Later this summer, Guilford County will be the center of attention for county officials from 99 counties across the state because Guilford County will host the 112th North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) Annual Conference, which will be held at Grandover Resort and Conference Center from Thursday, August 22 to Saturday, August 24.
Each year, the conference brings together commissioners and other county officials from North Carolina to hear new ideas, network and find solutions to common problems that are working in other counties.
Grandover, which recently underwent major renovations, is a popular spot for county officials and economic development officials in the state to meet: The Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners, to name one group, caused a little bit of an uproar in their county this year when those commissioners chose to have their annual retreat at Grandover rather than in one of the many fine meeting places in Mecklenburg County.
The 2019 agenda for the conference is still being shaped, but, according to NCACC officials, some of the key topics of interest to counties are “broadband access, financial resources and forming strategic partnerships to improve services to residents.” The opioid addiction crisis will also no doubt get some attention.
Guilford County Commissioner Jeff Phillips, who was one of the leaders in bringing about a giant change in the way mental health services will be provided in Guilford County, said this week that he knows that mental health issues are a major concern in counties across the state and he believes there will be an opportunity for Guilford County officials to discuss some of the changes that are going on in this county.
At the August conference, county officials will also have the chance to connect with experts on leadership, state law, public policy and other subjects – but, according to the NCACC, perhaps the most valuable part of the experience is getting all the county commissioners together in one place and letting them share ideas on what is and isn’t working in their counties.
Promotional literature for the event states, “Each of North Carolina’s 100 counties play a pivotal role in connecting people and organizations to improve county and community – these connections allow the collective to achieve a goal greater than any would be able to individually.”
The conference agenda is left open on Friday evening so that the attendees have some options to experience Guilford County on their own. This year the NCACC plans to let the county officials see the new BB&T Point stadium and take in a High Point Rockers game. The Rockers will host the York Revolution on Friday night in downtown High Point and the NCACC is going to provide transportation for conference attendees to and from the game.
