Local officials network and share experiences at the Local Leaders Policy Forum welcome reception. See more photos from the event below.
More than 70 mayors, councilmembers, commissioners, agency directors and other local officials from around the country gathered in Washington, DC on Sunday, June 15 for the opening reception of the Local Leaders Policy Forum, a conference for local elected and appointed leaders using smart growth strategies to revitalize communities. The Policy Forum is the first national convening of Smart Growth America’s Local Leaders Council.
The opening reception provided an opportunity for members of the Local Leaders Council to meet with each other and Smart Growth America staff to begin to discuss their strategies for redeveloping downtowns, revitalizing commercial corridors and making neighborhoods great for all residents.
Mayor Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City, OK and former Mayor Mark Mallory of Cincinnati, OH, co-chairs of the Local Leaders Council’s advisory board, welcomed leaders to the reception. Both mayors pointed to the importance of building on the shared goals of the group and learning from each other’s experiences and approaches over the days ahead.
“This room is full of a diverse group of people who all believe in the concept of smart growth as a way of revitalizing our communities across the nation,” said former Mayor Mallory. “It is incumbent upon us to stick together, lead together and go out and implement what we learn from each other.”
“It’s great to see such a national response to what we feel is a very important issue in America. [W]e have seen what investing in our inner cities and downtown cores can mean,” said Mayor Cornett. “[The Local Leaders Council] includes county officials, city councilmembers and mayors from all across the country, from big cities to small towns. It shows that this is not about one geographic area. This is about everybody that lives in America and believes in the direction we are heading.”
Want to learn more about the Local Leaders Policy Forum? Stay tuned for more highlights from the event.
