Richland County Councilman Torrey Rush will serve on a national task force to oversee policies aimed at making counties more competitive and attractive to industry in the global economy.
Rush, who represents District 7, was appointed Monday by the president of the National Association of Counties (NACo) to serve on the International Economic Development Task Force. His appointment to the ad hoc committee will help ensure Richland County’s interests are represented at national-level policy debates.
“Task force membership at the national level is a serious commitment and a big responsibility,” said NACo’s President Linda Langston said. “Even more so this year with a federal administration engaged in developing policy on a number of issues facing counties.”
The economic development task force facilitates the exchange of information, ideas and resources, and guides NACo programming, concerning county-level engagement in international economic development activities.
Rush said he looks forward to the challenge of serving on the committee and helping guide decisions that will benefit counties across the country.
“Counties need to have a collective voice on the national level,” Rush said. “I am honored to have been chosen to serve on this committee and bring a local perspective – a Richland County perspective – to national issues.”
NACo is the only national organization that represents county governments in the United States. Founded in 1935, NACo assists America’s 3,069 counties in pursuing excellence in public service to produce healthy, vibrant, safe and resilient counties. NACo promotes sound public policies, fosters county solutions and innovation, promotes intergovernmental and public-private collaboration and provides value-added services to save counties and taxpayers money.