NETWORK
WORKFORCE READINESS A KEY FOCUS AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Proven Solutions for a Future-Ready Workforce
Central to this year’s annual conference is the exhibition of resources and education of county officials around people-first programs offered by NACo EDGE Attendees at the 90 annual conference in the city and county of Philadelphia, PA on July 11-14 will discover the positive impact these critical initiatives are having on communities.
Pharmacy Coalition & Voluntary Benefits – Public Promise Insurance (PPI) can help counties cut prescription drug plan costs by 15-30% and offers student debt repayment assistance through Savi.
Retirement Planning – Our partnership with Nationwide Retirement Solutions provides county employees with deferred compensation plans and financial planning tools to help them save for the future.
Leadership & Mental Health Training – Programs in partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and the Professional Development Academy support leadership development and mental wellbeing, with a focus on employee enrichment and retention
Get your County’s EDGE at Annual Conference Events
EDGE Solutions Center | July 11-14, 8am-5pm, Grand Hall
Connect with our team and strategic partners to learn more about the programs empowering county employees & HR leaders
EDGE Trivia | July 13, 1:30-3pm, Ballroom A, 300-Level
A test your knowledge of EDGE solutions to keep you entertained with facts,, testimonials and helpful information for your county teams
EDGE County Fair | July 14, 2:30pm-5pm, Grand Hall
While having fun at each program station, win prizes and knowledge about leadership trainings, employee benefits, and HR best practices
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Learn more about our workforce and benefit innovations at edgenacoorg
NACo High Performance Leadership Academy Register Now: Rolling Cohorts
The NACo High Performance Leadership Academy is currently enrolling for the remaining cohorts offered in 2025
This virtual 12-week program teaches proven methods and equips frontline county professionals with practical leadership skills, empowering them to succeed as members of a strong public sector workforce
August Cohort: 8/11/25
September Cohort: 9/15/25
Enroll now at edge.naco.org
45 YEAR PARTNERS: NATIONWIDE & NACo RETIREMENT PLANS
NACo and Nationwide have partnered for 45 years to bring innovative retirement solutions and a deferred compensation program focused on the public employees Learn more at edgenacoorg
A NACo EDGE RESOURCE 1
BECOME PART OF THE NACo WORKFORCE NETWORK
The NACo Workforce Network provides a platform to share resources, best practices and learning opportunities around human resources and benefits In a collaborative network of your peers, County Administrators, HR professionals and Benefits Managers can workshop shared areas of concern and utilize other members’ experiences to solve challenges Membership is free nacoorg/program/naco-workforce-network
SAVING MILLIONS: LOWERING PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS FOR COUNTIES WITH PBM COALITION
More than 30% of county employee health plan expenses are related to pharmacy benefits Through NACo’s Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) Coalition the only plan specifically built for counties & county pools that manage self-insured health plans officials across the nation are realizing significant savings of 15% 30%
In addition to earlier successes in Kern County, CA, Maricopa County, AZ, and Mecklenburg County, N.C. who alone is projected to save $7-8 million, NACo has additionally welcomed the Montana Association of Counties to the coalition
Executive director Eric Bryson was quick to share the advantages of NACo’s PBM program noting that for their members and other counties nationwide, "One of the keys to NACo's long-term success is the ability to generate & leverage bulk and buying power Those economies of scale are much more significant for counties"
To receive a complimentary analysis of potential savings with NACo’s PBM today, visit our website at publicpromiseinsurance.org/pbm.
STUDENT LOAN COLLECTIONS RESUME: WHAT COUNTY HR TEAMS & EMPLOYEES NEED TO KNOW
The U.S. Department of Education has restarted the Treasury Offset Program, which means involuntary collections will resume for student loan borrowers in default. This restart has serious implications for both borrowers and public employers.
NACo Public Promise Insurance’s partnership with Savi provides county workforces a loan repayment tool to help public employees identify savings opportunities On average those savings amount to $156 per month, or $28,308 in lifetime savings, putting more money back in the pockets of public servants
Through the NACo-Savi partnership, counties can: Identify at-risk employees and connect them with repayment/forgiveness options
Support employees in meeting Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) requirements
Analyze federal garnishment letters with compliance step-by-step support for HR teams
Maximize employee savings & reduce turnover risk by helping staff avoid garnishment-related financial strain
To learn more about this benefit program, visit publicpromiseinsuranceorg/studentdebt
JULY 2025
EXPOSING THE RETIREMENT INCOME MYTHS BETWEEN PLAN SPONSORS AND EMPLOYEES
Feature Partner Article: Nationwide Retirement Services
Employers and workers are often misaligned on retirement readiness and income needs You can bridge these gaps with targeted education, and innovative plan design, such as in-plan lifetime income solutions, which help employees convert savings into reliable retirement income However, many still believe myths about these offerings
While employers strive to understand and support their workforce’s financial needs, natural gaps can sometimes emerge between organizational resources and employee expectations These gaps often extend to benefits packages
A 2023 study from Aflac found that while about 80% of employers believed their benefits offerings met employee needs, only 59% of workers agreed
Perception Gap #1: Employees and employers share the same expectations regarding the timeline for retirement
Reality: Employees plan to retire later than employers anticipate
Most employees expect to retire at the age of 65 However, plan sponsors report that the average age of retirement for their workforce is four years sooner at 61 This also aligns with Employee Benefit Research Institute research showing that 6 in 10 retirees leave the workforce earlier than planned, often due to factors out of their control
By encouraging the use of retirement tools and online calculators, commonly provided to participants by retirement plan recordkeepers, employers can help ensure both parties have a clearer, more realistic understanding of when employees may be ready for retirement. Driving greater use of these resources may help employees have a better view of steps they can take to accelerate their pace to retirement or at least reduce chances that they miss easy opportunities to prepare for a retirement that could come sooner than expected
One of the key reasons employees feel they need to work longer is fear of outliving their savings, which aligns well with other perception gaps observed in the study
Perception Gap #2: Employees think about their retirement accounts as a savings vehicle.
