NACO Institute of Excellence

Location

Buffalo County Extension Center
1400 E 34 St Kearney, NE

Date

August 6, 2026 at 9:00 AM - August 27, 2026 at 12:00 PM

Pricing
A registration fee is required for all participants.

About

Designed by Nebraska Extension, the NACO Institute of Excellence is a professional development program for county officials. Participants will connect with peers from across the state as they strengthen their leadership skills. Built to fit the schedules of working officials, the course features in-person opening and closing sessions with two live virtual sessions in between.

Aug 6: Leading With Your Strengths. In-person, Kearney, NE, 9am-12pm CT

Aug 13: Thriving Through Change. Virtual, 12am CT/11am MT 

Aug 20: AI Essentials for Officials. Virtual, 12am CT/11am MT 

Aug 27: Strategic Leadership. In-person, Kearney, NE, 9am-12pm CT

Registration Fee: $200. Registration Deadline: August 1, 2026.

**Learners are required to attend all sessions.**Certificates of completion will be presented at the NACO Annual Conference, December 16-18, 2026, Kearney, NE. 

For questions or to learn more, please contact Jordan Rasmussen, Rural Prosperity Nebraska Extension Educator, jordan.rasmussen@unl.edu or 402.719.5230


Accommodation requests for registration or attendance may be directed to Jordan Rasmussen at least 10 business days prior to the program at jordan.rasmussen@unl.edu or 402.719.5230. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet access needs.

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based upon any protected status. https://nebraska.edu/nondiscrimination

Sessions

Aug. 6, 2026

  • 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM CDT Leading with your Strengths

    Participants will complete their CliftonStrengths™ assessment and explore is a proven strengths-based assessment tool, to help leaders discover their own unique talents, and maximize their strengths.

    Location: Buffalo County Extension Center, 1400 E 34th St, Kearney, NE 68847

Aug. 13, 2026

  • 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM CDT Thriving Through Change

    Build skills for adaptive leadership while remaining grounded, responsive, and forward-looking during challenging times.

    Location: Virtual (via Zoom)

Aug. 20, 2026

  • 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM CDT AI Essentials for Officials

    Gain a grounded understanding of artificial intelligence and its emerging role in county government and public leadership.

    Location: Virtual (via Zoom)

Aug. 27, 2026

  • 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM CDT Strategic Leadership

    Strengthen your ability to use data, community insight, and long-term thinking to support effective local leadership and decision-making.

    Location: Buffalo County Extension Center, 1400 E 34th St, Kearney, NE 68847