By Ed Somers
May 26, 2003

The nation's mayors will gather in Denver on June 5-10 for the 71st Annual Conference of Mayors, presided over by Conference President Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and hosted by Denver Mayor Wellington E. Webb. The front end of the conference will feature the 2nd International Conference of Mayors which will begin with a reception on Thursday, June 5.

The major themes of the Annual Meeting will be homeland security and economic security. The Conference will hold a major plenary session on the issue of homeland security on Sunday, June 8. Issues related to economic security such as stimulus through the tax code and investment programs, transportation, housing production, brownfield redevelopment and others will be covered over the course of the meeting in discussions with major plenary speakers.

The Conference has invited key Administration officials, Congressional leaders, Democratic candidates for President, and other top officials to Denver.

U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Donald Evans is confirmed to address the mayors on Monday, June 9, as is Former Vermont Governor and presidential candidate Howard Dean. Other confirmed speakers for plenary sessions and committee and task force meetings include Office of National Drug Control Policy Director — the "Drug Czar" — John Walters, Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Alphonso Jackson, Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Melanie Sabelhaus, and Deputy Center for Disease Control (CDC) Director Ed Thomspon. Other confirmed speakers will be announced soon, and the latest agenda for the meeting is available at usmayors.org.

The policy committees of the Conference will meet on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 to consider new resolutions, which will be presented to the entire membership for consideration on Monday, June 9.

Other meetings in Denver will include the Mayors Business Council, the Urban Water Council, the Council for Investment in the New American City, the Women Mayors, and the Republican and Democratic mayors.

In addition, important task force meetings and workshops will be held during the Denver meeting, and there will be an orientation session for new mayors on Friday, June 6.

And, there will be a special luncheon on Sunday, June 8 which will feature the presentation of The United States Conference of Mayors Distinguished Public Service Award to Denver Mayor Webb.

An exciting event schedule has also been arranged by Mayor Webb which will highlight the very best of Denver.

International Conference of Mayors

A key part of the Annual Meeting will be The International Conference of Mayors, which will give U.S. mayors and mayors from other countries the opportunity to jointly address the role of mayoral leadership in achieving sustainability in the world's cities. Mayors will share ideas and give best practices presentations on strategies for successfully managing major challenges in areas including travel and tourism, transportation, safety and security, the environment, health issues, sustainable urban development, affordable housing, diversity, and education.

More than 25 mayors from 19 nations and 5 continents have registered so far for the meeting, and the list continues to grow.

The International Conference of Mayors will begin on Thursday evening with a reception in honor of the international guests, and will conclude on Sunday, June 8. Simultaneous translation will be provided for the formal sessions during the international portion of the Annual Meeting, June 5-8.