Virginia counties made a strong showing at NACo’s 2024 Annual Conference in Hillsborough County, Florida, with Virginia county leaders successfully advocating for policy changes in NACo’s legislative platform, serving in leadership roles within the Association, participating in policy committee meetings and other conference sessions, and helping to shape NACo’s future by voting on a slate of new officers.
Loudoun County Supervisor Juli Briskman brought her lived experience and the experience of her constituents to bear in advocating for enhancements to NACo’s legislative platform language regarding childcare. Supervisor Briskman’s amendments stressed the need for a mixed-delivery early childhood system that supports high-quality care and education and underscored the importance of childcare in enabling parents to stay in the workforce. She collaborated with Commissioner Erica Crawley from Franklin County, Ohio, to advocate for the enhancements, patiently working through the NACo policy committee process in order to submit the changes to the full NACo membership for approval. Supervisor Briskman told VACo that in her district, more than two thirds of women over the age of 16 are part of the labor force. “They struggle with reliable, affordable quality childcare, just like I did as a single head of household,” Supervisor Briskman said, noting that Loudoun County is in need of approximately 1,700 childcare slots. She successfully advocated for Loudoun to use a portion of its ARPA dollars on several approaches to ameliorating this issue, and is working with the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce on the connection between childcare and the workforce.
Virginia counties will have a human services champion at the helm of NACo’s Health Policy Steering Committee with the appointment of Loudoun County Chair Phyllis Randall as the Chair of this body. Issues vital to the health of local communities, including mental and behavioral health services, long-term care, substance abuse prevention and treatment, and services for persons with developmental disabilities, fall within the jurisdiction of this Committee. Chair Randall brings extensive experience to her new role, having spent more than 20 years as a mental health therapist in addition to her strong advocacy for behavioral health throughout her time in public office. “It is an honor to have been chosen to lead the Health Committee for the National Association of Counties,” Chair Randall told VACo. “Over the next year, we will take a holistic approach to discussing health and the way that county governments across this country can lead the charge on improving outcomes for our residents.”
VACo’s representative to the NACo Board is Lancaster County Supervisor and Immediate Past President Jason Bellows. VACo Executive Director Dean Lynch said, “VACo is fortunate to have Jason Bellows representing Virginia counties at the national level. He brings a wealth of knowledge about county issues to his NACo service, and he works hard to keep his VACo colleagues informed about national issues.”
VACo congratulates county members on their successful work at the national level and looks forward to a continued partnership with NACo.
VACo Contact: Katie Boyle