NACo AI Regional Forum Series
About the Regional Series
The NACo AI Regional Forum series is convening local government elected officials, appointed officers, department heads, and staff across different geographical regions to provide an educational, hands-on symposium on the landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) for county governments. The key objectives of this convening are to:
- Improve county leader and staff understanding of key AI and GenAI topics, trends, and impacts on local government
- Explore and survey existing and novel applications on AI and GenAI in local government
- Identify opportunities, challenges, and solutions for the application of AI and GenAI in local government
The cost to attend a NACo AI Regional Forum is $50 per attendee. Please select a forum below to complete registration.
Schedule Template
DAY 1 (Pre-Forum Day) |
|
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Badge Pick-Up and Lunch |
1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Specialized Content: Cybersecurity and AI for IT Leaders |
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Welcome Reception |
DAY 2 (Forum Day) |
|
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. | Badge Pick-Up and Breakfast |
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Foundations: Overview on the Landscape of AI Today |
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Hands-on: Practical Demonstrations of GenAI |
12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. | Lunch Pick-Up and Presentations |
1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Moderated Breakout Discussions - Deep Dive Topics |
2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Next Steps and Close |
Symposium Locations
Supporting Partners
Resource
AI County Compass: A Comprehensive Toolkit for Local Governance and Implementation of Artificial Intelligence
House committee passes local broadband permitting preemption bills
The American Broadband Deployment Act of 2025 would enact new restrictions on a variety of state and local land use and zoning authorities pertaining to the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure.
White House signs Executive Order on state AI lawmaking
President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) aimed at mobilizing federal agencies to challenge existing state laws on artificial intelligence.
FCC considers preemption of local authorities in broadband permitting process
Counties are partners in broadband deployment efforts – not barriers – and pursuing one-size-fits-all regulations will further burden progress towards closing the digital divide
Congress Considers Bills to Reauthorize State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program
Congress is considering two bills to reauthorize the State and Local Cybersecurity Program
County Countdown – Dec. 1, 2025
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.
Modern Networks, Smarter Budgets: A County Leader's Perspective
Join us for a fireside chat with Orleans County, NY, as they share how their team successfully transitioned from a traditional capital expense (CapEx) model to an operational expense (OpEx) model for network services.
When faced with rising maintenance costs and an expiring carrier contract, the county seized the opportunity to modernize its network and lock in predictable monthly costs. By bundling connectivity services with unified communications, they achieved immediate savings of over $124,000, eliminated recurring charges such as long-distance fees and third-party integration costs, and gained access to operational upgrades like call analytics and auto-attendants.
This shift not only strengthened financial planning through fixed monthly expenses but also freed up IT staff to focus on strategic initiatives.
Key takeaway: Rethinking your budget model can be just as impactful as upgrading your technology — delivering fiscal stability and enhanced services for your community.