Idaho’s County Members Take on Tampa for the 2024 NACo Annual Conference

By Kathy Ackerman, Idaho County Clerk & NACo Board Representative

The 2024 National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference & Exposition was held in Hillsborough County (Tampa), Florida, July 12-15. Idaho was well-represented by attendees John David Davidson (IAC 1st VP), Kathy Ackerman (NACo Board Representative), Skip Brandt (WIR Board Representative), Custer County Commissioner Steve Smith, Bannock County Commissioner Jeff Hough, Carol Moehrle (National Public Health Representative to the NACo Board), and IAC staff members Seth Grigg, Kelli Brassfield, Sara Westbrook, and Jessica Roth.

Like IAC, NACo has several Policy Steering Committees such as Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Community, Economic and Workforce Development; Finance, Pensions & Intergovernmental Affairs; Justice and Public Safety; and Public Lands, just to name a few. These committees meet monthly via Zoom to discuss important topics and possible resolutions to address local issues. Like IAC, resolutions are presented, debated, and moved forward during the Annual Conference.

Committees also consider platform changes that direct the purpose and actions of each committee. This year, twenty-five committee platform changes and over one hundred proposed resolutions were passed. While this resolution process doesn’t seem to have the same impact with Congress that IAC resolutions have with Idaho’s legislature, it is vital as a means to convey our engagement and awareness of issues that drive county government.

In addition to committee meetings, there were abundant educational opportunities, workshops, and panel discussions on topics relevant to counties throughout the country. One such workshop titled “Landscapes in Focus: County Leadership in Federal Public Lands Management” discussed a balanced federal land management approach, which public lands county economies depend on. The panel featured engaging speakers, including IAC Executive Director Seth Grigg, who explored successful models of advancing county-to-federal intergovernmental coordination and collaboration to facilitate stewardship of publicly owned land.

During the conference, other groups within the NACo framework also meet. Western Interstate Region (WIR) Board of Directors, NACo Board of Directors, Rural Action Caucus, Large Urban County Caucus, and other working groups listen to presenters and receive information on the numerous resources NACo has developed to help county leaders succeed. One such resource highlighted was called “AI County Compass”. This resource was the result of a subcommittee working on what artificial intelligence looks like for county government and how it can be used safely and responsibly to enhance governance. That resource is available here.

A highlight of the event was the NACo Achievement Awards Lunch and General Session. The luncheon featured the 18 best-in-category winners of NACo’s Achievement Awards program, as well as inspirational keynote speaker, Dominique Dawes, three-time Olympian and gold medalist. Dawes gave an impassioned talk about getting things done through teamwork and the power of leaving your ego at the door. Even though counties have individual ‘events’ (tax drive, commission meetings, elections, etc.), the only way to truly succeed is by working as a team to get the work done.

Another keynote speaker, Tareq Azim, author of the book “Empower-Conquering the Disease of Fear” surprised and delighted our delegates by mentioning that he purchased property in Idaho and, specifically, Idaho County. He shared personal anecdotes of how he overcame his own fears to become a leading specialist in human optimization. His success led him to build the Empower Performance Institute – one of the most sought-after performance facilities in the United States that hosts top-tier athletes in the NFL, UFC, and other professional sports. After speaking, Tareq was gracious and happy to meet Idaho County members Kathy Ackerman and Skip Brandt backstage and to pose for a photo. 

New officers were elected during the association’s Annual Business Meeting, with robust campaigns and voting that felt a bit like a National election. Sonoma County, CA Supervisor James Gore was sworn in as NACo’s new president, while George Dunlap from Mecklenburg County, NC was elected to the 2nd VP position.

It was a full, busy conference that still afforded a bit of time for fun such as attending a game between the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Cleveland Guardians (at our own expense), hopping the trolly system to Ybor City (known for cigars, tattoos and chickens), visiting the Tampa History Center and the Florida Aquarium, and enjoying the local cuisine, including an evening at Columbia, Tampa’s oldest restaurant, that spans a full city block and features live performances from professional Flamenco dancers during dinner.

Please consider participating in one of NACo’s committees and/or attending a future NACo conference. It’s an experience that will add much to your knowledge base and provide connections to help you win the leadership game.

To view the full photo album from the conference, check out our Flickr Page.