Palm Beach County Mayor Mack Bernard announced that he is among the 20 leaders from across the nation who have been invited to participate in the Economic Mobility Leadership Network, a new program that brings together diverse and bipartisan county leaders to explore the role counties can play to positively affect economic mobility. The network is run by the National Association of Counties (NACo) and is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“It's an honor to be a part of this important initiative and I look forward to working with leaders from across the country on reviewing what innovative ideas and solutions can create economic opportunities for Palm Beach County’s families and businesses,” said Mayor Bernard. “The Economic Mobility Leadership Network is another way Palm Beach County is taking the initiative to increase economic mobility, dismantle stigmas around poverty, and develop local solutions that drive economic mobility upward. I have a bold vision for Palm Beach County’s future and remain committed to addressing economic inequality and creating opportunities for our entire community to succeed.”

The Economic Mobility Leadership Network will visit three counties that have made concerted efforts and demonstrated measurable success in addressing economic mobility: Multnomah County, Oregon; Hennepin County, Minnesota; and Garret County, Maryland. Throughout the two-day convenings, county leaders and experts will engage on a range of topics including workforce development and affordable housing; generational poverty; access to financial services; educational opportunities and attainment; transportation access; geographic mobility; health care services; technology and information access; criminal justice reform; and data collection, use, and sharing.

About NACo
NACo is the only national organization representing county governments in the United States. NACo assists America’s 3,069 counties—including the nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees that serve counties—in pursuing excellence in public service to create healthy, vibrant, and safe counties.