Recently, most of the nine Guilford County commissioners attended the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference in Washington DC.
Guilford County Commissioner Kay Cashion was one – and she managed to come away with a new national leadership role and add that position to what’s already a very strong resume when it comes to serving counties on the national level.
Cashion, the only at-large commissioner on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, was appointed to one of 10 of the NACo Board of Directors Association President’s at-large seats as well as selected to be the chair of a nominating committee.
The NACo is an organization that works to strengthen the effectiveness and influence of the 3,000-plus county governments across the country. The organization looks after the interests of 40,000 elected county officials and over 3.5 million county employees.
According to a Thursday, Feb. 29 press release from Guilford County announcing Cashion’s appointment, the NACo works to “champion county interests in national policymaking, highlight and encourage outstanding county policies and practices, foster leadership abilities, broaden knowledge networks, improve the utilization of county and taxpayer resources for cost savings, and enhance public awareness and understanding of county government.”
The NACo Board of Directors runs that organization, so this is an impressive accomplishment for her. But she’s been there before. She served as a member of the NACo Board of Directors from 2009 to 2015 and has also served many times as a representative on state and national boards and committees that look after and promote the various interests of counties.
Cashion, who’s been a Guilford County commissioner for over two decades, currently serves as the national organization’s Vice-Chair of the Arts and Culture Commission and as a member of the Large Urban County Caucus, the Veterans and Military Services Steering Committee, and she’s the vice chair of the Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee.
She previously served as the chair of the Arts and Culture Commission as well as the Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee.
At this year’s conference, Cashion was also appointed chair of the NACo 2024-25 Nominating Committee for election of NACo 2nd vice president at national convention this upcoming July in Hillsborough County, Florida. This committee is responsible for the election process before and during the annual conference.
She said this week that she’s “honored and humbled” by being appointed as chair of the 2024-25 Nominating Committee and added that “Serving in this capacity is not just a role – it is a commitment to uphold the democratic values that shape our organization.”
The Guilford county commissioners who attended the Legislative Conference this year were Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Skip Alston, Vice Chair Carlvena Foster and Commissioners Alan Perdue, Patrick Tillman and Brandon Gray-Hill. Several top county staff members also attended.
Two decades as a county commissioner? Past time for her to go. She is nothing more than a reliable vote for Skip Alston’s outlandish leadership. A future vote for Cashion is a vote for more of the same. National organizations may like her, but she is not good for Guilford County, and that is what matters. Vote her out if she runs again.