Over thirty Oregon commissioners, judges, county staff, and Association of Oregon (AOC) staff joined county leaders from across the nation July 21-24 at the 2022 National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference in Aurora, Colorado.

The conference is the largest meeting of county elected and appointed officials from across the county.

“The NACo Annual conference provides an opportunity to dive into critical issues facing counties, weigh in on the NACo federal advocacy platform, and network with our peers across the nation,” said Coos County Commissioner Melissa Cribbins, who carried a resolution through the NACo steering committee process, serves on the Rural Action Caucus Board, and was chair of the 2022 NACo Credentials Committee. 

During the NACo Annual Conference, county commissioners, judges, chairs  and staff from Oregon and across the nation came together to shape the association’s federal policy agenda through the association’s resolutions process. Through NACo’s process, members submit policy statements for consideration by policy steering committees, and final adoption by the NACo Board of Directors. Adopted resolutions serve as a guide for NACo members and staff as they work to advance the association’s federal policy agenda before Congress, the White House, and federal agencies. 

Oregon successfully carried nine resolutions, including:

  • Opposition of Material Preference Legislation – Sponsor: Melissa Cribbins, Chair, Board of Commissioners, Coos County, Ore.
  • Economic Development Administration Reauthorization– Sponsor: Martha Schrader, Commissioner, Clackamas County, Ore.
  • Amend the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Tort Claims Act Health Center Policy Manual– Sponsor: Lane County, Ore.
  • Nationwide Approach to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Implementation of National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Biological Opinion– Sponsor: David Yamamoto, Commissioner, Tillamook County, Ore.
  • Amend the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy in the Federal Social Security Act– Sponsor: Commissioner Sharon Meieran, Multnomah County, Oregon
  • Amendments to Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Side B Funding – Establishing a Minimum – Sponsor: Susan Roberts, Commissioner, Wallowa County, Ore.
  • Use of Targeted Grazing for Wildland Fire Management– Sponsors: Todd Nash, Commissioner, Wallowa County, Ore.; Steve Smith, Commissioner, Custer County, Idaho; Leland Pollock, Commissioner, Garfield County, Utah; Joel Bousman, Commissioner, Sublette County, Wyo.; Colleen Roberts, Commissioner, Jackson County, Ore.
  • Wildland Fire Regulations and Policies – Sponsor: Colleen Roberts, Commissioner, Jackson County, Ore.
  • Reducing Emissions from the Aviation Sector – Sponsors: Melissa Daub, Commissioner, Wayne County, Mich.; Heather Buch, Commissioner, Lane County, Ore.

Of the successful resolutions, AOC President, Umatilla County Commissioner George Murdock said, “I was excited to see Oregon’s resolutions be adopted into the American County Platform. I was even more excited to see Oregon’s footprint of leadership going forward, including AOC Past President Melissa Cribbins serving as chair of the NACo Credentials Committee. Two Oregonians will be serving as committee chairs during the coming year – a very unusual feat. Martha Schrader will be chairing the Community, Economic and Workforce Development Steering Committee and Sonja Fisher will chair the Human Services and Education Steering Committee. Beyond that, AOC members are making a difference all over NACo.” Murdock also serves as a vice chair of the NACo Immigration Reform Task Force. 

During the conference programming, NACo Immediate Past President, DeKalb County Georgia Commissioner Larry Johnson highlighted NACo’s successes advocating at the federal level for county priorities developed in the American County Platform in the federal recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law related to transportation, resiliency, and broadband. 

At the NACo Annual Business meeting, Will County Illinois Board Member Denise Winfrey was elected NACo President. Winfrey attended the AOC Annual Conference in Eugene in 2021 and spent significant time getting to know AOC membership and the state. Ramsey County Minnesota Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire was elected to first vice president and Sonoma County California Supervisor James Gore was elected as second vice president. 

During the conference, members also engaged in proven best practices, educational programming, and peer-to-peer networking opportunities.

Notable speakers at the general sessions included White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director, Dr. Rahul Gupta; author of “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together,” Heather McGhee; U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO); and Not Impossible Labs Founder and CEO, Mick Ebeling.

More information about the conference is available here.

Contributed by: Megan Chuinard | Public Affairs Associate