NACRC members, vendors and non-members gathered August 21-24 in Houston, Texas, for the 2015 Annual Conference for discussion on the latest issues affecting court administration, clerk to board, vital statistics, elections administration, land records and records management.
The focus of the conference was to provide a venue for county officials to gain national knowledge to meet local needs. Members attended sessions on topics such as the future of local government, efficiency, funding, elections technology, eRecording, records preservation, and also participated in roundtable discussions on various topics.
This meeting gives county officials an opportunity to network on a national level to share information and innovations, and take those ideas back to their individual counties and states.
The conference featured many well-regarded speakers including Ron Holifield, Founder and CEO, Strategic Government Resources; Beverly Santicola, President & CEO, US Government Grants; and John Lindback, senior officer, Elections Initiatives, Pew Charitable Trusts, Pew Center on the States.
Vendors discussed their latest services and products and assisted county officials with finding the best options for their offices.
During the conference, the association elected the 2015-16 officers and directors and Ann Johnsrud, recorder, McKenzie County, N.D., was sworn in as president.
The positions of vice president were elected as follows: first vice president, Larry Burtness, county recorder, Washoe County, Nev.; second vice president, Joseph Camposeo, town clerk, Manchester, Conn.; and third vice president, Annette Hill, assistant commissioner/city register, New York City Department of Finance, N.Y. Ricky Hatch, clerk/auditor, Weber County, Utah, was elected as treasurer and Jon A. Gegenheimer, clerk of court, Jefferson Parish, La., will serve as secretary. Eleven new directors were also named at the conference.
The Linda S. Carter Award for Excellence in Government was presented to Washoe County, Nev., Recorder Larry Burtness for his exemplary leadership, integrity, and dedication to NACRC and his community.
One county official was recognized for his leadership, ingenuity and excellence in office.The Public Official of the Year Award was presented to Neal Kelley, Registrar of Voters, Orange County, Calif.
Best Practices Awards, which are given to offices as special recognition in honor of their unique achievements and best practices in their respective fields, were given to the Bucks County Recorder of Deeds, Bucks County, Pa., for “Bucks County Recorder of Deeds Veterans Programs” (Records Management) and Fairfax County, Virginia Office of Elections, Fairfax County, Va., for “The More Easily Informed Voter” (Election Administration).
NACRC member Kathi Guay, register of deeds, Merrimack County, N.H., was honored for recertifying as a Certified Public Official (CPO) in Land Records and Records Management.
About the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and ClerksNACRC is a national association of elected and appointed county administrative officials. The association has approximately 500 members consisting of elected and appointed county, parish and town officials and their staffs, as well as private companies providing their offices with products and services. For more information, visit our website,www.nacrc.org.