National Association of Counties (NACo): Partnering with Counties to Drive Innovation & Impact
Time: 09:00 AM To 12:00 PM
Online Event
After registering you will receive a confirmation email with details for attending the online seminar through a service like WebEx, Zoom or Teams.
Innovation and excellence are hallmarks of Los Angeles County’s commitment to serving our communities. Join us for an engaging seminar to explore how the National Association of Counties (NACo) recognizes and celebrates county programs through the NACo Achievement Awards.
Participants will gain a comprehensive overview of the Achievement Awards Program, including its purpose, application and evaluation process, and the characteristics of successful submissions. The seminar will also highlight best practices for identifying award-worthy initiatives, developing compelling applications that effectively demonstrate innovation, leadership, and organizational excellence.
Attendees will learn about additional NACo resources and opportunities that support counties in advancing innovation, leadership, and organizational excellence.
Whether your department is considering its first Achievement Awards submission or looking to strengthen future applications, this seminar will equip you with practical tools and proven strategies to showcase your department’s accomplishments on a national stage.
Participants will:
- Learn – how the NACo Achievement Awards Program recognizes innovation and excellence in county government, including the application and evaluation process.
- Build – the knowledge and skills to develop competitive award submissions.
- Learn – tips on how to submit a winning application.
- Learn – the Los Angeles County protocols on how, when, and what to submit and who to contact for assistance
- Discover – best practices, valuable NACo resources, and opportunities to elevate your department’s innovative program.
We look forward to your participation in this critical discussion!
Registration Information:
Registration is required via the LACMC webpage:
Click Here to Register for the NACo Seminar
Speakers:
Jonathan Harris, Director, Research
National Association of Counties (NACo)
Jonathan Harris serves as the Director of Research for NACo's Research, Policy and Governance Studies team. He works on a wide range of research projects, including the County Landscape Project which delves into the details of county government structure, authority, services and finances. He has authored or coauthored NACo reports on housing affordability, digital payments, county economic trends, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), international trade, the opioid epidemic, service sharing and early childhood development, as well as various "Counties 101" primers. He also helps to organize and lead the NACo-NCCAE Federal State Policy Exchange for state associations of counties.
Jonathan holds a M.A. in Integral Economic Development Policy from The Catholic University of America and a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Eastern University. He lives in Maryland with his wife and three young boys.
Nastassia Walsh, Managing Director, Practices and Innovations
National Association of Counties (NACo)
Nastassia Walsh is managing director for practices and innovations at the National Association of Counties where she oversees the day-to-day management of NACo’s programs and networks that help counties across the country improve community outcomes on key local issues including criminal justice, health, behavioral health, economic mobility, economic development, disaster resilience and human services. Previously, she served as the Associate Program Director for Community Health and Justice at NACo.
Prior to joining NACo, Nastassia was a senior policy analyst at The Council of State Governments Justice Center where she provided training and technical assistance to state and local criminal and juvenile justice agencies to develop programs for people returning to their communities from jails and prisons. She also spent six years at the non-profit Justice Policy Institute researching local, state and federal criminal and juvenile justice policies. She has a master’s degree in forensic psychology from Marymount University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Arizona State University.
Tammy Tincher, Director of Member Engagement
National Association of Counties (NACo)
Tammy Tincher is NACo's Director of Member Engagement. She is responsible for leading efforts to strengthen relationships with county members nationwide, expanding opportunities for member participation and enhancing the value counties receive through NACo’s programs, resources and advocacy. Prior to joining NACo, Tincher was elected to serve as Commissioner for Greenbrier County, W.Va. During her tenure as a county commissioner, she served as Commission President as well as President of the County Commissioners' Association of West Virginia and on the Board of Directors for the West Virginia Association of Counties. Tincher was an active member of NACo serving on the Executive Committee, as Northeast Region Representative. She also served in several other NACo leadership positions, including Membership Chair and Vice Chair of the Agriculture and Rural Development Policy Steering Committee. Tincher is licensed in insurance and is a small business owner. She received her BS in Animal & Poultry Science from Virginia Tech and lives in Rainelle, W.Va.
Stephanie Canfield
Principal Analyst, Human Resources
Department of Human Resources (DHR)
Stephanie Canfield currently serves as the Principal Analyst for the Workplace Wellbeing Programs Division within the Department of Human Resources (DHR), where she manages all aspects of the Countywide Wellness and Charitable Giving Programs and Commuter Benefit Plan. Since joining the County in 2015, Stephanie has developed a broad range of public service experience, beginning as a Training Coordinator from 2015 to 2018 with the Department of Mental Health to managing the County Management Fellows Program with DHR from 2018 to 2021. Before her County career, Stephanie served as a Human Resources Manager at Target Corporation and contributed to public service initiatives at both the county and state level in Minnesota. With a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Arts in Counseling from New York University, she brings a strong background in human behavior, personal and professional growth, and service-focused leadership.
Seminar Information:
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: Online via Teams meeting
Seminar Questions:
Deserie Jimenez deseriejimenez@dpss.lacounty.gov
Martiros Sahakian Martiros_Sahakian@cssd.lacounty.gov
Jackie Guevarra JGuevarra@bos.lacounty.gov
