Welcome to the 125th Annual Conference of the Nebraska Association of County Officials at the Younes Conference Center. Take time to think about this for a moment. Nebraska County Officials have been hosting an annual conference for 125 years. Old records document these early meetings. When you visit the NACO office, you can see evidence of this by a picture hanging in our conference room. The picture shows county officials posing for a group picture in Omaha in December of 1928. Our association is one of the oldest Nebraska statewide associations in existence.

During this years conference, I urge you to take in the opening session as “The Capitol Steps” are set to entertain you in bringing humor our way as it relates to our federal government. It is a show you do not want to miss.

Also, this year, you may recognize some faces that you haven’t seen in many years as we host the first ever “Past Presidents” reception on Wednesday evening. Those in attendance will be recognized at the opening session.

As you may or may not be aware, the Younes staff has undergone some incredible challenges over the last few months from flood damage to every piece of property on their campus. They have faced adversity that shows the teamwork that it takes to prepare for our conference. Exciting things are coming in future years in regards to conference space as we are contracted to be in Kearney through the year 2023.

We continue to receive positive comments about our customized electronic app of all conference events. This proved very successful over the last years and we will continue to transition away from the paper document in the coming years.

Please visit all of the vendor booths and take a moment to thank them for having a booth and showing us the new products they have to offer.

The next few days will provide each of you with an opportunity that is invaluable in your advancement as a county official. The information you receive from peer to peer networking opportunities are ones that you will be able to take home and put into practice in your daily work as county officials. Take time to introduce yourself to other county officials. Identify which county you are from and make a friend for life.

On Friday morning, I encourage each of you to make every effort to attend the NACO Business Meeting as there are important votes to be taken.

I sincerely hope that you find this conference educational and of great value in obtaining information on how to serve the citizens of Nebraska in the most cost effective and efficient manner.