Reality: Employees are thinking about their 401k as a comprehensive tool to help prepare for and live in retirement
A majority of employees are viewing their retirement goals in terms of a monthly income target rather than a target lump sum they need to reach, an encouraging shift in perspective that reflects a more practical approach to retirement planning
Employers can support this mindset by providing access to personalized financial resources, like budgeting or debt management tools, and professional advice to help them optimize their strategies for reaching their income targets.
PerceptionGap#3: Employees have a firm understanding of retirement income needs Reality: Employees aren’t as knowledgeable as employers think they are about retirement income needs
Even though employees are focused on income targets in their planning, most struggle with understanding how much income they’ll actually need to achieve the lifestyle they want in retirement. Employers tend to also overestimate workers’ confidence here: approximately half believe their workforce is aware of how much income they’ll need in retirement, yet only 27% of workers actually feel knowledgeable on this important topic.
PerceptionGap#4: Employees are satisfied with the retirement plan investment options provided by their employer.
Reality: Employers overestimate the satisfaction employees have with the investment options available to them.
Nationwide’s study echoed the Aflac research, finding that 86% of plan sponsors think employees are satisfied with the retirement offerings available to them, but only 62% of employees agree with that sentiment This trend, consistent in our research since 2021, underscores the need for employers to solicit regular feedback on benefit offerings from their workforce and consider new solutions that can help fill potential gaps.
By bridging these perception gaps through enhanced communication, personalized resources and innovative plan design, employers can foster a retirement planning environment that truly aligns with their workforce’s needs, better supporting the longterm financial security of all employees and setting the organization up for a more engaged workforce
Read the full article from Nationwide here.
For more information about NACo’s retirement solutions and the Deferred Compensation Program administered by Nationwide, visit edge.naco.org.
GOVERNMENT
Supplier Spotlight: WBCP, Inc.
WBCP’s Partnership with Santa Cruz County Recruited An Entire Public Defender’s Office
When the county of Santa Cruz, California decided to shift from contracting with an outside legal firm to establishing its own public defender’s office inside the county, it was a seismic shift across the entire organization Such an ambitious endeavor meant more than replacing a vendor, rather this decision essentially meant that the county would be creating its own internal law firm for indigent clients without means in need of representation in the criminal justice system
For Nicole Coburn, the assistant county administrator spearheading the new department’s creation, that meant needing to recruit a complex network of lawyers, paralegals, and support personnel to manage the court docket. Thankfully, WBCP, Inc., a professional service recruiting firm specializing in government hiring came recommended as a resource on which she could rely
Speaking about the positive working relationship with Wendy Brown and her team at WBCP, Coburn shared how the firm, “really helped us figure out the best approach for reaching out to prospective candidates for specialized fields.” Coburn also noted the deliberative approach taken to actively seek shareholder input, both internally and externally, in not only hiring a legal team, but launching an entirely new county department.
The public defender’s office would not be the only hire for which WBCP would be called to help in the recruiting process. Several more executive positions were advertised, recruited, and onboarded including the county’s health director and animal services manager
WBCP was there through it all, including fulfilling its guaranteed placement promise when the first choice for a key position was no longer available
“With the guarantee, we were able to take a break, reset, and the second time we ended up finding a fantastic candidate who is now in their third year with the county”
Nicole Coburn, Asst. County Administrator
NACo Public Promise Procurement’s competitively-bid cooperative contract with WBCP for government recruiting services is available to all public agencies. To start using NACo’s cooperative contract program, register today at publicpromiseprocurementorg/register
Upcoming Webinars & Events
Unlock the Full Potential of Retirement Plans: Discover the Advantages of Today's Lifetime Income Solutions
WED., JULY 16, 2025 | 1:00-2:00PM ET
Presented in partnership with Nationwide
Join Nationwide and NACo EDGE for a presentation that discusses how lifetime income solutions can build participant confidence. Many misconceptions surround incorporating lifetime income into retirement planning. This presentation offers positive reality checks about solutions that can help participants achieve a more secure retirement
Legislative Landscape: Prescription Drug Costs & County Impacts
WED., JULY 23, 2025 | 1:00-2:00PM ET
Presented in partnership with Nationwide
There is significant legislative activity at both the federal and state levels focused on prescription drug costs. These developments have important implications for employer-sponsored health plans, including how counties administer their prescription drug benefits and broader healthcare offerings.
This webinar from NACo's Public Promise Insurance will provide an overview of the current legislative landscape and highlight key trends expected to shape county benefit plans in 2025 and beyond Hear directly from Leanna Gassaway, Vice President of Government Affairs at CVS Health, on what's unfolding in Washington and what it means for your county