CNCounty News

2024 NACo Annual Conference Coverage

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Follow along with County News during NACo’s Annual Conference: policy steering committees, General Session speakers, educational workshops, issue summits and more.

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County News: 2024 NACo Annual Conference

2024 NACo officers
County 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. 

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
County News

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
County News

Counties could heal dissatisfaction with 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
County News

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
County News

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 at the 2024 NACo Annual Conference general session. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

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
County News

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
County News

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
County News

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
County News

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
County News

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
County News

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
County News

Artificial intelligence teases agricultural “revolution”

A University of Florida researcher sees great potential for artificial intelligence to help overcome agriculture's labor shortage.

The Hillsborough County, Fla. skyline
County News

NACo Annual Conference to drop anchor in Florida

The 2024 NACo Annual Conference will draw more than 3,000 county officials July 12-15 to Hillsborough County, Fla. where they will swap solutions and address the challenges facing local governments. 

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Bartow County, Ga. elections supervisor Joseph Kirk sits in his office’s ballot reader storage facility. Photo by Myava Mitchell
County News

Counties hitting home stretch for presidential general election

Elections administrators stay nimble in waning weeks, ballot measures offer a chance for change and county veterans seek higher office.

mentalhealth
County News

Support county workers’ mental health and wellness

To support a safe and successful election season — and by extension, a healthier workforce overall — counties must prioritize the mental health and wellness of their employees, especially those in high-pressure roles like election work.

passwordstrength
County News

Lock it down: Essential password management

These 10 hints can help you craft strong, secure passwords for various accounts.