NLC elects president and board of directors
Charlotte, N.C., City Council Member James Mitchell has been elected president of the Washington-based National League of Cities (NLC). NLC members attending the organization’s annual Congress of Cities & Exposition in Denver last week also elected new first and second vice presidents and a new board of directors for 2011.
In his acceptance speech, Mitchell said he would be announcing new initiatives to built upon work NLC is doing in five key areas: sustainability, immigration, small business development, transportation and infrastructure improvement, and economic development with a focus on creating jobs. “We must also find ways to get more members involved. NLC’s programming, advocacy and services will only improve by having more members participating in NLC activities,” Mitchell said.
Bluffton, Ind., Mayor Ted Ellis was elected first vice president, and Avondale, Ariz., Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers was elected second vice president. The membership also elected the NLC Board of Directors, headed by the president, and first and second vice presidents. The board consists of 40 local elected officials and state municipal league directors.
The board of directors for two-year terms are:
• Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker
• Wichita, Kan., Mayor Carl Brewer
• San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro
• Saint Paul, Minn., Mayor Chris Coleman
• Savannah, Ga., Mayor Pro Tem/Alderman At-Large Edna Branch Jackson
• East Orange, N.J., Council Member Jacquelyn Johnson
• Trotwood, Ohio, Council Member Rap Hankins
• Baton Rouge, La., Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden
• Joplin, Mo., Mayor Pro Tem Melodee Colbert Kean
• Bartlett, Tenn., Mayor A. Keith McDonald
• Tempe, Ariz., Council Member Mark Mitchell
• Los Angeles Council Member Bernard Parks
• Cathedral City, Calif., Council Member Gregory Pettis
• Wellington, Fla., Mayor Pro Tem Carmine Priore
• Hurst, Texas, Council Member Henry Wilson
Download Mitchell’s entire acceptance speech and read more information about NLC’s officer election.