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