ARVADA, Colo. — The American Association of Special Districts (AASD) and Granicus are partnering to strengthen connections among special district leaders across the nation, facilitate resource sharing, and to enhance advocacy on common issues they face.
Granicus, a trusted national and worldwide leader providing local government resources for constituent engagement and government operations, joins AASD as a Founding Professional Network Vanguard Member and as a “Preferred Partner” for constituent communications resources. Through this partnership, AASD will establish communications for special district members to exchange ideas, discuss governance trends, share resources and best practices, and much more.
“Special districts are altogether the most local and diverse form of local government that have a lot more in common than meets the eye,” said Cole Arreola-Karr, AASD Executive Director. “It is through conversation and networking that we can best identify, understand, and address mutual issues for America’s districts. With Granicus as a partner, AASD can now leverage powerful tools to engage special district stakeholders and to bolster connections among our members across the nation. This is an amazing opportunity for America’s Districts to build community, learn from each other, and be more proactive with their advocacy. AASD is excited to be working together with Granicus to unite, strengthen, and advance special districts.”
During the second quarter of 2025, AASD will launch Granicus’ Engagement Cloud which will serve as a public square for special districts’ to engage with each other on common challenges, advocacy issues, and best practices. AASD will begin establishing forums among AASD Divisions (including Emergency Services & Public Safety, Library, Park & Recreation, and Mosquito/Vector/Pest Control). These moderated online forums will serve as core benefit to AASD membership. AASD will also utilize Granicus’ Engagement Cloud to drive efficiency in member communications and ensures AASD members are receiving their preferred updates.
Furthermore, AASD will work with Granicus as a Professional Network Vanguard Member and Preferred Partner to promote solutions for constituent engagement and approaches to building relationships with local communities.
“Granicus is thrilled to partner with American Association of Special Districts to bring even more value to members,” said Amir Capriles, Granicus Chief Revenue Officer. “Together, we’re making it easier for America’s special districts to better connect with and understand the public — moving beyond generic, one-size-fits-all outreach to deliver meaningful, tailored messages and notifications. By combining deep public-sector expertise, data insights, and advanced end-to-end tools, we’re helping foster genuine dialogue and stronger community relationships.”
Granicus will not only be a fixture of Association communications moving forward but also featured at upcoming AASD Regional Special Districts Governance Summits, where members of the Granicus Team will provide insights and best practices of community engagement, public records management, and more. AASD also looks forward to working with Granicus on relevant research and academic efforts to elevate understanding of special districts among state and federal policymakers and industry professionals.
Granicus is the global leader in customer engagement and experience technology and services for the public sector providing civic leaders with a comprehensive digital technology platform reflective of the whole community. Now powering more than 30 billion digital interactions globally each year and connecting more than 500,000 government and industry professionals with 360 million opt-in subscribers, Granicus is proud to serve as a critical strategic partner to governments as they work to deliver equitable and secure communitywide experiences. With comprehensive cloud-based solutions for communications, website design, CRM, meeting and agenda management software, records management, and digital services, Granicus empowers stronger relationships between government and constituents across more than 7,000 customers in the U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. By simplifying interactions and communicating critical information, Granicus brings governments closer to the people they serve — driving meaningful change for communities around the globe.
The American Association of Special Districts is led by a multi-disciplinary team of special district leaders that share a passion for advancing the special purpose sector of local government and for best serving their communities. AASD provides programs to develop special districts’ capacities to advocate with all levels of government officials and policymakers; connects professional and governance service providers with special districts to enhance their services; and works to develop recognition and understanding of district services at county, state, and federal levels. AASD is accepting trial membership applications for special districts to give the new association’s program a 90-day try.
Learn more about AASD at www.americasdistricts.org and more on how to become an AASD Member at americasdistricts.org/join. Email contact@americasdistricts.org for questions.