Today, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz was elected as the Northeast Regional Representative of the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) Executive Committee. As Northeast Regional Representative, Poloncarz will now represent the states of Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the District of Columbia on the Committee. There are only eight members of the Executive Committee and it gives Poloncarz a key voice in setting national policies regarding issues affecting county governments.

“Today, I was honored to be elected unanimously by my county colleagues in the Northeast, from Maine to Maryland, to be their regional representative on the National Association of Counties’ Executive Committee. There are only eight member of the Executive Committee and it gives me a key voice in setting national policies regarding important issues,” said Poloncarz. “It is my honor to represent the people of Erie County and I now look forward to working with elected officials from across the region and country to advocate for our counties and local governments on a national level.”

Poloncarz, who is currently serving his third four-year term as Erie County Executive, was nominated for the position by New York’s voting delegate for the meeting, Saratoga Springs Supervisor Matthew Veitch. County Commissioner Christian Leinbach of Berks County, Pennsylvania, served in the position from 2014 through 2020 but was prevented from running for another term due to term limits. Poloncarz’s term as Regional Representative runs for two years through 2022.

Founded in 1935, the National Association of Counties serves close to 40,000 county elected officials in a variety of ways, including advocating for federal funding, optimizing county resources, seeking ways to save costs, and helping to educate the public’s understanding of how county government works.

“Hearing the voice of officials who represent county and local governments has never been more important, which is why I vow to use my election to this prestigious position to continue to advocate and fight for Western New York and the rest of the Northeast Region,” said Poloncarz.