IAC Welcomes State Association Staff to Boise for the 2024 Western States Retreat

Staff members from state associations throughout the West traveled to Boise for the annual Western States Staff Meet-Up, held August 26-28 this year. The Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) had the great privilege of hosting this event and showing attendees around downtown Boise, touring Idaho’s State Capitol Building, and curating a panel of speakers in the Idaho Local Government Center to share insight into each of their organizations and collaboration efforts. 

Twenty-three staff members from the Nevada Association of Counties (NACO), New Mexico Association of Counties (NM), Association of Oregon Counties (AOC), Utah Association of Counties (UAC), Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC), and the Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) were welcomed to Idaho on Monday night with an optional happy hour and social at local-favorite rooftop bar and restaurant Reef, where guests enjoyed connecting with familiar faces and introducing first-time attendees.

The meet-up officially began on Tuesday morning with welcome remarks from IAC Executive Director Seth Grigg and formal introductions. Attendees were invited to participate in five smaller breakout sessions throughout the event that focused on topics relevant to association staff’s positions and interests. Some of the session options included communications and marketing, intergovernmental affairs, events and conferences, health and human services, corporate partners, office culture, continuing education, and much more.

“Since joining the county family just over four years ago, the Western States Staff Meet-Up has been an invaluable resource to gain practical insights into what other county associations are doing, what’s worked and hasn’t, and allows me to bounce ideas off colleagues who I know care about and understand our mission,” said WSAC Communications Manager Mitch Netzer. “We’ve been able to steer each other away from pitfalls and toward greater opportunities for us and our member counties.”

IAC Director of Government Affairs Sara Westbrook led the group on a tour of Idaho’s Capitol Building, also known as the Capitol of Light for its influx of natural light symbolizing the illumination and transparency of Idaho’s government. Attendees learned the history of Idaho’s seal, visited the Governor’s Office, and met directly with Phil McGrane, Idaho’s Secretary of State and former Ada County Clerk. McGrane welcomed the association staff members to Idaho and spoke briefly about Idaho’s elections process and the symbolism of the Capitol’s bright aesthetic, “shining light on government.”

Members also enjoyed hearing from local government partners during the curated panel on Wednesday morning at the scenic Local Government Center. Panelists included Seth Grigg, IAC executive director, Kelley Packer, Association of Idaho Cities (AIC) executive director, Jeff Lavey, Idaho Sheriffs’ Association (ISA) executive director, Nick Veldhouse, Idaho Association of Highway Districts (IAHD) executive director, Laila Kral, Local Highway Technical Assistance Council (LHTAC) administrator, Misty Swanson, Idaho School Boards Association (ISBA) executive director, and Quinn Perry, deputy director and government affairs for the ISBA.

“Stakeholder relationships are critical to our work at ISBA, so it was wonderful to share information and ideas during this panel discussion,” said Swanson.

Kristin Cundiff, IAC’s Director of Operations who launched the inaugural meet-up and worked on this year’s agenda stated, “The first Western States Staff Retreat was hosted in 2017 here in Boise, so we were excited to bring the event back to Idaho this year and share best practices with other state association staff from the West. It keeps getting better each year!”

In gleaning value and building on-going relationships from the event, Netzer said, “After attending the last four meet-ups, many attendees have become my friends. I can say with confidence that this is a resource every county association should be taking advantage of.”

Outside of panel discussions and breakout sessions, members enjoyed socializing over dinner at 10 Barrel Brewing in the private event space, taking in Boise’s art scene with a stroll through Freak Alley Gallery, the northwest’s largest open-air, multi-artist mural gallery, and doing some exploring on their own. Bryan Rodgers, UAC’s Director of Corporate Partnerships, went on a solo adventure to the Old Idaho Penitentiary for a look into local history, as the historic site was formerly a functional prison from 1872 to 1973. “I like to do fun stuff and see as much as I can, especially when I get to visit someplace new,” Rodgers said. “These meet-ups provide the perfect opportunity to do just that.”

IAC is so thankful to attendees for traveling in, participating, and making this year’s event a success. It’s a valuable and unique opportunity that our western state associations can come together yearly to collaborate, strengthen professional relationships, and gain new resources, and we look forward to continuing this tradition next year when the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) hosts.

Visit IAC’s Flickr album to view and download photos from the event.

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