Jul 27, 2026 | AOC News, NACo
Oregon counties were well-represented at the 2026 National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference and Exposition in Orleans Parish/New Orleans, La. The nation’s largest meeting of county leaders drew over 3,200 attendees from across the country for four days of learning, networking, and advocacy.
Commissioners, judges, chairs, and staff from 12 Oregon counties attended the conference with staff members from the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) to exchange best practices on a wide range of county responsibilities and domestic policy issues.
“NACo’s annual conference serves as a vital opportunity to gather innovative ideas and resources that we can bring back to our counties to better serve our communities,” said AOC President and Tillamook County Commissioner Erin Skaar.
Beyond attending educational workshops on public health, data centers, energy, and revenue generation, the Oregon delegation participated in NACo’s policy steering committee meetings to shape the organization’s advocacy efforts.
Conference highlights included:
- Population caucus meetings for urban, midsize, and rural counties to discuss critical federal, state and local issues impacting these unique communities
- The Western Interstate Region (WIR) Board of Directors meeting, where Klamath County Commissioner Derrick DeGroot serves as first vice-president, to discuss county involvement in energy production and balancing resource development with public access to federal lands
- A pre-conference summit highlighting best practices for using settlement funds to strengthen public health responses to the opioid crisis
- A workshop featuring Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson on the role of childcare as essential economic infrastructure
- The annual business meeting where NACo’s new president, George Dunlap, announced presidential appointments for 2026-27, including several appointed to key roles in policy committees and caucuses from Oregon
- Mobile workshops for a look into the local services offered by the city and parish of New Orleans
- Closing reception at Mardi Gras World!
Read NACo news coverage and watch video highlights on the NACo conference webpage.
Contributed by: Erin Good | Communications Coordinator
Jul 27, 2026 | AOC News, Events
District meetings offer a valuable space for Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) members, regional partners, and affiliate organizations to connect, receive updates from AOC staff, and engage in discussions on local issues. Held each fall, these hybrid meetings rotate across AOC’s eight regional districts and are hosted by a member county within each region. District leaders — who serve on the Board of Directors and Legislative Committee — are instrumental in representing their regions in AOC’s major organizational decisions and policy positions. You can find full event details on the AOC calendar.
District 1 Meeting: Sept. 28
Hosted by Union County
Baker, Grant, Malheur, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa
District 2 Meeting: Oct. 1
Hosted by Deschutes County
Crook, Deschutes, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake
District 3 Meeting: Oct. 2
Hosted by Morrow County
Gilliam, Hood River, Morrow, Sherman, Wasco, Wheeler
District 4 Meeting: Sept. 25
Hosted by Douglas County
Coos, Curry, Douglas, Josephine
District 5 Meeting: Sept. 24
Hosted by Benton County
Benton, Lane, Linn
District 6 Meeting: Oct. 5
Hosted by Polk County
Marion, Polk, Yamhill
District 7 Meeting: Sept. 21
Hosted by Columbia County
Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln, Tillamook
District 8 Meeting: Sept. 16
Hosted by Multnomah County
Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington
Contributed by: Erin Good | Communications Coordinator
Jul 27, 2026 | AOC News, NACo
The National Association of Counties (NACo) membership elected new leadership and set the organization’s policy priorities during the Annual Business Meeting at NACo’s Annual Conference and Exposition in New Orleans, La. In his first act as NACo President, Commissioner George Dunlap appointed caucus and committee leadership to represent counties at the federal level.
NACo’s policy steering committees cover a variety of domestic policy issues impacting county governments and local communities. The policy development process initiated by the steering committees is the foundation for the American County Platform, which drives NACo’s advocacy work.
Congratulations to the following Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) members who were appointed to leadership positions in NACo committees and caucuses:
Agriculture and Rural Affairs Policy Steering Committee
- Union County Commissioner Jake Seavert (Agriculture and Food Safety Subcommittee Vice Chair)
Health Policy Steering Committee
- Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell (Committee Vice Chair)
Justice and Public Safety Policy Steering Committee
- Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer (Law Enforcement Subcommittee Chair)
Public Lands Policy Steering Committee
- Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes (Land Management Subcommittee Vice Chair)
- Wallowa County Commissioner Lisa Collier (Outdoor Recreation Subcommittee Vice Chair)
- Crook County Commissioner Susan Hermreck (Payments Subcommittee Vice Chair)
Transportation Policy Steering Committee
- Washington County Commissioner Nafisa Fai (Committee Vice Chair)
- Clackamas County Commissioner Paul Savas (Committee Vice Chair)
Midsize County Caucus
- Clackamas County Commissioner Martha Schrader (Caucus Vice Chair)
Contributed by: Erin Good | Communications Coordinator
Jul 2, 2026 | AOC News
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC), in partnership with Oregon State University, is proud to offer Online County College — an essential, on-demand resource designed to help the public navigate and understand the vital services counties provide every day. This accessible course serves as a comprehensive guide to the complexities of local governance.
