National Association of Counties Elects Officers

The National Association of Counties' 71st Annual Conference in Cook County, Ill., concluded Aug. 8 with the election of Blue Earth County, Minn., Commissioner Colleen Landkamer as president, along with Sonoma County, Calif., Supervisor Valerie Brown as second vice president.

Other NACo Executive Committee Officers elected for 2006-07 during the conference, held Aug. 4-8 at the Lakeside Center at McCormick Place, Chicago, include Oakland County, Mich., Commissioner Eric Coleman (president-elect) and Maricopa County, Ariz., Supervisor Don Stapley (first vice president). 2005-06 NACo President Bill Hansell, commissioner Umatilla County, Ore., became immediate past president.

President Colleen Landkamer
Landkamer has served as Blue Earth County commissioner since 1988. She has served on NACo's Board of Directors since 1996 and was instrumental in the formation and expansion of the Rural Action Caucus, a group of more than 1,000 county officials that lobby on rural issues before Congress and the administration. She served as the caucus' chair for three years.

President-elect Eric Coleman
Coleman has served as Oakland County commissioner since 1996. He has served on NACo's Board of Directors since 2002 and currently serves on NACo's Community and Economic Development Steering Committee, the NACo Task Force on Governance, NACo's Homeland Security Task Force and the Large Urban County Caucus. He is the chair of NACo's Affiliate Council.

First Vice President Don Stapley
Stapley is in his fourth term representing District 2 in Maricopa County and has served as chairman and vice-chairman in previous years. As a private citizen, he has served as the chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Adjustments. He was named County Leader of the Year in 2004 by the American City & County Magazine for his leadership locally and nationally. Stapley previously served as the chairman of NACo's Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC). In recent years, he has served on NACo's Transportation, and Justice and Public Safety steering committees.

Second Vice President Valerie Brown
Brown was appointed Sonoma County supervisor by the governor of California Aug. 5, 2002. She was elected Nov. 5, 2002 and reelected March 2, 2004. She received a bachelor's degree in secondary education and English at the University of Missouri in 1972. Brown served on the Sonoma City Council from 1990-1992 as mayor and vice-mayor, and served in the State Assembly representing District 7 from 1992-1998 where she was the chair of Governmental Organization, chair of the Budget Subcommittee #2 on Health and Human Services.

Immediate Past President Bill Hansell
Hansell successfully concluded his term as 2005-06 NACo president at the Annual Conference in Chicago. He has served as Umatilla County commissioner for seven terms, making him the longest serving commissioner in county history. He has served on NACo Board of Directors since 1999, and served on the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Steering Committee for 17 years, including four terms as chair. He has served as chair of the Nominating Committee, chair of the Finance Committee and serves on the Homeland Security Task Force.

NACo officers serve as members of NACo's Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. Executive Committee members (president, president-elect, first vice president, second vice president and immediate past president) are elected officials of active NACo member counties who serve as officers of the association.

The NACo Board of Directors supervise, manage and control the business and property of the association; determine NACo's mission as identified by the members; monitor NACo's success in fulfilling its mission; and ensure that NACo will be able to continue to fulfill its mission.