April 28, 2003

Denver Mayor Wellington Webb was presented with the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City's Mayoral Inner City Leadership Award on April 23 at the fifth annual Inner City 100 Summit in Boston (MA).

Webb received the award for his strategic business plan that resulted in major development projects which have made Denver a national model for economic development.

The ICIC Mayoral Inner City Leadership Award is reserved for a select group of mayors with a passionate approach to supporting inner city businesses. Conference President Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino received the 1st Mayoral Leadership Award las year for his much-lauded Mainstreets and Backstreets programs.

"Mayor Webb understands the need to recognize and highlight opportunities in our inner cities," said Michael Porter, Harvard Business School professor and founder of ICIC. "He has revitalized Denver with over $7 billion in infrastructure—creating jobs and promoting assets of his city."

In receiving the honor, Webb spoke to the 2003 Inner City 100, the fastest growing companies in America's urban centers. He told the businesses that they had helped to make America's cities competitive again and he urged a stronger alliance between growing businesses which start in inner cities and the nation's mayors.

This year four Denver companies made the excusive Inner City 100 list.

Porter also encouraged the Inner City 100 to reach out to their mayors to create an even stronger environment for entrepreneurial business development in the America's inner cities.

Webb is a past president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and will host its next annual meeting in Denver (CO) June 5-10.