NACA Highlights: NACo Annual 2025

Images from the 2025 NACo Annual Conference.

The National Association of County Administrators (NACA) hosted a series of Idea Exchanges, a reception, board meeting, and annual membership meeting during the 2025 NACo Annual Conference in Philadelphia - drawing nearly 200 engaged attendees!

Leadership, Strategy, and Federal Impacts

The conference kicked off with the NACA Board Meeting on July 11th, where board members gathered to discuss strategic priorities and set the direction for the year ahead.

On July 12th, NACA held their annual Membership Meeting. The meeting was important for a few reasons - amendments to the NACA bylaws and voting in the new 2025-26 NACA Board. Congratulations to all! Click here to learn more about the meeting and bylaws amendments.

• President: Betsy Keller

• President Elect: Michael Colbert

• Secretary/Treasurer: Jonathan Lewis

• Past President: Kenneth Wilson

After the annual membership meeting, the session transitioned to the first or two NACA Idea Exchanges and set the stage for robust dialogue and learning:

• Federal Impacts & County Responses
  NACA Secretary/Treasurer Michael Colbert led an insightful discussion on navigating recent federal developments. Important topics and the message shared by Michael was a very important one - we have to show up for each other now more than ever. Thanks for the inspiration Michael and thanks to the entire county community for holding these important spaces for county folks to come together.

• Strategic Planning
  NACA President Betsy Keller guided a conversation on best practices for strategic planning, including the frequency of planning, use of facilitators, and measuring effectiveness.

• Leadership Development
  NACA Past-President Kenneth Wilson focused on cultivating current and future leaders, sharing approaches to leadership development and succession planning.

The day was marked by high engagement, thoughtful questions, and a sense of community as participants connected over shared challenges and innovative solutions.

NACA Reception Hosted by OPTERRA Energy Services

On Saturday evening, July 12th, NACA members and attendees gathered at a reception hosted by Friend of NACA, OPTERRA Energy Services (formerly ENGIE). The event took place at Restaurant 13 in the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. This reception included 65+ individuals and great mixture of county administrators, county staff, and even county commissioners. It was a great group and the reception provided a relaxed atmosphere for networking, reconnecting, and celebrating the county administrator community. NACA would like to recognize Opterra, Katy Glynn, and the rest of the Opterra team for supporting NACA and hosting of this reception. Thank you!

Day 2: Workforce, Wellness, and Collaboration

Building on the momentum, the second Idea Exchange on July 13th centered on workforce and wellness topics:

• Workforce Retention & Attraction
  Facilitator, ICMA Board Liaison to NACA, and current ICMA President, Tanya Ange, led discussions on the benefits employees and applicants are seeking, evolving workplace culture in light of federal actions, and managing remote work and return-to-office communications.

• Mental Health & Wellness
  Bridgette Gransden, NACA Vice President - Midwest Region, facilitated open conversations about supporting personal mental health and checking in on colleagues, emphasizing the importance of well-being in county leadership.

• County Partnerships & Shared Services
  NACA Vice President - Mountain Plains Region, Robert Wilson, explored creative partnerships and shared service models to address budget constraints, with attendees exchanging practical tips for collaboration.

Gratitude and Looking Ahead

NACA extends heartfelt thanks to all members and participants for their enthusiasm, thoughtful contributions, and commitment to building a stronger county administrator community. Special appreciation goes to those who helped organize and facilitate these impactful sessions, including NACA Secretariat Kaci Fullerton.

Mark your calendars for the next NACA Idea Exchange, a virtual one on September 10—we look forward to continuing the conversation and advancing county leadership together!

For more updates and resources, stay connected with NACA through this website or LinkedIn.