APRIL IS COUNTY GOVERNMENT MONTH
NACo EDGE recognizes the vital role counties play in delivering services, strengthening communities, and supporting the public workforce Throughout the month, expect a series of communications highlighting valuable resources, programs, and tools designed to benefit county operations, employees, and their families. Learn how EDGE solutions help you lead with impact, support your teams, and continue building resilient, thriving communities
NACO PUBLIC PROMISE INSURANCE (PPI): STRENGTH IN NUMBERS, SAVINGS IN ACTION
Featuring insights from Charlotte Marz, Maricopa County, Ariz. Deputy Director of Benefits and Wellness, PPI Advisory Council
What happens when counties stop navigating rising benefit costs alone and start working together?
NACo High Performance Leadership Academy 2026 Register Now: Rolling Cohorts
The NACo High Performance Leadership Academy is currently enrolling cohorts offered in 2026.
This virtual 10-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.
*April WFN Cohort Starts Soon
April Cohort: 4/13/26 - Enroll Today
July Cohort: 7/13/26
October Cohort: 10/5/26
Enroll now in NACo HPLA
Leading on Purpose Academy Now Enrolling
Leading On Purpose, a continuation of HPLA, is a virtual 8-week program to helping leaders reappraise any longstanding purpose or uncover one for the first time with selfassessments, interactive exercises, online and real-time peer discussions, cohort-based webinars, and self-reflection
April Cohort: 4/27/26
July Cohort: 7/27/26
October Cohort: 10/19/26
Enroll now in Leading on Purpose
COUNTY NEWS PODCAST: DEVELOP YOUR COUNTY WORKFORCE
Counties are finding a renewed interest in professional development as a feature of their careers Fairfield County, Ohio Administrator Aundrea Cordle joined the County News Podcast to talk about trends she has seen in professional development, what skills her county workforce aims to develop and some programs and strategies for helping county employees get the enrichment they want and need to excel at their work.
Listen to the podcast episode here.
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
STUDENT DEBT RELIEF IS WORKING FOR YOUR COUNTY WORKFORCE
“Savi did everything for me I simply gave them access to my loan account and permission to contact my employer They did everything else I have been hearing about the PSLF updates, but haven't had the time or energy to do it. It was practically effortless!” Hennepin County, Minn Employee
SAVI’S INTERACTIVE SAVINGS MAP $28,431,256 TOTAL FORGIVENESS FOUND IN HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINN.
See student loan data across the United States Click on any state to view detailed information or hover to see a quick summary Savi's Forgiveness Found represents the total amount of student loan forgiveness identified for borrowers in each state.
Explore student loan data using the map here
46 YEAR PARTNERS: NATIONWIDE & NACo EDGE RETIREMENT SOLUTIONS Proud Partner Spotlight
NACo and Nationwide have partnered for 46 years to bring innovative retirement solutions and a deferred compensation program focused on the public employees. Learn more at edge.naco.org
TURNING STUDENT DEBT INTO A STRATEGIC WORKFORCE ADVANTAGE
For county leaders, the workforce challenges are familiar: attracting talent, retaining high performers, and supporting employees navigating increasingly complex financial realities. One issue sits at the center of all three student loan debt.
Today, more than 45 million Americans carry a combined $1.7 trillion in student debt, with nearly two-thirds reporting difficulty making payments and a growing number delaying retirement savings as a result For public sector employees many of whom qualify for federal forgiveness programs the challenge isn’t just the debt itself, but navigating a system that is complicated to master
Borrowers face a maze of repayment plans, forgiveness programs, and eligibility requirements, often resulting in missed opportunities Even programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) which can deliver significant financial relief remain underutilized due to administrative complexity, low awareness, and historically high denial rates (Contined on page 4)
HELPING WORKERS PREPARE FOR
A DIGNIFIED RETIREMENT
Feature Partner Article: Nationwide Retirement Services
Many workers feel anxious about and unprepared for retirement despite being enrolled in a qualified retirement plan In his new role as President of Nationwide® Retirement Solutions, Kevin Jestice wants the company to take a leadership role in dispelling workers’ unease about their retirement readiness He says his strategic vision is founded on answering this fundamental question: "How do we help Americans save for, prepare for and thrive in a dignified retirement?"
