Hertford County Commissioners Represents North Carolina Counties  at National Association of Counties (NACo) Conference  Attended by President Biden

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hertford County Commissioners Represents North Carolina Counties
at National Association of Counties (NACo) Conference
Attended by President Biden

Washington, D.C. – Hertford County Commissioners John Horton, Vice-Chairman, Leroy Douglas and Andre` Lassiter joined more than 100 county officials from North Carolina and representatives from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) at the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. Counties from all over the United States came together to discuss national policy and conduct NACo business at the event, which was held February 12^th-16^th, 2022.

Participation in this conference provided opportunities for the commissioners to engage in second-to-none policy and educational sessions and opportunities to interact with Federal officials and participate in congressional briefings and meetings.

President Biden delivered remarks at the conference and other prominent speakers addressed conference attendees, including Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, United States Senator John Cornyn, United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, as well as members of Congress and other national department representatives.

Vice-Chairman John Horton, Commissioner Leroy Douglas and Commissioner Andre Lassiter leveraged their time at the Conference to take full advantage of the informative workshops and being able to network with Federal officials and our Federal delegation. Commissioner Lassiter stated, “it is a tremendous opportunity to network and forge partnerships with Federal agencies to the benefit of Hertford County.” Commissioner Lassiter commented that the American Rescue Plan Act and Resorts/Tourism Gateway Counties workshops were exceptional with the resources, ideas and information provided on the topics.

In conjunction with the conference, NCACC hosted an event to bring together North Carolina county participants and North Carolina Congressional members and their staff. The event featured remarks by United States Senator Richard Burr and United States Senator Thom Tillis, who discussed the importance of collaborating with local officials on federal policy matters, federal funding opportunities, and transformational scientific advancements that impact the economy and workforce. United States Representative Virginia Foxx and United States Representative Richard Hudson also participated in the event. During the event, counties discussed federal policy issues, including the strategic planning process for local investments using historic, federal funding provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.

NCACC President and Brunswick County Commissioner Frank Williams and NCACC Executive Director Kevin Leonard also visited the offices of Senators Burr and Tillis to discuss NCACC’s efforts to assist counties as they seek to maximize the impact of the federal funds they received through the American Rescue Plan Act. They discussed the need for expanded broadband access across the state, the importance of local government finance standards, and other federal programs that impact North Carolina.

Vice-Chairman John Horton, Commissioner Leroy Douglas and Commissioner Andre Lassiter attended a luncheon with Senators Burr and Tillis. At the event, the Senators provided an overview of the political landscape at the Federal level. Our Hertford County representatives brought back the information conveyed by the Senators to share with the full Board as a means to shape and focus our funding requests to best support our community’s needs and long-range vision.

During the conference, NCACC President and Brunswick County Commissioner Frank Williams participated in a panel discussion entitled “Intergovernmental Roundtable on Disaster Resiliency,” which brought together local, state, federal, and private business leaders to discuss the challenges local governments face when responding to and preparing for disasters, and the complexities of building resilient communities.

“County personnel are on the front lines of emergency situations, and county emergency operations centers function as the nerve center of emergency preparedness, response, and recovery," said President Williams. “I was humbled to have the opportunity to share my perspective on the critical role counties play in emergency preparedness and response.”

NCACC President Williams announced the focus of his presidential initiative – known as 100 Counties Prepared – when he was sworn in as President of the Association last August. The year-long initiative seeks to equip county commissioners with resources and tools to lead effectively during emergencies.

Editors: Print quality photos may be downloaded for use at: https://ncacc.smugmug.com/NACo-Legislative-2022/ Photos should be credited as follows: Photo courtesy NCACC.

For more information on the 100 Counties Prepared Task Force and its work, visit 100countiesprepared.com.

The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) is a non-partisan organization, which represents the official voice of all 100 counties on issues considered by the General Assembly, Congress, and federal and state agencies. The Association provides expertise to counties in the areas of advocacy, research, risk management and education and leadership training.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) strengthens America’s counties, including nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. Founded in 1935, NACo unites county officials to advocate for county government priorities in federal policymaking; promote exemplary county policies and practices; nurture leadership skills and expand knowledge networks; optimize county and taxpayer resources and cost savings; and enrich the public’s understanding of county government.