Across eight self-paced modules, participants will:
- Discover how decisions are made and how to engage effectively with their county government
- Learn about governance rules, legal authority, and ethics requirements
- Gain clarity on the budgets and revenues that fund critical local infrastructure
- Explore core services including public safety, land use planning, and public health
Sign up for all eight modules, or pick the modules with topics that match your interests!
This course is open to all, but ideal for:
- County employees seeking cross-training or leadership readiness
- Constituents interested in better understanding local government
- Community members preparing to run for public office
- Civics and government educators who wish to supplement their instruction with real-world examples of county government in Oregon
AOC encourages counties to share this course with their staff and community. To support your outreach, we have prepared a collection of marketing materials, including a flyer and graphics. Direct your community to https://workspace.oregonstate.edu/county-college to begin their journey into Oregon county government.
*Please note that this self-paced online program is distinct from the in-person County College program used to onboard new elected officials across Oregon.
Contact events@oregoncounties.org for more information on either program.
Contributed by: Jill Rees | Member Services Director
May 28, 2026 | AOC News
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) Legislative Committee and steering committees will meet June 29 and 30 in Sisters, Ore. to consider and adopt AOC’s policy priority platform and the policy principles that will guide AOC’s advocacy in Oregon’s 2027-2028 legislative biennium.
AOC’s priority policy items represent pressing issues with a strong nexus to county budgets, services, and governance that unite all Oregon counties.
Since the Legislature adjourned sine die in March, AOC steering committees have engaged in 24 hours of collective information gathering and dialogue to prepare for the priority-setting meetings. During these meetings, co-chairs invited various stakeholders, state agencies, affiliates, and subject matter experts to provide in-depth presentations and participate in Q&A sessions.
By adopting official positions on policy proposals, principles, and setting biennial priorities, the Legislative Committee directs the organization’s advocacy efforts.
Membership of the Legislative Committee includes the AOC Board of Directors, one additional member from each of the eight AOC districts, the co-chairs of each steering committee, one district attorney, and any additional members the board chooses to appoint. A 67% majority of members voting may take action on recommendations from the steering committees.
AOC steering committees analyze policy proposals, formulate policy solutions, discuss best practices, and advise the Legislative Committee on policy positions, principles, and priorities. Steering committees are co-chaired by county commissioners appointed every year by the AOC president, with meetings open to all AOC members. Every AOC member present at a steering committee meeting can vote on action items and help shape AOC’s policy platform.
AOC steering committee recordings, agendas, and supplemental materials can be found on the AOC website within each policy portfolio:
Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | Legislative Affairs Director
May 1, 2026 | AOC Advocacy, AOC News, OACES, Transportation
On Friday, May 1, Gov. Kotek’s Rebuilding Our Transportation Vision Workgroup convened in Salem for its first meeting. Kotek appointed Umatilla County Commissioner Dan Dorran, who serves as the Co-Chair of the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) Transportation and Community Development Steering Committee, to represent the association on her Workgroup.
The Workgroup is charged with developing a report to the governor and a framework for a comprehensive transportation package for consideration during the 2027 legislative session.
AOC staff joined representatives from the Oregon Department of Transportation and League of Oregon Cities at the kick-off meeting for a joint presentation and question and answer session on the condition of the state and local transportation system.
All meetings will be streamed live on Oregon Department of Transportation’s YouTube page and recordings will be posted on the Workgroup home page. More details on the first meeting and a link to sign up for notifications about future meetings are available in this press release from the governor’s office.
County commissioners, OACES members, and AOC staff will engage directly in this process. They will contribute through the workgroup and the technical advisory subgroups, which are tasked with informing the workgroup and, ultimately, crafting the report to the governor. AOC will provide regular updates at their Transportation and Community Development Steering Committee meetings and OACES meetings.
Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | Legislative Affairs Director
