Photos are from events held last year to early February this year.
Dear VACo Family,
We live in strange times. It feels as if every time I turn on the TV, get on my computer or pick up a newspaper, I’m greeted with constant reminders at how different things are every day. But despite all the change in the world, despite all of the new challenges that have arisen with COVID-19, and despite our daily lives being thrown into disarray, VACo is still here.
Every day, VACo continues to operate in the same, high-caliber manner that we’ve come to expect over the years. Despite the chaos swirling about us, VACo is working tirelessly to ensure that “business as usual” is not merely a catch phrase. Even now, staff is continuing to work to organize and plan for future conferences, including our 2020 Annual Conference. They’re still hard at work developing curricula for the Certified Supervisors classes, and they’re continuing to organize future seminars on a variety of topics, such as solar energy and land use. And with just 11 days remaining before the Governor must act on bills that have been sent to his desk, VACo is still actively ensuring that our legislative priorities are achieved.
Beyond business as usual, however, VACo has stepped up and joined the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19. Over the course of the last several weeks, VACo staff has continuously engaged with our state and federal governments, spending countless hours on the phone with the White House, the Governor’s Office, the National Association of Counties (NACo), and numerous other local, state and federal officials. This allows us to not only be as informed and up to date as possible on the status of state and federal responses to COVID-19, but it also ensures that the needs of our counties are widely known, respected, and acted upon.
It should come as no surprise that VACo continues to press forward despite these uncertain times. Our organization was conceived in the depths of the Great Depression – resiliency is in our DNA. Whatever the future may bring, whatever may be in store in the days and weeks and months ahead, VACo will still be here, working for you.
In this time of adversity, please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you, your families, and your communities. We may be 95 counties, but we remain one family.
Wishing you all the best in these trying times,
Stephen W. Bowen
President | Virginia Association of Counties