Commissioner Larry Johnson Attends Council on Foundations Virtual 2020 Public Policy Summit

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, in his role as the District 3 commissioner and 1st vice president of the National Association of Counties Organization (NACo), is participating in the Council on Foundations 2020 Public Policy Summit.

During the Nov. 12-13 summit, leaders from across the country will join peers, top policy experts and government officials to learn how to address the sector’s most pressing policy issues. This summit features informative speakers such as Bakari Sellers, attorney and political commentator; Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-Calif.), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus; and Jocelyn Bissonnette, director of Funders' Committee for Civic Participation’s Funders Census Initiative.

“Due to the pandemic, the country has witnessed the need for fast-acting government policymaking this year at all levels of government,” said Stephanie Powers, senior advisor for public policy and partnerships at the Council on Foundations. “The philanthropic sector is anxious to work in partnership with local government officials like Commissioner Johnson and the many other local officials across the nation who will be challenged to engineer a national recovery that ensures economic and health equity and helps communities be more resilient and just.”

Commissioner Johnson will participate in a panel discussion titled “The Urgency of State and Local Policy Making Going Forward.”

The session will feature state and local officials discussing their takeaways on how governments have responded to the pandemic, what policy priorities are essential for municipalities, counties, and state legislatures in 2021, and what philanthropy can bring to the public discourse in their communities.

“These are unprecedented times and DeKalb County has embraced each challenge and dealt with it head on to ensure we could continue to address the needs of our constituents even during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Commissioner Johnson said. “Humanity first at all times.”

The session also will cover how the country has witnessed the need for fast-acting government policymaking this year and how state and local governments are on the front lines in safeguarding public health, responding to staggering unemployment and business closures, and grappling with the disparities affecting communities of color.

For more information, contact Commissioner Larry Johnson’s office at 404-371-2425 or visit www.commissionerlarryjohnson.com.