Presidential Spotlight: ForwardTogether
Connect. Inspire. Lead.
Under the leadership of NACo President Mary Jo McGuire, NACo is focusing on the spotlight "ForwardTogether." The three pillars of the spotlight are:
- Connect, focused on building bridges to advance excellence and networks in county government
- Inspire, focused on driving community engagement and residents’ trust in county government, and
- Lead, focused on spearheading local, state, federal and tribal intergovernmental partnerships and common-sense policy solutions.
“We are poised for great accomplishments in the coming year. As county leaders, we have unlimited potential to advance to our priorities and lead forward together.”
NACo President Mary Jo McGuire
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NACo President Mary Jo McGuire announces ForwardTogether
Resource
Bridging Divides: Tools for County Leaders to Overcome Division and Foster Collaboration
Connect & Build Peer Bridges
County officials have a proud culture of finding common ground and common-sense solutions. Relationships matter among county officials, from the local courthouse to our statewide association partners to NACo’s national footprint. We have the unlimited potential to harness - through our networks and connections with nearly 40,000 elected officials and 3.6 million professionals - the collective ingenuity, expertise and passion to advance excellence and merit trust in county government.
Inspire Community Engagement
Together, county officials lead most effectively when we listen and engage with all of our residents, including those who are most difficult to reach. Even though counties are diverse in structure and how we deliver services to our residents, all counties share the mission of achieving healthy, safe and vibrant communities. As the local foundation of our democracy, the engagement and trust of our residents is fundamental to our long-term success. We must connect with community partners and the public, including our youth and underserved.
Lead Intergovernmental Partnerships
Counties are uniquely chartered and positioned to implement and administer vital intergovernmental systems at the statewide, regional and community levels. To be successful, we must amplify and elevate the awareness, relationships and understanding of our federal, state, local and tribal partners about the fundamentals of county government.
'All the way' is the only approach Mary Jo McGuire knows
Mary Jo McGuire found a match for her skills and talents representing her Ramsey County district, and she's bringing the same all-in approach as NACo's president.
Now I Know to Build Your Network
When Jayme Tenneson took over as Nelson County and Griggs County, N.D.’s state’s attorney, he leaned on his friends, colleagues and law school classmates to help him learn the ropes.
Announcing 2024 NACo Achievement Award Winners
NACo is pleased to announce the winners for the 2024 Achievement Awards.
Washington exec Johnson exits ‘stage West’ after 17 years
Eric Johnson’s focus on fundamental county issues helped WSAC members stay on track
Building bridges: County leaders play a critical role in bringing Americans together
We are experiencing a heavily divided culture where bridging across differences proves to be exceedingly difficult. However, even amid significant polarization, there is hope!
Friends, colleagues remember Idaho exec Dan Chadwick
Chadwick led the Idaho Association of Counties for 27 years, shepherding a diverse group of county officials in the Gem State through organizational growth and personal development before his retirement in 2018. He died April 23 at age 73.
Counties Leading Through Change, a NACo EDGE Webinar
Local government leaders are working harder than ever to do more with less, balance competing priorities and navigate significant change, and doing so with challenges of the great resignation, the grey tsunami, quiet quitting, growing talent competition, decreasing employee engagement and overall retention. This interactive session will be presented by Dr. Tim Rahschulte, CEO of the Professional Development Academy and chief architect of the NACo High Performance Leadership Academy, who will detail current-state challenges of local government and will provide solutions that leaders can immediately apply in their daily roles to mitigate the negative implications of these challenges and navigate the increasing complexity of change.
This webinar is brought to you by NACo EDGE, establishing people, purchasing, and performance cost-saving solutions that can be applied to counties nationwide. EDGE is owned by NACo, advised by county leaders and 100% focused on solutions for U.S. Counties. Learn more about NACo EDGE here.
For more information check out the event page!
2024 NCCAE-NACo Knowledge Management Forum
The 2024 NCCAE-NACo Knowledge Management Forum, held August 14–16 at the Association of Minnesota Counties headquarters in Ramsey County (St. Paul), Minn., will bring together representatives from state associations and NACo for strategic discussions on shared policy priorities, with a focus on emerging county issues, such as economic development, housing and tax reform.