting. Photo by Leon Lawrence III
County News

Collaboration and mental health support address youth substance use disorder

Counties are investing in education, harm reduction and peer support recovery to combat unintentional overdoses. 

Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center, describes the cycles of sensitivity to foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

Most foreign-owned ag land remains in friendly hands

Despite cycles of concern about foreign ownership, less than 4% of U.S. private agricultural land is owned by foreign entities, and only 12 states have enacted laws limiting foreign ownership.

Dennis Alvord, assistant executive director of the First Responder Network Authority, speaks Friday, July 12 to members of the NACo Telecommunications and Technology Steering Committee. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

Public agency expands first responder network

Twenty-three years after the 9/11 tragedy, a public agency created in its wake to help better connect first responders during emergencies is continuing to ramp up improvements to its networks.

Nathan Boyd describes the dramatic reduction in herbicide use, and the number of computers the humidity had fried, when the University of Florida applied machine learning to herbicide application. Photo by Charlie Ban
County News

Artificial intelligence teases agricultural “revolution”

A University of Florida researcher sees great potential for artificial intelligence to help overcome agriculture's labor shortage.

The Hillsborough County, Fla. skyline
County News

NACo Annual Conference to drop anchor in Florida

The 2024 NACo Annual Conference will draw more than 3,000 county officials July 12-15 to Hillsborough County, Fla. where they will swap solutions and address the challenges facing local governments. 

Upcoming Events

Webinar

One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Help Employees Protect Their Retirement Income When it Matters Most, a NACo EDGE Webinar

Wednesday, September 18, 2024 |  1:00 - 2:00 PM ET

When it comes to retirement investments, your employees may need help choosing the right thing at the right time. Join Nationwide and NACo EDGE for this September 18 webinar to learn how you can help savers stay on track for retirement by offering automatic features that deliver in-plan lifetime income.

Can’t wait for the webinar? Learn more at our resource hub at nrsforu.com. You can also enjoy this quick read and watch a 2-minute video in Nationwide's nrsforu.com newsroom to learn more about helping employees be more confident in their retirement planning.
 

This webinar is brought to you by NACo EDGE, establishing people, purchasing, and performance cost-saving solutions that can be applied to counties nationwide. EDGE is owned by NACo, advised by county leaders and 100% focused on solutions for U.S. Counties. Learn more about NACo EDGE here.

For more information check out the event page

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Webinar

State Funding for County Behavioral Health Crisis Services: Examples and Opportunities

This webinar is hosted by the National Association of Counties (NACo) in partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts and the MacArthur Foundation.

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Webinar

NACo Cyberattack Simulation: Financial Access

Financial transaction systems are prime targets for cyber threats due to the value and sensitivity of the data. This cyber simulation assesses risks and fortifies safeguards within financial access systems.

A man sitting a desk inputs numbers into a calculator
Webinar

A Better Path to Priority-Based Budgeting: How Do We Get There and What’s the Payoff?

Seeking to modernize budgeting, local governments are looking to priority-based budgeting to enable budget decisions that relate directly to their priorities and save money. This session will explore the steps toward priority-based budgeting, obstacles, and payoffs.

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Webinar

Unlock the Power of CJCCs: Responsive Policies Through Community Engagement

Active community collaboration is crucial for shaping county operations and policy priorities. Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils (CJCCs) are one approach to ensure that community members are involved in county governance. Many counties form CJCCs to identify systemic challenges and work across stakeholders to guide local policy to improve public safety. 


In this webinar, NACo explores how ongoing and consistent community engagement enhances the impact of CJCCs and how these bodies can serve as effective tools for county leaders to actively involve their residents. Learn from real-world examples and discover strategies to create a more responsive and inclusive criminal legal system. 


Unlock the Power of Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils is NACo’s series on how counties can develop and leverage CJCCs to more effectively administer and strengthen their criminal legal system. Learn more at NACo’s CJCC Resource Hub. 
 

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Webinar

AI in County Government: Today's Impact and Tomorrow's Potential

Join us for a 1-hour roundtable discussion where county leaders discuss the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in county government services – both now and tomorrow. Our speakers will cover strategies to overcome barriers to entry, share real county use cases, and explore the challenges of integrating AI. We'll also highlight emerging technologies and how county governments can start building a strong foundational understanding of AI before planning future investments.

Opportunities to Engage

Get involved with NACo! Find open opportunities for cohorts, initiatives and working groups, learn how to join a committee and make a difference, or check our our membership roadmap to learn more about getting involved.

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Program

Counties for Housing Solutions

NACo is partnering with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to provide technical assistance for large urban counties to advance upward economic mobility through policy designed to tackle housing supply and affordability challenges.

