Mar 2, 2026 | AOC News, NACo
Over 40 county leaders from Oregon, accompanied by Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) staff, joined nearly 2,000 county officials from across the nation for the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference, held Feb. 21-24, in Washington, D.C.
Attendees actively participated in shaping NACo’s legislative agenda, received updates on key federal policies, and advocated for county priorities on Capitol Hill. Conference sessions addressed critical issues impacting counties nationwide, including surface transportation, federal disaster policy, housing and permitting reform, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), energy and data centers, and workforce development. Many members also attended a Federal Agency Expo, where nearly 50 federal program offices sent representatives to meet with attendees and foster intergovernmental partnerships.
Conference general sessions featured speakers from senior administration officials along with members of Congress from the U.S. House of Representatives, including Rep. Andrea Salinas, who is co-chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus. Salinas discussed the Building Capacity for Care Act, legislation she introduced last year that could help alleviate unmet mental health needs often shouldered by counties.
A key highlight for the Oregon delegation was advocating for AOC’s federal policy priorities directly on Capitol Hill. Members held meetings with all of Oregon’s federal delegation, including Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, as well as Reps. Janelle Bynum, Suzanne Bonamici, Andrea Salinas, Val Hoyle, Cliff Bentz, and Maxine Dexter. Key issues discussed included surface transportation, Medicaid funding, timber revenue, and permitting reform.
“Federal policies have direct and long-lasting impacts on county governments and our residents,” said NACo President J.D. Clark. “NACo’s Legislative Conference is an important opportunity for county leaders to strengthen relationships with our intergovernmental partners, tell our county story and advocate for county priorities that help our communities and residents thrive.”
Read more about the conference on NACo’s website.
View AOC’s NACo Legislative Conference photo album.
Contributed by: Erin Good | Communications Coordinator
Feb 24, 2026 | AOC News, NACo
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) invites Oregon counties to join us as we celebrate National County Government Month (NCGM) during the month of April.
Tell your county’s story, champion your county workforce, and boost civic engagement through news stories, outreach events, and on your social media. Remember to use the hashtag #NCGM and tag us in your social posts. We will share as many as we can on our social media.
Since 1991, the National Association of Counties (NACo) has encouraged counties to actively promote county roles and responsibilities in serving residents.
NACo offers many resources to help counties celebrate and plan activities to highlight the essential role counties play across every part of community life, including:
Media Relations and Social Media Tools
Storytelling and Civic Engagement Resources
We encourage all Oregon counties to use this opportunity to showcase the vital services you provide and engage with your residents. We look forward to seeing how counties celebrate this April!
Contributed by: Erin Good | Communication Coordinator
Jul 30, 2025 | AOC News, NACo
In July, the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) participated in the National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference and Exposition in the City and County of Philadelphia, Pa. This gathering of county leaders drew over 3,400 attendees, and offered resources to help address key issues, including mental health, housing affordability, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, disaster preparedness, effective governance and operations, federal public lands management, workforce and economic development, and civic engagement. The Oregon delegation included more than 25 Oregon county leaders from across the state. AOC Executive Director Gina Nikkel emphasized the significance of Oregon’s engagement at the conference.
“Attending NACo’s conference allowed us to make our voices heard, gain direct insight into federal changes impacting our communities, and collaborate with government leaders from across the nation to find solutions to shared challenges,” Nikkel said.
The conference included four all-day learning forums themed around pressing county issues like local economies, the county workforce, and revenues and fiscal health. Several Oregon commissioners served as panelists, sharing their expertise on regional concerns. Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell addressed disaster preparedness; Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang offered insights on wildfire resilience; and Clackamas County Commissioner Martha Schrader spoke on affordable housing and childcare.
Oregon also played a part in NACo’s 90th anniversary celebration. Twenty-five years of past NACo presidents gathered to reflect on NACo’s unique role in serving communities, including two former county commissioners from Oregon – former State Senator Bill Hansell (Umatilla County) and Randy Franke (Marion County).
AOC President and Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer summed up the conference experience, saying it offered plenty of takeaways and great connections. “Oregon showed up, shared some wisdom, and brought home some great ideas to put into action.”
Click here to watch video highlights from the conference, including the past presidents’ presentation.
Contributed by: Erin Good | Communications Coordinator
Mar 25, 2025 | AOC News, NACo
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) invites Oregon counties to join us as we celebrate National County Government Month (NCGM) during the month of April to showcase how counties achieve healthy, safe, and vibrant communities. Highlight your effective or innovative county programs and raise public awareness of services provided to the community through news stories, outreach events, and on your social media. Show your community why counties matter and remember to use the hashtag #NCGM and tag AOC (@OregonCounties) in your social posts.
Every Oregonian lives in a county and benefits from their county government services. Use AOC’s Shared Services Chart to show the wide range of public services Oregon counties provide, such as:
- Counties own and maintain the most road miles in the state
- County public works, building, and planning departments are critical components of community and housing development
- Counties are the local mental health and public health authorities
- The county assessor and tax collector functions support every taxing district
- County clerks run all elections
- Counties house the district attorney, sheriff, and circuit courts
Since 1991, the National Association of Counties (NACo) has encouraged counties to actively promote county roles and responsibilities in serving residents. NACo offers many tools to help tell the county story, inspire civic engagement and educate a wide range of audiences about county government. View NACo’s NCGM toolkit for ideas, sample social posts, county fact sheets, and many more resources to help your county celebrate.
