2023 NACo Annual Conference & Exposition

All first-time attendees are welcome to join us to learn about NACo and how to make the most of the Annual Conference. Due to limited space, this session is open to county officials and staff attending their first NACo conference. This event is invite only.

Community, Economic and Workforce Development Policy Steering Committee members will travel to the Austin Community College Highland Campus to discuss critical issues and policy priorities on all matters pertaining to economic and workforce development, public works, and increasing and preserving affordable housing. Members will also consider and vote on policy resolutions that will be used to guide NACo’s advocacy efforts.

Join the Transportation Policy Steering Committee to learn more about how counties are working together with our intergovernmental partners, as well as one another, to rebuild and modernize our nation's infrastructure. During this meeting, we will hear from subject matter experts who will discuss various aspects of the significant role counties play in transportation and infrastructure. The committee will also vote on policy resolutions during this meeting.

Federal partners and national policy experts will join the Environment, Energy and Land Use Policy Steering Committee to discuss committee policy priorities including the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; recycling and waste management; the status of the Waters of the U.S. regulation; addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances; and building resilient water infrastructure.

Justice and Public Safety Policy Steering Committee members will be joined by Congressional and federal agency officials to discuss critical issues, including addressing mental health in the criminal justice system, disaster mitigation and response, and the outlook for the committee's policy priorities in the 118th Congress.

The Telecommunications & Technology Policy Steering Committee will discuss topics including broadband infrastructure funding, internet affordability and adoption measures at the local level, rural cellular initiatives, next-generation 911 funding support, cybersecurity initiatives at the local level, and more. The committee will also hold its business meeting to review and vote on policy resolutions proposed before the committee for consideration.

Hear from policy experts on pressing federal issues impacting Gulf Coast counties and parishes. Caucus members will also discuss federal legislative priorities and strategize for future GSCPC events and initiatives. Caucus membership is open to all NACo county and parish government officials from Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida.

County leaders who serve in or near jurisdictions with military installations are invited to join this breakfast meeting. Meet with officials from the U.S. Department of Defense and learn about opportunities to partner with local military installations for improved community outcomes.

NACo's Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing will meet to conduct business, including recommendations for policy and programmatic best practices.

The Information Technology Standing Committee, which consists of elected officials and county IT leaders, will focus on national trends and policies that could impact county technologies. Topics will cover cyber security resiliency, technology best practices, cloud vendor checklists. An overview of NACo pilots will be shared with members as well.

This invite-only luncheon will host leaders from Safety + Justice Challenge counties & NACo's County Officials advancing Racial Equity (CORE) in Justice network members. Participants will have the opportunity to hear updates on MacArthur’s Safety + Justice Challenge with a focus on initiatives to advance racial equity throughout the criminal legal system and hear about the role and voice of lived experience in this work. County officials will have the opportunity to share their current challenges and goals to advance racial equity.

Successful efforts to address health inequities require cross-systems collaboration. Learn from national experts and county leaders about opportunities (e.g., funding, partnership models) for multi-sector stakeholders to address the most pressing public health challenges, such as maternal health, mental health and others.

The Veterans and Military Services Committee will hear from county officials, advocates, federal experts and those with lived experience on the challenges and opportunities facing women in the veteran and military community and children and youth in military families. Committee members will also discuss federal policy priorities and the relaunch of Operation Green Light for Veterans as avenues for better serving our veterans, service members and their families. Content warning: this meeting will include discussion of military sexual trauma (MST).

County leaders are partnering with the arts to advance policy priorities and expand opportunities across our communities. Learn about federal policies and resources that affect the creative sector, the accomplishments and challenges facing Austin’s growing cultural scene, and strategies to deploy the arts to build more prosperous communities with highlights from both urban and rural initiatives. Hear from a national expert on economic development and from local representatives of Austin’s globally renowned arts and music scene, including an artist representative from the Austin Music Commission and the co-president of South by Southwest.

In today's global economy, local economic development often does not stop at the county, state or even national lines. Rather, international trade and business partnerships can help drive local economies forward. In this session, learn from county peers located on or near our northern and southern borders about the value of North American trade and managing economic relationships with our Canadian and Mexican counterparts. Hosted by the International Economic Development Task Force, this session is open to all attendees.

The NACo Programs and Services Standing Committee will receive updates on NACo’s programs and services and generate recommendations for the NACo officers and the board on future programming. This meeting is open to all conference attendees.

The Western Interstate Region (WIR) is dedicated to the promotion of Western interests within NACo, including public land issues (use and conservation), community stability and economic development, and the promotion of the traditional western way of life. WIR Board Members will discuss county involvement in energy production, balancing resource development needs and public access to federal lands and opportunities to grow rural Western economies.

The NACo Arts & Culture Commission is excited to host its Annual Conference reception at the Mexic-Arte Museum in Downtown Austin. Members of the Arts & Culture Commission are invited to join us for an evening of appetizers, beverages, and art exploration. The Mexic-Arte Museum’s collection showcases Mexican, Latino, and Latin-American art and culture and is located a short 8-minute walk from the Austin Convention Center. 

County officials serve as key leaders to drive economic development efforts for their communities. On this tour, county leaders will learn firsthand how to work closely with multinational companies from the experience of Dell Technologies and Travis County. Attendees will also have the chance to experience the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC)’s Vislab – a state-of-the-art facility at the University of Texas built to explore the intersection between human perception and large-scale visual analysis. Hosted by the International Economic Development Task Force, this tour is open to all conference attendees on a first-come, first-served basis.

Buses depart from the Trinity Street exit of the Austin Convention Center

All attendees from the Central Region are invited to learn more about NACo and what is happening in the region. The Central Region includes the following states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Wisconsin.

South Region Caucus Meeting MON. JULY 24 | 2:00 pm to 2:45 pmLevel 3 | Room 8 All attendees from the South Region are invited to learn more about NACo and what is happening in the region. The South Region includes the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia