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, 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
Apr 28, 2026 | AOC Business Partner, NACo
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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. Since 1991, the National Association of Counties (NACo) has encouraged counties to use this month of recognition to actively promote your roles and responsibilities in serving residents. 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.
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 featured celebrations from counties in past years, a toolkit with templates, educational resources, and more.
Media Relations and Social Media Tools
Storytelling and Civic Engagement Resources
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
