From staff reports
L’Observateur

NEW ORLEANS — St. Charles Parish officials and employees lent their talents and expertise to the 79th National of Association of Counties (NACo) conference this month, contributing to events, receiving awards and being elected to leadership positions. 

The purpose of the conference, held in a different county each July, is to provide opportunities for county leaders and staff to learn, network and guide the direction of the association’s national advocacy efforts.

Those efforts focus on key issues important to counties such as transportation, resiliency, health care, criminal justice and economic development. 

“We were proud to be at the table not only to learn about what our counterparts around the country are doing, but to also share innovations and achievements from our administration and council,” St. Charles Parish President V.J. St. Pierre Jr. said.

“In conjunction with Orleans Parish, we were able to make a very positive impression of Louisiana as a whole on the more than 2,500 conference attendees from across the country.”

St. Charles Parish received a NACo Achievement Award on behalf of 10 south Louisiana parishes in the risk management category for collective public outreach efforts related to the fight to reverse unaffordable flood insurance premium increases contained in the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012.

Public Information Officer Renee A. Simpson was honored for her work in designing and writing the ‘Be Prepared’ hurricane guide.

The piece was a ‘best in class’ winner in the brochures category of the National Association of Public Information Officers’ Awards of Excellence program.

Residents can download the guide and get more information on hurricane preparedness at stcharlesparish-la.gov/hurricane.

St. Charles Chief Administrative Officer Buddy Boe earlier this year was elected vice president of NACo’s NextGen Network, which provides a grassroots forum for young county officials to network, become engaged in NACo and develop a new generation of association leaders. 

Councilman-at-Large Division B Jarvis Lewis was elected to a two-year term as secretary of the National Association of Black County Officials.

St. Charles Parish also took part in the conference-culminating Parade Across Louisiana at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which showcased food and tourism information from a majority of parishes.