Jestice feels that Nationwide, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026, is uniquely qualified to take on this leadership role, thanks to its deep roots in Main Street America "We have a connection to everyday Americans, and that affects the way we deliver on our company mission, which is to protect people, businesses and futures with extraordinary care In our retirement business, we do that by serving and protecting most people’s greatest asset from what is now their greatest fear: running out of money before they run out of time." A recent Nationwide Retirement Institute® survey found that 74% of Americans fear outliving their financial resources
Americans’ Economic Uncertainty Goes Beyond Just Retirement savings
In Nationwide’s 2025 Economic Impact Survey, 40% of respondents said they delayed or canceled plans for major purchases such as vacations or cars during the year because of economic conditions In addition, 21% of consumers said they delayed or canceled plans for major life milestones such as getting married, having children or retiring
"We see Americans live on paychecks not a large sum of money in an account and fewer are covered by a defined benefit plan than before, which leads to concern about steady, reliable income in retirement," Jestice says He cites a statistic that fewer than 15% of Americans have access to a defined benefit (DB) plan.1 With the switch from DB to defined contribution (DC) plans, the risk of not having enough income in retirement is now on the saver instead of their employer
"When the employer ran the defined benefit plan, they took on the risk of market volatility, and they promised a paycheck," Jestice says He adds that a Nationwide survey found 58% of employees are worried that market volatility would cause them to outlive their retirement savings, and 88% wish their retirement plan offered a monthly source of income that would last for life
How Nationwide Helps Plan Sponsors Be Retirement Heroes
Jestice says Nationwide has multiple in-plan lifetime income solutions in the market, both through plans for which Nationwide is the recordkeeper and on the platforms of several other recordkeepers
"As an enterprise, we’re an insurer, a fund manager and a recordkeeper, so we have multiple tools and capabilities we can bring to plan sponsors and their participants," Jestice says. "Importantly, we have the end-to-end expertise in these solutions"
Jestice also points out that Nationwide has financial stability. "We are a 100-year-old company," he says “We have incredibly strong risk management capabilities as a leading insurance company, and that really matters when you’re making promises to participants for decades"
Nationwide offers a suite of lifetime income solutions, each structured as target date fund collective investment trusts This means they are institutionally priced and can serve as a plan’s qualified default investment alternative Jestice adds that Nationwide’s solutions prioritize full participant liquidity
"We can give people access to a reliable, dependable income stream in retirement in a variety of ways with a variety of solutions while making sure that, ultimately, the participant experience is simple and flexible,” he says.
By empowering plan sponsors to offer options and features that give participants simplicity, flexibility, a broad range of choices and a sense of retirement-income security, Jestice says Nationwide is prepared to achieve his strategic vision: helping workers save for, prepare for and thrive in a dignified retirement.
Adapted from an article originally published at planadvisercom
Read the full article from Nationwide here.
For more information about NACo’s retirement solutions and the Deferred Compensation Program administered by Nationwide, visit edgenacoorg or contact Carlos Greene, managing director of retirement services, directly at cgreene@naco.org
TURNING STUDENT DEBT INTO A STRATEGIC WORKFORCE ADVANTAGE
That’s where Savi, offered through NACo Public Promise Insurance, is redefining the role of benefits in the public sector for county workers
For counties, student loan support is quickly becoming a differentiator in recruitment and retention. Data shows that student loan repayment assistance now ranks among the most valued benefits for younger workers outpacing even some traditional offerings By integrating solutions like Savi, counties can not only reduce employee financial stress but also strengthen engagement, improve retention, and position themselves as forward-thinking employers
As counties continue to navigate evolving workforce expectations, benefits strategies must evolve alongside them Student debt is no longer a personal issue it’s an organizational one And with the right tools in place, it can become a powerful lever for workforce stability, financial wellness, and long-term talent strategy
Savi offers counties a clear path forward: simplify the complex, support your people, and turn a widespread challenge into a meaningful advantage
To learn more about this benefit program, visit publicpromiseinsurance.org/studentdebt
NACO PUBLIC PROMISE INSURANCE (PPI): STRENGTH IN NUMBERS, SAVINGS IN ACTION
Public Promise Insurance offers a powerful answer by turning individual purchasing power into collective strength. Representing 3,069 counties and 3.6 million public employees, PPI enables counties to access best-inclass benefits at a scale previously out of reach
“The biggest challenge for anyone in this role is figuring out how to use the limited amount of funds available to benefit the most people in the greatest ways,” says Marz “Collaborating with others who are facing or have faced similar challenges is efficient government.”
Through PPI’s PBM coalition, counties are gaining transparency and control over pharmacy costs one of the fastest-growing budget pressures. The result? Lower costs, stronger benefits, and a more competitive workforce strategy
PPI is more than a program it’s a movement toward smarter, more sustainable benefits And it’s proving that when counties unite, they don’t just save money they raise the standard Learn more NACo’s PBM here
HEAR FROM YOUR PEERS
Delivering Millions in Savings Without Compromising Quality or Local Control
When budgets tighten, county leaders are often forced into difficult tradeoffs cost savings versus quality of service But what if you didn’t have to choose?
In Kern County, California, Supervisor Leticia Perez is proving that you can have both
Through participation in the NACo Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) Coalition, Kern County is realizing nearly $4 million in savings over a three-year term exceeding even initial expectations. “The savings are real, they are profound, they are prolific and we are realizing them,” Perez shared, underscoring the immediate and measurable fiscal impact
Just as important, those savings are not coming at the expense of service The transition to a new PBM model has delivered exceptional customer service, streamlined access to care, and a noticeably improved experience for employees In fact, Perez emphasizes that maintaining quality is non-negotiable: counties must avoid “racing to the bottom” and instead invest in solutions that elevate both performance and trust
That’s exactly what the NACo PBM Coalition is designed to do leveraging collective scale (126,000+ covered lives and $65 million in projected savings nationwide) to bring best-inclass solutions to counties.
The takeaway: Proven savings Elevated service Trusted partners
Now is the time to act Join the growing number of counties leveraging the NACo PBM Coalition and start delivering smarter savings for your workforce today. Learn more here.
