National Association of Counties Leadership Development: Learn from the best!

Congratulations 2025 Graduates!

Scholarships are still available for you and your team.  

Join over 15,000 county leaders already benefiting from the effectiveness of the NACo Leadership Academy, the 10-week, online leadership program founded by General Colin Powell.

We would like to acknowledge and congratulate the Washington graduates of 2025:

• Alex Murray, Facilities Administrator, Lewis County
• Alex Sukhovetskiy, Helpdesk Technician, Grant County
• Amanda Kim, CFO, Grant County
• Amanda (Mandee) Taylor, Training Coordinator, Thurston County
• Brandi Jimenez, ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST, Skagit County
• Brandon Black, Senior Planner, Skagit County
• Caitlin Manell, Assistant Clerk of the Board, Grant County
• Chris Turner, Fairgrounds Maintenance Sup., Grant County
• Christi Brua Weaver, Behavioral Health Coordinator, Skagit County
• Cindy Carter, County Commissioner, Grant County
• Crystal Burns, Superior Court Administrator, Grant County
• Decorah Anderson-Cook, Human Resources Director, Grant County
• Desiree Ochocinski, Court Administrator, Grant County
• Emily Diaz, Animal Control Officer, Skagit County
• Emily Clouse, Commissioner of District 5, Thurston County
• Erick Valenzuela, Maintenance III, Grant County
• Gina Saldana, HR Assistant Director, Grant County
• Iris Torres, Building Code Specialist, Spokane County
• Jean Singer, Capital Projects Manager, City of Vancouver County
• Jeff Hughes, Maintenance Supervisor, Grant County
• Jenn Johnson, Division Manager Natural Resources, Skagit County
• Jeremy Hall, Tech Services Technician, Grant County
• Jessica Nuner, Property Information Supervisor, Spokane County
• Jim McKiernan, Fairgrounds Director, Grant County
• Jim Cook, Planning Director, Grant County
• Jordan Neal, Director of Building & Code Enforcement, Spokane County
• Judy Hairston, Customer Success Manager, King County
• Julie Wright, Mental Health Professional, Skagit County
• Katie Hilsinger, HRIS/Benefits Analyst, Skagit County
• Kimberly Allen, Grant Clerk, Grant County
• Lan Nguyen, Chief of Staff, King County
• Matt Thuston, Operations Manager, Lewis County
• Phillip Coats, Chief of Detention, Grant County
• Ricardo Gutierrez, Network Support Specialist, Grant County
• Robby Eckroth, Senior Planner, Skagit County
• Seth Sampson, Tech Services Technician, Grant County
• Suahail Palacios, Director-Youth Services, Grant County

Enroll now for April 2026!

Our April Cohorts are right around the corner. Join us in investing in the workforce – empowering them to become better leaders today and into the future.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND ENROLL

Developed by General Colin Powell, the Professional Development Academy and NACo, the High Performance Leadership Academy is an online 10-week program that helps your workforce develop fundamental, practical leadership skills to deliver results for counties and our residents.