2025 NACo Annual Conference & Exposition
About the Conference
The National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference is the premier gathering of elected and appointed officials from the nation’s 3,069 counties, parishes and boroughs. Conference content included discussion of federal policies impacting counties, workshops lifting up county best practices, engaging general sessions, mobile tours across our host county, and more. NACo members also had the opportunity to influence the association’s direction and future during the Annual Business Meeting on the final day of the conference.
J.D. Clark takes office as NACo president
J.D. Clark stressed the importance of telling the county story as he took office as NACo president.
Former FEMA chief is bearish on reform talks
Former FEMA Administrator Brock Long has yet to hear any proposals for federal disaster reform that would make a significant improvement to the way it operates.
Leading with purpose: Lessons from a four-star general
What do a county leader and a four-star general have in common? More than you might think.
NFL veteran harnesses magic and forgiveness to overcome adversity
No matter what the world throws at you, it’s up to you to chart your own path, NFL veteran and magician Jon Dorenbos told the NACo Annual Conference attendees.
Casey Foundation emphasizes support for youth
“When youth are asked what helped them the most, they might name a program, but they will absolutely name a person that believed in them,” Leslie Boissiere told the General Session audience.
Presidential historians’ message: ‘Lead with empathy, optimism, resiliency’
Doris Kearns Goodwin: In today’s divisive political landscape, empathy can feel hard to come by, which makes it that much more important to public service.
Character strengths set rural counties up for entrepreneurship
Rural counties should not be written off as cradles of technology-driven entrepreneurship and the job growth that could follow in its wake.
The arts fuel economic growth in counties of all sizes
A county doesn’t have to be Los Angeles or New York to see the economic benefits from the arts.
AI offers counties potential for hiring, retention
Despite employees’ concerns over the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence adoption in the job market, workforce professionals maintain optimism that the technology, still in its infancy, could lead to better services and products from the public sector.
Public-private partnership creates ‘one-stop shop’ to improve community wellness
The South Philadelphia Community Health and Literacy Center is a “one-stop shop” the city and the children’s hospital created to improve community wellness and make it easier for people to get their needs met.
NACo First-time Attendee Breakfast attracts 350 at Annual Conference
More than 350 attendees are making their first trip to a NACo Annual Conference this year.
NACo kicks off 90th Annual Conference this week in Philadelphia
NACo is celebrating its 90th anniversary the way it knows best — gathering county officials from across the country to immerse themselves in the work they do at the Annual Conference in the city and county of Philadelphia.
Conference Schedule
Check out the daily summaries below. Click here to explore full schedule of events and workshops.
Conference Days
Thursday
July 10 (Pre-Conference)
Pre-conference activities include the Technology Innovation Forum and a disaster response training. Both require separate pre-registration.
Friday
July 11
The first day of the conference includes the first-time attendee breakfast for county and state association participants, followed by a full day of policy steering committee meetings. Friday evening includes the grand opening of the exhibit hall – including local entertainment – and an all-conference opening reception at the Reading Terminal Market.
Saturday
July 12
Day two includes dozens of ad hoc committee, task force, advisory board and caucus meetings. The opening general session will take place over lunch, followed by additional committee meetings and the Board of Directors forum. Candidates for NACo’s second vice president will present and take questions during the 2nd Vice President Candidate Forum that afternoon.
Sunday
July 13
The third day of the conference starts with the NACo Board of Directors meeting and includes multiple all-day learning forums focused on key issues for county governments: resilience, land use, disaster response, workforce, behavioral health and more. Additional workshops related to leadership and financial best practices will be offered, followed by the closing general session in the afternoon.
Monday
July 14
The NACo Annual Business Meeting will take place in the morning, where association members will approve policy resolutions, review bylaws changes and elect a new slate of leadership for the association.
All-day Learning Forums
County economic growth is driven by industrial transitions, population and labor market changes and local infrastructure and amenities that support access to work and upward economic mobility for all residents. This forum offers key insights on building strong economies that offer equitable access to opportunity, diversification of local industries, affordable housing and childcare and strengthening and retaining the local public sector workforce.
Forums
County Forum on Economies and Workers
113 AB, 100 Level (Pennsylvania Convention Center)
County economic growth is driven by industrial transitions, population and labor market changes and local infrastructure and amenities that support access to work and upward economic mobility for all residents. This forum offers key insights on building strong economies that offer equitable access to opportunity, diversification of local industries, affordable housing and childcare and strengthening and retaining the local public sector workforce.
County Forum on Health and Wellbeing
204 ABC, 200 Level (Pennsylvania Convention Center)
Counties play a critical role in promoting and protecting the health and wellbeing of all Americans and are often first responders to residents experiencing crisis. This forum opens with key insights on what county leaders need to know about health care and improving health outcomes. Lunch and afternoon sessions will celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the Stepping Up Initiative, wherein more than 580 counties have risen to the challenge of better supporting residents in crisis, and highlight innovations in mental health crisis response across a variety of county settings.
County Forum on Public Lands
201 ABC, 200 Level (Pennsylvania Convention Center)
As nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of America’s counties are public lands counties, public lands county resilience is our shared priority. Powered by NACo’s National Center for Public Lands Counties, this forum provides key insights into the history, responsibility and vitality of public lands counties, strategies for intergovernmental partnerships for shared land management and disaster resilience and a discussion on the future outlook of energy production on public lands.
County Forum on Revenues and Fiscal Health
108 AB, 100 Level (Pennsylvania Convention Center)
To provide critical services, strengthen infrastructure and fulfill mandated responsibilities, counties need reliable revenue and strong credit. This forum lays a foundation for fiscal health with discussions on bonds and borrowing, policy trends that affect county revenue generation, county innovations in leveraging artificial intelligence for operational efficiencies and will lead participants through a readiness exercise to stress-test your county budget.
Platform Changes and Policy Resolutions
The NACo resolutions process provides members with the ability to participate in national policy decisions affecting county governments.
Thanks to policy steering committee members in attendance, as well as our Board of Directors, NACo’s membership approved resolutions and platform changes to the American County Platform, which will drive our advocacy throughout the next year.
Location
City and County of Philadelphia
NACo’s 90th Annual Conference will take place in the City and County of Philadelphia. Most sessions will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC), located at 1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Some sessions may be held at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, 1201 Market Street, 1200 Filbert St, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Check the final schedule to confirm where each session is hosted.
Pennsylvania Convention Center
1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Health & Safety
NACo is committed to hosting a safe and hospitable event. To learn more about conference requirements for attendees, please review the documents below.
Click here to access the NACo 2025 Annual Conference Waiver of Liability and Code of Conduct.
