Keen chosen for national panel
By From staff reports
Published in News on September 18, 2013 1:46 PM
Wayne County Commission Chairman Steve Keen has been appointed to the National Association of Counties Transportation Steering Committee for the 2013-2014 term. The committee will focus on establishing the Association's transportation goals and policy priorities.
Steering committee members play a critical role in advancing legislative and policy priorities important to the nation's counties, Linda Langston, Association president, said.
As a member of the steering committee, Keen will participate in legislative strategy development and advocacy efforts. That will include attending the national legislative conference as well as the Association's annual conference.
Transportation has always been a top NACo priority, and earlier this summer a delegation of county officials met with House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa.
Much of the discussion was focused on the extensive county role and ownership of highways, bridges, transit systems and airports, and the upcoming reauthorization of the federal surface transportation program.
"At the NACo legislative and annual conferences, the 10 policy steering committees meet to hear federal legislative and policy updates, discuss best practices and innovation, and advise the NACo Board of Directors and voting delegates who set NACo policy for the coming year," she said.
"I hope this will help our efforts in North Carolina of securing better Interstate status, especially in the east," Keen said.