President’s Message | November 2025
Greetings!
As we enter this season of gratitude, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to each of you—our county administrators and managers, assistant administrators, and all who have dedicated your careers to public service. Your commitment to strengthening communities, solving complex challenges, and improving the quality of life for residents across the nation is truly extraordinary. In the fast-paced environment in which we work, it can be easy to move swiftly from one issue to the next. I encourage you this month to pause and reflect on the meaningful impact you make every single day. The work you do matters, and it touches countless lives in ways that often go unseen but never go unfelt.
As an association, NACA exists to support you in this mission. Your feedback is essential to helping us continue to grow, evolve, and serve you better. I invite you to share your ideas, needs, and aspirations with us so we can ensure the resources, connections, and advocacy we provide meet the demands of our profession.
I also want to extend deep gratitude to our NACA Board Members, county administrators who not only lead within their own communities but generously give their time, expertise, and passion to help strengthen and advance the county management profession nationwide. Your dedication inspires us all.
My sincere thanks as well to our support team—Kaci, Paula, and the many staff members who assist board efforts behind the scenes. Your work makes our progress possible.
NACA Board Members attend the NACA Reception at the 2025 ICMA Annual Conference
Last month, many of us had the opportunity to gather at the ICMA Annual Conference in beautiful Tampa, Florida, where we held our October Board Meeting, hosted two Idea Exchanges, a NACA Reception, and participated in the Affiliates Reception (click here to catch up on conference happenings). We also recognized our 2025 scholarship winners!
The conference conversations were rich, practical, and deeply relevant to the issues county leaders are facing today. Our members shared best practices in economic development; discussed the real cost of jail construction; explored data centers and sports stadium agreements; and exchanged insights on workforce recruitment and retention, organizational culture, strategic planning, leadership development, and navigating ever-changing funding landscapes—including during a federal shutdown. These dialogues reinforce the incredible collective wisdom within NACA and the strength we gain by learning from one another.
We are also grateful for the partnership of our fellow ICMA affiliate organizations—The National Forum For Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN), and International Network of Asian Pacific Islander Public Administrators (I-NAPA)—who collaborate with us to offer sessions and gatherings that celebrate the diversity and unity of our profession. Together, we demonstrate the power of inclusion, shared purpose, and mutual support.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the many Friends of NACA who make our work possible. Your investment in county leadership helps ensure county governments nationwide benefit from strong, well-equipped, and future-ready administrators.
Thank you all for your service, your leadership, and your unwavering commitment to your communities. It is an honor to serve as your President, and I look forward to building on our shared work in the months ahead.
With gratitude,
Betsy C. Keller, CM, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
2025-2026 NACA President
Chief Administrator, El Paso County, TX