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How to Get Involved with NACo

Join a committee and make a difference. NACo members have the opportunity to serve on 31 committees, caucuses, task forces and advisory boards to inform national policymaking and help solve problems impacting counties, boroughs and parishes.

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Directory of Programs & Resources

Your playbook for NACo's committees, initiatives and tools for counties

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NACo Membership Roadmap

When your county is a member of NACo, all county elected officials and staff are members. Find the tools you need to make the most of your NACo membership

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Cost-Saving Tools

Solutions from NACo EDGE

NACo EDGE establishes sustainable, cost-saving and value-added solutions that can be applied to counties nationwide. By providing quality solutions, we strive to develop and maintain healthy, vibrant and safe counties across the United States.

Learn More

Solutions for Counties

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NACo Deferred Compensation Program

NACo's Deferred Compensation Program has helped more than 1.5 million county employees and retirees save for and live comfortably in retirement. More than 423,000 county employees from over 3,000 county agencies participate, with accumulated assets of more than $25 billion.

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Public Promise Insurance

Public Promise Insurance is a fully licensed provider that strengthens local governments. We provide voluntary benefits to public employees and their families with cost effective and best-in-class solutions.

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Public Promise Procurement

Providing public sector and other entities with a vetted, transparent option for purchasing goods and services more efficiently and cost effectively.

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NACo Career Center Job Board

Good employees are crucial to getting the job done. NACo provides a method for counties to find the right people to fill staffing vacancies.

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Live Healthy U.S. Counties

The NACo Live Healthy Prescription, Health & Dental Discount Program is a no-cost program available to all member counties, providing relief to uninsured and underinsured Americans facing growing health costs.

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cashvest® by threeplusone®

cashvest® by threeplusone® provides a new and unparalleled level of liquidity analysis and data services for local, county, school district and community college governing bodies.

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ClearGov®

ClearGov® is the leading provider of budget cycle management software, focused on helping local governments streamline the annual budgeting process.

Female instructor stands in front of a Mental Health First Aide poster and answers an attendee question.

Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training administered by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

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NACo High Performance Leadership Academy

The NACo High Performance Leadership Academy is an innovative, completely online 12-week program created to equip frontline county government professionals with practical leadership skills to deliver results for counties and communities.

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NACo Enterprise Cybersecurity Leadership Academy

The NACo Enterprise Cybersecurity Leadership Academy is an online 12-week collaborative readiness program led by Fortune 500 CISOs and peers who deliver a proven framework and insights on leading and securing a network and an organization.

Advocacy Resources

Detailed analysis and customizable tools to support outreach on federal policy issues.

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2025 Appropriations Tracker

The NACo 2025 Appropriations Tracker provides counties with a comprehensive overview of the federal appropriations process, tracking the progress of key spending bills and offering insights on how these will impact county funding and services.

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Outreach Toolkit for Counties: The FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program

The NACo Outreach Toolkit aids counties in promoting the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program by providing resources to increase awareness and maintain broadband access beyond the program's funding.

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Implementing Infrastructure Investments at the County Level: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (P.L. 117-58)

On November 15, 2021, President Biden enacted the five-year, $973 billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, formally known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Mother laughing with young daughter

County Policy Priorities for Transforming the Child Welfare System

Regardless of population size, geography and available resources, counties are deeply invested in our residents’ health and well-being. Every day, we provide services that help vulnerable individuals and families thrive, functioning as an integral part of the federal, state and local partnership in human service delivery.

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Legislative Analysis: Impact of PFAS Regulations on Counties

NACo's analysis provides an in-depth examination of current and proposed regulations on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their implications for county governments.

County News

Stay up-to-date on America's counties with NACo's award-winning County News.

Gore and wife Elizabeth walk to the stage after he was elected NACo 2nd VP in 2022. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

NACo President Gore seeks out leadership challenges

James Gore found his way into elected office earlier than he’d planned, but when wildfires struck his county early in his tenure, he found a chance to do his most “meaningful, purpose-driven work.”

Gwinnett County, Ga. volunteers pause for a photo at Vines Community Garden at Vines Park, where crops are grown for residents.
County News

County community gardens fight food insecurity

Gwinnett County, Ga. established community gardens in county parks to help supply local food banks.

Diaz Lake near Lone Pine, California
County News

Podcast: Talking with Public Lands County Leaders, Part III

Two county supervisors from California — Jeff Griffiths from Inyo County and Heidi Hall from Nevada County — talk about balancing serving their residents and drawing tourists to their mountain communities.

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Get Involved

Join NACo and Lead

NACo unites nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees to advocate for county priorities, promote  exemplary county policies and practices, nurture leadership skills, optimize county and taxpayer resources, and enrich the public’s understanding of county government.

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