The National Association of Counties’ (NACo) annual conference and exposition kicked off July 15, drawing over 2,000 county leaders, administrators and staff from across the nation to Portland. Participants met at the Oregon Convention Center to share best practices and discuss leading counties through tough economic times.
The five-day conference represents the single largest gathering of county leaders and service organizations in the nation. Travel Portland estimates that the conference could pump up to $9 million into the local economy through local economic impact from lodging, food, transportation, tourism and other related expenses.
“I am very proud that NACo has chosen Multnomah County to host its annual conference and grateful for our committed sponsors who helped make it happen,” said Commissioner Diane McKeel, who is serving as chair of the host committee. “It gives us a chance to showcase our employees’ hard work and innovative programs, while we learn strategies from other counties.”
Conference sponsors include Oregon's 36 Counties and the Association of Oregon Counties, Aramark, Correctional Services, CIS (Citycounty Insurance Services), Comcast, Google, HP, Iberdrola Renewables, ODS, Republic Services, Securus Technologies, The Standard and Waste Management and others.
Many of the counties represented are working with reduced budgets and expecting further cuts from struggling state governments. Several conference workshops address strategies for cutting costs and meeting their mission despite limited resources.
Other sessions focus on public health, juvenile justice, environmental stewardship and economic development. For a full list of sessions, visit the NACo conference website.
At a ceremony on Sunday, July 17, NACo honored 11 Multnomah County programs with achievement awards. Earlier that weekend, the county's Communications Office won seven awards from the National Association of County Information Officers (NACIO).