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
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
