Washington, DC
May 31, 2012

Welcome to all mayors as we approach the 80th Annual Meeting of The United States Conference of Mayors in Orlando.

Conference President Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has done a superb job in pushing our agenda forward since he became President of the Conference in Baltimore last June. Hardly a week has gone by that he has not been on National television with the message that our metro-economies drive the national economy.

He has traveled across the nation meeting with mayors and local business leaders, giving them support as they, together, work to create jobs and reduce the unemployment rates of local metro areas.

President Villaraigosa developed "A Common'sense Jobs Agenda," a blueprint and jobs plan for our nation. He pushed his Fast Forward transportation initiative. He was the leader that brought together the AFL-CIO, The National Chamber of Commerce, the Republican and Democratic Leadership to support his Fast Forward initiative. And he is still fighting to secure passage of the transportation legislation when Congress returns after the Presidential election.

Recently, he was named Chairman of the Democratic Convention. While we are a bipartisan organization, Republican, Democratic and Independent mayors were pleased to have a mayor, and President of the Conference of Mayors, chair a major national convention.

We are most appreciative of his leadership on the ports and export issue. The Jacksonville meeting we held in February was a landmark meeting and as we go forward strengthening our ports and increasing our exports will be a major priority of our organization.

We thank Mayor Villaraigosa for his leadership and we look forward to his continued dedicated service to our organization during the months ahead.

2012 is an election year, and we will leave Orlando with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter as our President. Mayor Nutter will bring the leadership of the Conference to Philadelphia in July. Mayors assembled in Philadelphia will develop an action agenda for mayors to advocate to both national conventions, the general election, the transition, the inauguration, and the first 100 days of the Administration.

At Mayor Nutter’s side will be our new Vice President, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, a Republican, and this bipartisan team will give credence for the mayors action agenda.

We look forward to supporting and working with Mayor Nutter as we leave Orlando to face the year ahead of us.

We thank our Host Mayor Buddy Dyer. We know of the great entertainment destination, Orlando and you will see the City of Orlando also as a major thriving, working city thanks to Mayor Dyer’s leadership of a city like no other, Orlando.

We thank all mayors their staff and our business partners for being in Orlando for our 80th Annual Meeting. If I can be of service to you while you are in Orlando, please let me know.