Shawnee County Commissioner Bob Archer said participating in this week’s Kansas Leadership White House Conference in Washington, D.C., was an honor and that meeting Vice President Mike Pence was thrilling.
The conference, which was held Thursday, was organized by the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. The office is meeting with county leaders from every state in an effort to expand outreach so more decision-making and problem-solving occurs at the local level, Archer said. Archer said attending the conference was an opportunity to learn from the speakers and from other participants serving in positions similar to his.
Returning from the event Friday, Archer said he was interested in talking with Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla about a housing program he had learned about. He also wanted to take a look at criminal justice reform, which was touched on at the conference.
“Everybody seemed to have the same problem — that jails were mental health facilities,” he said.
Archer concluded that participating was a great experience and that it would help him be better at his job as a county commissioner.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)