---

   WASHINGTON, D.C. –Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) 2024 President Neal Gaalswyk (Cass County Commissioner), AMC Past President and National Association of Counties (NACo) President Mary Jo McGuire (Ramsey County Commissioner), and AMC Executive Director Julie Ring joined county leaders from across the country in the nation’s capital last week to discuss issues important to America’s counties.

(from left to right):  Association of Minnesota Counties Executive Director Julie Ring, AMC Past President and National Association of Counties (NACo) President Mary Jo McGuire (Ramsey County Commissioner), District 8 Congressman Pete Stauber, and AMC 2024 President Neal Gaalswyk (Cass County Commissioner), who met with many of Minnesota’s Congressional Members while in Washington, D.C.

   During a meeting of the National Council of County Association Executives (NCCAE), a group affiliated with NACo, Gaalswyk, McGuire and Ring met with several of Minnesota’s  congressional leaders to strengthen local-state-federal partnerships and advocate for counties’ federal policy priorities, including infrastructure, federal regulations, emergency preparedness and recovery, and the substance abuse epidemic.

   “Federal policies have direct, long-lasting and often costly impacts on county government, our states and our residents,” Gaalswyk said. “Speaking directly with federal leaders and sharing information about how federal decisions can help us achieve local results for our residents is incredibly important to strengthening partnerships between the different levels of government.”

   The conference also included Policy Conversations at the White House where attendees were able to meet and converse with national leaders, including Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves, Homeland Security Advisor for Resilience & Response Caitlin Durkovich, Senior Advisor and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez, and Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation John Podesta.

   Attendees also visited the George Washington Leadership Institute at Mount Vernon for a seminar on the integration of leadership, strategy and management.

   AMC has been serving Minnesota’s 87 counties since 1909.  AMC is a voluntary statewide organization that assists the state’s 87 counties in providing effective county governance to the people of Minnesota. The association works closely with the legislative and administrative branches of government in seeing that legislation and policies favorable to counties are enacted. In addition, the association provides educational programs, training, research and communications for county officials.

---