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.
![NACo President James Gore, Sonoma County, Calif. supervisor, pauses for a photo Monday after being sworn in, with First Vice President Judge J.D. Clark of Wise County, Texas; Second Vice President George Dunlap of Mecklenburg County, N.C. and Immediate Past President Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire of Ramsey County, Minn. in Hillsborough County, Fla. Photo by Denny Henry](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/943x535/public/2024-07/2024officers.jpg?h=bc14a0b9&itok=8xRpXXEn)
![child welfare](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/GettyImages-1182611177%20RGB.jpg?h=2f556f17&itok=HM_rFny7)
Child welfare program asks families: ‘What do you need?’ before their breaking point
Stearns County, Minn. let families tell the system the support they need and bring together all of the stakeholders to make that possible.
![Randolph County, Ill. renovated unused space at a county-owned nursing home, using grants to create a behavioral health center.](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/randolph-county.png?h=2afbc3a3&itok=b2qI9s9R)
Randolph County, Ill. turns unused part of nursing home into state-of-the-art behavioral health center
The strategy uses existing infrastructure and keeps occupancy high in a building that had seen vacancy remain high in recent years.
County News: 2024 NACo Annual Conference
![NACo President James Gore, Sonoma County, Calif. supervisor, pauses for a photo Monday after being sworn in, with First Vice President Judge J.D. Clark of Wise County, Texas; Second Vice President George Dunlap of Mecklenburg County, N.C. and Immediate Past President Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire of Ramsey County, Minn. in Hillsborough County, Fla. Photo by Denny Henry](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/2024officers.jpg?h=1a2151ea&itok=3PVPdhi4)
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](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/7-14-24-DH104842.jpg?h=2f556f17&itok=sSf0EpM-)
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](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/7-14-24-DH106155_0.jpg?h=2f556f17&itok=c5_z-3wg)
Counties are positioned to heal dissatisfaction with American 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](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/7-13-24-DH102911.jpg?h=2f556f17&itok=EP7tfrz4)
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](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/7-13-24-DH202650.jpg?h=2f556f17&itok=0fNO71G_)
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 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](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/7-13-24-DH201064.jpg?h=2f556f17&itok=vyWmsXhv)
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](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/Image.jpeg?h=dcdd4b03&itok=s9eonjbR)
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](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/7-13-24-DH200652.jpg?h=2f556f17&itok=znlZJ6Ct)
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](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/Sonia%20Chessen%20LL3.jpeg?h=dcdd4b03&itok=b009ZbxV)
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](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/7-12-24-DH100629.jpg?h=2f556f17&itok=AZFA5Par)
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](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/7-12-24-DH100391.jpg?h=2f556f17&itok=NJKww0Og)
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](https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/styles/385x285/public/2024-07/DJH_6683_0.jpg?h=7c13a9fb&itok=8-HM95EW)
Artificial intelligence teases agricultural “revolution”
A University of Florida researcher sees great potential for artificial intellligence to help overcome agriculture's labor shortage.
Hot Topic: Public lands management and wildfires
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