Five Alachua County leaders have been appointed to leadership and advisory roles with the National Association of Counties, bringing local expertise to national discussions on human services, transportation, public safety, agriculture and other issues affecting counties across the country.
Florida’s 67 counties received 24 NACo leadership appointments, including seven involving Alachua County officials and leaders, according to an Alachua County press release sent on Monday.
The Alachua County appointments include:
- County Commissioner Mary Alford was appointed vice chair of the Resilient Counties Innovation Council, Healthy Counties Innovation Council and the Courts and Corrections Subcommittee of the Justice and Public Safety Policy Committee.
- County Commission Chair Ken Cornell will continue serving on the Energy, Environment and Land Use Committee.
- County Manager Michele Lieberman was appointed vice chair of the Agriculture and Food Safety Subcommittee of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Policy Steering Committee.
- Community Support Services Director Claudia Huggins-Tuck was appointed vice chair of the Veterans and Military Services Advisory Council and the Social Services Subcommittee of the Human Services and Education Policy Steering Committee.
- Public Works Director Ramon Gavarrete was appointed vice chair of the Highway/Highway Safety Subcommittee of the Transportation Policy Steering Committee. He also was appointed to the Advisory Council on Immigration and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Large Urban County Caucus and the Rural Action Caucus.
The appointments run through the 2026-27 fiscal year. Members will participate in committee activities throughout the year, including NACo’s Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., in February 2027, and the NACo Annual Conference in Chatham County, Georgia, in July 2027.
“These appointments recognize the experience and leadership our team brings to issues that are important not only to Alachua County residents, but to counties across the nation,” said Lieberman in the release. “Our participation gives Alachua County an opportunity to contribute to national conversations, share the work being done in our community and learn from other county leaders.”
NACo committees bring together county officials and leaders from across the country to develop policy recommendations, share best practices and advocate for federal policies that support county governments and the communities they serve.
For more information, contact Alachua County Communications Director Mark Sexton at 352-283-2317 or msexton@alachuacounty.gov.
Click here to learn more about the National Association of Counties.