National Involvement

North Dakota county officials have a strong voice in national policy formation through involvement in the National Association of Counties (NACo).

Here are a few of the ways North Dakotans affect national policy, and how you can, too:

1. All states have a representative on the NACo Board of Directors, but North Dakota has two. An additional seat on the board is awarded to states that have 100% NACo membership. In other words, because all 53 counties are NACo members, our impact is doubled. Our two NACo board members are listed on our Board of Directors page. Feel free to contact them when you have anything you want communicated at the national level.
2. In addition to the national board, North Dakota county officials serve on a variety of steering committees. Those committees are listed at www.naco.org/advocacy/policies-and-committees. NACo has produced a video covering the many benefits of national involvement at: www.naco.org/events/influence-engage-and-network-why-should-you-join-naco-committee.
   -- If you are interested in serving on a steering committee or other national effort, please contact our board liason Michelle Tabbert at michelle.tabbert@ndaco.org. 
3. Attend NACo events. NACo hosts several important events where you can network with other county officials and learn from national leaders about the issues facing our region and nation. The three events that are most often attended by North Dakotans are:
   1. NACo Annual Conference - held in July in various locations around the country
   2. NACo Legislative Conference - held in Washington, D.C. late February or early March
   3. Western Interstate Region (WIR) Conference - held in a WIR state every May, focused on western states. ND County Commissioners may be eligible for matching funds, as the ND County Commissioners Association wants to help you get started in national participation. For more information click here: www.ndcca.org/board/matching. 

Learn more about these events at www.naco.org/events/conferences.

 

National Participation Match Application

50% Reimbursement Available to One County Official per Region

The North Dakota Association of Counties Board of Directors has set aside money to encourage increased participation in National Association of Counties (NACo) events. NDACo will reimburse 50% of the registration and travel expenses of one official from each of the state’s eight commissioner caucus regions, up to a maximum of $1,500.

The three events eligible for these scholarships in 2025 are:

• Legislative Conference: February or March – Washington, D.C.
• Western Interstate Region Conference: May – rotating between host states
• NACo Annual Conference: July – rotating between various states
• Specifics for these events can be found at www.naco.org/events/conferences 

If multiple applications are received from one region, the application received first will be granted; if a region has no applications, however, they may forfeit theirs to someone from another region.

Participation in national events has the potential to pay great dividends for North Dakota counties, from input on national policy to becoming educated on available federal resources. For more information, please fill out the form below. For questions, contact the NDACo office at 701-425-0808.

 

Name:*
Phone Number:
Email Address:*
Conference you plan to attend		Legislative Conference: March 1-4, 2025 (Washington, DC) Western Interstate Region Conference: May 20-23, 2025 (Pennington County-Rapid City, SD) NACo Annual Conference: July 11-14, 2025 (Philadelphia, PA)
All expenses (including copies of receipts) must be submitted after the travel is completed. Reimbursement of 50% or $1,500.00, whichever is least.
Please Indicate:		My county will pay the balance of my trip I will pay the balance of my trip personally My county will share in the expenses, but not 100% To be determined