Jennifer Clark, Lake County Board Member and Chair of the Special Committee on Broadband, was the moderator and a featured speaker for the panel on Public/Private Collaborative Efforts in Broadband Deployment. This panel spotlighted Lake County’s practical strategies for engaging stakeholders to create a broadband plan for digital equity and technology skills. Member Clark is also a vice-chair of NACo’s Telecommunications and Technology Policy Steering Full Committee.

“Our Lake County Broadband and Digital Equity Action Plan offers a nationwide roadmap to enhance broadband accessibility and ensure fair access for all by prioritizing the efficient use of federal funding and fostering collaborative partnerships to promote equal digital opportunities,” said Lake County Board Member Jennifer Clark.

The Lake County Digital Growth Initiative was launched in 2023 to better understand the current state of high-speed internet service and digital equity in the county in order to implement solutions for improvement. Closing the digital divide generates wide-ranging impacts for residents, businesses, and communities, including promoting economic prosperity, increasing access and opportunity for disconnect households, and improving social, economic, and health outcomes for marginalized communities.

Lake County Board Member Sara Knizhnik moderated the Gun Violence Prevention Initiatives panel. Tierra Lemon, Director of the Gun Violence Prevention Initiative (GVPI) in the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, was a speaker on this panel along with Wesley Dawson, Director of the Office of Community Safety for Prince William County, VA, and Greg Jackson and Rob Wilcox, co-Deputy Directors of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

The panel highlighted the new, innovative approaches being taken by counties to address increasing gun violence nationwide. Member Knizhnik and Director Lemon shared important information with other counties on how to implement a local initiative like the Lake County Peacemakers, which is known for building a violence prevention community of support to address and prevent all types of gun violence in our county.

The Lake County Peacemakers are part of the Lake County GVPI, a program partially funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. This program puts teams of Peacemakers into the communities of Waukegan, Zion and North Chicago. Since the Lake County Peacemakers began their work in 2023, 31 community members have been referred to social service agencies, 93 percent of all mediations have been successful, and they have had a presence at 49 community events, with these efforts being focused on reducing and preventing gun violence.

“I’m so proud that Director Lemon and I were able to share the amazing strides Lake County and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office are making in curbing gun violence through the GVPI with county elected officials from all over the country at this week's conference. The GVPI is an evidence-based, trauma-informed, community-focused approach that is making everyone in Lake County safer. There was overwhelming interest from my colleagues on the Justice & Public Safety Committee of NACo in learning more, and I want everyone to know that Lake County is doing ground-breaking work in the area of violence prevention,” said Lake County Board Member Sara Knizhnik.

A number of Board Members and County staff also attended the four-day conference to learn at an array of sessions focused on topics such as public safety, emergency management, environmental sustainability, and more. Valuable insights into optimal practices and possible funding opportunities were collected and will be shared with the teams within Lake County government for thorough evaluation and consideration.

The NACo Legislative Conference brings together county officials with members of Congress and federal agency officials each year to focus on federal policy issues that impact their counties and residents.