Contributed by: Communication Coordinator Erin Good
Mar 10, 2025 | AOC News, NACo
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) joined nearly 2,000 county leaders from across the country for the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference March 1-4. Featured speakers included two cabinet secretaries along with members of Congress from both the U.S. House and Senate, including Oregon Senator Ron Wyden.
Over 30 Oregon county leaders and representatives of AOC participated in the conference, engaging in policy discussions through NACo’s policy steering committee process, as well as breakout and general sessions, hearing from a range of speakers in the federal government. These sessions covered a broad spectrum of critical issues, including tax and budget reconciliation, SALT and tax-exempt municipal bonds, disaster preparedness and management, artificial intelligence (AI), behavioral health and the county implications of policies being implemented during the first 100 days of the new administration.
For newly elected Benton County Commissioner Gabe Shepherd, a first-time attendee, the conference provided invaluable connections. “It was fascinating to hear from commissioners across the country how different our job is in each state,” he noted.
A key focus for the Oregon delegation was advocating for AOC’s federal policy priorities on Capitol Hill. AOC members and staff held meetings with Oregon’s Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, as well as Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Janelle Bynum, Cliff Bentz, Andrea Salinas, Val Hoyle, and the office of Maxine Dexter. These discussions centered on vital issues such as the Secure Rural Schools program, the Federal Consolidated Appropriations Act’s impact on state Medicaid coverage for youth in custody, the Federal Victims of Crime Act, and implementation of the FEMA Biological Opinion.
AOC First Vice President and Tillamook County Commissioner Erin Skaar emphasized the value of these meetings. “Meeting with Oregon’s senators and representatives gave me a new perspective into the workings of the federal government and provided insight into how to be more effective in discussions with federal officials and agencies,” she remarked.
Ultimately, the NACo Legislative Conference provided AOC and its members with crucial opportunities to influence federal policy, enabling them to better serve their communities across Oregon.
For more details about the 2025 NACo Legislative Conference, click here.
Contributed by: Erin Good | Communications Coordinator
Jul 29, 2024 | AOC News, NACo
AOC members from eleven counties attended the National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference and Exposition in Hillsborough County, Fla. in July. The nation’s largest meeting of county leaders drew nearly 3,000 attendees to discuss a wide range of policy issues, exchange best practices, and connect with national leaders.
“It was a great experience,” said AOC President Danielle Bethell. “The opportunity to work alongside my fellow Oregon commissioners on policy topics important to us was invigorating. The energy we have as a team, speaking to our uniqueness as individual counties and as a state resonated with our peers in other states.”
Apart from attending NACo steering committees and breakout sessions, personal connections were strengthened through shared lunches and walks down Ybor Avenue (the 7th most popular street in the U.S.). Bethell encourages members to attend future conferences to help achieve better outcomes for Oregon counties. “This was my first year in attendance and I left knowing I’ll continue to attend.”
The conference provided attendees with resources to help address key issues, including mental health, housing affordability, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, disaster preparedness, effective governance and operations, federal public lands management, workforce and economic development, and civic engagement.
Clackamas County was recognized during the conference with a NACo Achievement Award for its innovative housing program. The Clackamas County Coordinated Housing Access Improvement Program (CHA) provides a single door that assesses and refers people in need to all of the county’s housing resources. People in a housing crisis connect with a trained, compassionate CHA assessor who listens intently to their story, pinpointing immediate needs while drawing upon local resources to find the right program fit. People are also guided to problem solve, and may receive other social services referrals including to physical and mental health programs. As part of Clackamas County’s housing services programs, CHA has contributed to a 65% decrease in homelessness from 2019 to 2023, during a period when homelessness increased nationally. View all the award recipients on the NACo website.
The NACo Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing unveiled its policy priorities to improve mental health in its final report on Saturday, July 13, at the annual conference. Members of the commission, including AOC Executive Director Gina Nikkel, who had been meeting and examining the issue over the past 18 months, discussed the report during the opening general session. The commission’s policy priorities include amending exclusionary policies under Medicaid, enhancing local crisis response systems, strengthening the mental health workforce, and enforcing mental health parity. “Counties play an integral part in addressing our nation’s mental health and wellbeing crisis,” said Nikkel. “I’m excited about having enough dollars and support across the federal, state, and local governments to build the full continuum of care so people have access to it.”
James Gore, NACo’s new president, announced presidential appointments during the conference. Several Oregon leaders were among those appointed to key roles in national policy making. Their involvement ensures that the unique perspectives and needs of Oregon counties are represented in solving problems that impact communities across the nation.
The following members were appointed to leadership positions in NACo committees for the 2024-2025 presidential year:
Clackamas County Commissioner Paul Savas
- Transportation Steering Committee
Clackamas County Commissioner Martha Schrader
- Community, Economic and Workforce Development Steering Committee
- International Economic Development Task Force
- Membership Standing Committee
Crook County Commissioner Susan Hermreck
- Public Lands Steering Committee, Land Management Subcommittee
Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang
- Public Lands Steering Committee, Payments Subcommittee
Multnomah County Commissioner Lori Stegmann
- Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee
Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer
- Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee, Law Enforcement Subcommittee
Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes
- Public Lands Steering Committee, Land Management Subcommittee
Washington County Commissioner Nafisa Fai
- Transportation Steering Committee
Contributed by: Erin Good | Communications Coordinator
