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
USDA announces $44 million in rural broadband connectivity grant opportunities for FY 2026
On May 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced available grant funding under the Community Connect Grant Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. Earlier this month, USDA also released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Program for FY 2026. In total, $44 million is available in financial assistance between these two programs.
House clears budget resolution, advancing Reconciliation 2.0 to fund DHS and CBP
On April 21, U.S. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) unveiled a budget resolution to advance a party-line reconciliation package focused on immigration enforcement and funding for agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The resolution is the first step in a two-part process aimed at producing final legislation by June 1.
DOJ rule grants extension on ADA web-based accessibility requirements
DOJ has announced plans to explore ways to lower the cost of compliance with its 2024 Final Rule on web-based accessibility requirements for state and local governments.
Federal broadband funding’s long journey
As broadband projects move into construction and early networks start coming online, county leaders must ensure that funded builds are completed as promised and network reliability keeps pace with a fast-approaching AI-driven economy.