Crawford and Hurley Attend National League of Cities Meeting

York, NE:  Last week, Dr. Sue Crawford, City Administrator of the City of York and Lisa Hurley, Executive Director for the York County Development Corporation (YCDC) attended the National League of Cities (NLC) meeting in Kansas City, Mo. The conference included more than 40 workshops focused on an array of pressing issues local leaders are tackling in their communities. The conference provided an opportunity to learn best practices that can be put into action in York and York County; learn about federal funding opportunities in newly passed legislation and connect with national experts. 
According to Dr. Crawford, “Attending the conference together allowed us to not only double our learning and reduce costs for the City and YCDC, but it also allowed us to talk about collaboration ideas while we are around peers and experts who can help us move forward effectively.” “The sessions provided tangible takeaways for consideration in areas where community collaboration will be key, such as housing, child care, and talent recruitment,” said Lisa Hurley. 
In most conferences of this type, some of the most important conversations happen outside of the formal sessions. Crawford and Hurley agreed that one of their most productive discussions was with a long-time successful city administrator from here in Nebraska who has built a strong record of community building with the communities in the county, and economic development efforts. “Being away from the office at a conference opens space for these kinds of conversations with peers from all over, including our own state,” said Hurley. Since the conference was nearby in Kansas City, leaders from several Nebraska cities were in attendance. 
NLC is a nonpartisan organization focused on connecting officials to local government solutions, and the conference attendance reflects this fact. In any given year, attendees represent almost all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Canada, coming from small towns, large cities and everything in between. The City of York belongs to the National League of Cities as well as the Nebraska League of Municipalities. 
The conference provided an opportunity for a city member to invite a guest for a reduced registration fee. The nearby location allowed Crawford and Hurley to drive together and attend a high-quality national conference for a low cost. Crawford appreciated the opportunity to attend with Hurley so that the city and YCDC were able to learn from the scope of outstanding educational content and relationship-building opportunities to help York increase efficiencies and build value in various areas for our residents.